What is the expense ratio of SCHF vs VEA?

SCHF has an expense ratio of 0.03%, while VEA has an expense ratio of 0.03%.

SCHF vs VEA

Schwab International Equity ETF vs Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SCHF Schwab

Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.14%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $61.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.14% Since: Nov 3, 2009

VEA Vanguard

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares (VEA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.78%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $217.2B ER: 0.03% Yield: 2.78% Since: Jul 20, 2007

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (39.8% vs 40.6%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric	SCHF	VEA
Expense Ratio	0.03%	0.03%
Dividend Yield	3.1%	2.8%
Fund Family	Schwab	Vanguard
Category	International Developed	International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

SCHF +35.8%

VEA +34.5%

Performance Comparison

Period	SCHF	VEA	Difference
1 Month	+2.99%	+2.70%	+0.29%
3 Months	+4.48%	+4.18%	+0.30%
6 Months	+12.43%	+13.10%	-0.67%
YTD	+7.31%	+7.02%	+0.29%
1 Year	+39.79%	+40.64%	-0.85%
3 Years	+48.69%	+48.42%	+0.27%
5 Years	+35.83%	+34.49%	+1.34%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	SCHF Fees	VEA Fees	You Save
$10,000	10 years	$60	$60	$0
$10,000	20 years	$258	$258	$0
$10,000	30 years	$835	$835	$0
$50,000	10 years	$299	$299	$0
$50,000	30 years	$4,176	$4,176	$0
$100,000	30 years	$8,352	$8,352	$0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	SCHF	VEA
Annualized Volatility	16.4%	16.5%
Max Drawdown	-31.4%	-32.3%
Sharpe Ratio	0.18	0.17

Dividend Comparison

Metric	SCHF	VEA
Annual Dividend (per share)	$0.82	$1.88
Dividend Yield	3.14%	2.78%
Distribution Frequency	Semi-Annual or Annual	Quarterly

Top Holdings

7 of top 9 holdings overlap (78% overlap in top holdings)

SCHF Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/005930	2.23%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML	1.93%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/000660	1.18%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN	1.13%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN	1.10%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA	1.07%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL	0.99%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN	0.94%
Royal Bank of Canada!tsx/RY	0.85%

VEA Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/005930	2.18%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML	1.77%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/000660	1.24%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L	1.03%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN	1.00%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA	0.99%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN	0.98%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN	0.86%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/7203	0.80%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHF if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Either works if...

you just need broad international developed exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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