ETF Versus

SHV vs VGSH

iShares 0–1 Year Treasury Bond ETF vs Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SHV iShares

iShares 0–1 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHV) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.15%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.93%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $21.2B ER: 0.15% Yield: 3.93% Since: Jan 5, 2007
VGSH Vanguard

Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares (VGSH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.92%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $28.9B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.92% Since: Nov 19, 2009

Quick Verdict

VGSH is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.15% expense ratio, saving you approximately $238 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (0.0% vs -0.3%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SHV VGSH
Expense Ratio 0.15% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 3.9% 3.9%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Short-Term Treasury US Short-Term Treasury

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

90 93 96 99 102 105 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SHV -0.3%
VGSH -5.0%

Performance Comparison

Period SHV VGSH Difference
1 Month +0.01% -0.27% +0.28%
3 Months -0.05% -0.51% +0.46%
6 Months -0.06% -0.68% +0.62%
YTD +0.03% -0.53% +0.56%
1 Year +0.00% -0.27% +0.27%
3 Years +0.00% +0.02% -0.02%
5 Years -0.29% -4.98% +4.69%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SHV Fees VGSH Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $298 $60 $238
$10,000 20 years $1,278 $258 $1,020
$10,000 30 years $4,109 $835 $3,274
$50,000 10 years $1,490 $299 $1,190
$50,000 30 years $20,547 $4,176 $16,371
$100,000 30 years $41,094 $8,352 $32,742

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SHV VGSH
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 2.1%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -7.0%
Sharpe Ratio -4.24 -2.58

Dividend Comparison

Metric SHV VGSH
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.33 $2.29
Dividend Yield 3.93% 3.92%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VGSH if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Either works if...

you just need broad us short-term treasury exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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