QQQ vs SCHG: fees, holdings and returns
QQQ holds the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq. SCHG holds about 200 large US growth companies from any exchange, picked by a Dow Jones index. The same tech giants lead both, and SCHG charges a much lower fee. Over the same dates since January 2010, QQQ returned about 18.7% a year and SCHG returned about 16.2% a year.
Written by the Tactfolio research team. Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 20, 2026.
Key points
- SCHG costs less: 0.04% a year against 0.18%.
- QQQ started trading in March 1999. SCHG started in December 2009.
- Worst drops since 2010: QQQ −35.1%, SCHG −34.6%.
- Daily correlation: 0.97 (1 means they always move together).
What is the difference between QQQ and SCHG?#
QQQ is picked by exchange: it holds large Nasdaq companies whether they look like growth companies or not, and leaves out anything on the New York Stock Exchange. SCHG is picked by growth measures, from every exchange, so it holds growth companies that QQQ cannot, and leaves out slower-growing Nasdaq companies. Both lean heavily on technology.
| Fact | QQQ | SCHG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF |
| Issuer | Invesco | Schwab |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% a year | 0.04% a year |
| Started trading | March 10, 1999 | December 11, 2009 |
| Tracks | Nasdaq-100 Index | Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index |
| Holdings | n/a | 195 holdings as of February 28, 2026 |
| Type | US stocks, ETF | US stocks, ETF |
Fund facts checked on the Invesco QQQ page and the Schwab SCHG page.
Is QQQ or SCHG cheaper?#
SCHG costs less: 0.04% a year against 0.18%. On $10,000, that is about $18 a year for QQQ and $4 for SCHG. The fund takes its fee out of its own value a little each day, so you never get a bill.
QQQ vs SCHG performance over the same dates#
Both funds are measured from January 2010 to October 2026, the dates both traded. QQQ returned about 18.7% a year and SCHG returned about 16.2% a year. QQQ came out ahead over this period, which does not mean it will again.
| Measure | QQQ | SCHG |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 grew to | $178,494 | $123,704 |
| Total return | 1,685% | 1,137% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | 18.7% | 16.2% |
| Worst drop from a high | −35.1% | −34.6% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 20.6% | 19.7% |
| Last 12 months | 17.9% | 10.4% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 27.2% | 25.9% |
| Last 5 years, per year | 14.5% | 13.2% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 20.6% | 18.7% |
Prices through October 20, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.
QQQ and SCHG returns by year#
| Year | QQQ | SCHG |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (part of the year) | 17.2% | 9.3% |
| 2025 | 20.8% | 17.5% |
| 2024 | 25.6% | 35.0% |
| 2023 | 54.9% | 50.1% |
| 2022 | −32.6% | −31.8% |
| 2021 | 27.4% | 28.1% |
| 2020 | 48.4% | 39.1% |
| 2019 | 39.0% | 36.0% |
| 2018 | −0.1% | −1.4% |
| 2017 | 32.7% | 28.1% |
| 2016 | 7.1% | 6.6% |
| 2015 | 9.4% | 3.2% |
| 2014 | 19.2% | 15.8% |
| 2013 | 36.6% | 34.0% |
| 2012 | 18.1% | 16.9% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | −0.7% |
| 2010 | 18.4% | 14.9% |
Which fell further in bad times?#
A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. QQQ’s worst fall was −35.1%, from December 27, 2021 to November 3, 2022. It got back to that high on December 13, 2023.
SCHG’s worst fall was −34.6%, from November 19, 2021 to January 5, 2023. It got back to that high on December 18, 2023.
Their daily moves had a correlation of 0.97. A correlation of 1 means two funds always move up and down together. Near 0 means they move on their own. So holding both adds little variety.
Why people choose QQQ or SCHG#
QQQ. People who want the Nasdaq-100 itself, or trade it and its options, tend to pick QQQ.
SCHG. People who want large growth companies from any exchange at a low fee tend to pick SCHG.
Strategies that hold QQQ or SCHG#
These classic strategies hold one or both at least some of the time. Each is a set of written rules you can open, test and copy.
- Bold Asset Allocation (BAA), by Wouter Keller, 2022 (holds QQQ)
- Defensive Asset Allocation (DAA), by Wouter Keller and JW Keuning, 2018 (holds QQQ)
- Protective Asset Allocation (PAA), by Wouter Keller and JW Keuning, 2016 (holds QQQ)
- Vigilant Asset Allocation G12 (VAA-G12), by Wouter Keller and JW Keuning, 2017 (holds QQQ)
- Bold Asset Allocation G4 (BAA aggressive), by Wouter Keller, 2022 (holds QQQ)
- Quint Switching Filtered (Lewis Glenn’s QSF), by Lewis A. Glenn, 2018 (holds QQQ)
- Lethargic Asset Allocation (Keller’s LAA), by Wouter J. Keller, 2019 (holds QQQ)
- Resilient Asset Allocation (Keller’s RAA), by Wouter J. Keller, 2020 (holds QQQ)
- Pragmatic Asset Allocation (Quantpedia’s PAA), by Radovan Vojtko and Juliána Javorská (Quantpedia), 2024 (holds QQQ)
Other funds like QQQ and SCHG#
Each fund has more funds that hold the same kind of investments, ranked by how closely they move with it: QQQ alternatives and SCHG alternatives.
Test a mix of QQQ and SCHG#
Open the builder, add QQQ and SCHG, and give each a weight, such as 50% and 50%. The backtest shows how the mix would have done, with its worst drop, on daily prices. You can also add a rule, for example to switch between them, and compare. Read the full pages for QQQ and SCHG, or see more ETF comparisons.
The details#
Both funds use Tactfolio’s stored daily prices, adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They are compared only on days both traded, starting the later fund’s first day, so neither gets a head start. Correlation uses daily returns over the same days. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.
Common questions#
Is SCHG like QQQ?#
They overlap a lot at the top, since the largest tech and growth companies are in both. They pick the rest differently: QQQ by exchange and SCHG by growth measures.
Does QQQ hold companies on the New York Stock Exchange?#
No. QQQ holds only companies listed on Nasdaq. SCHG can hold companies from any US exchange.
Which is cheaper, QQQ or SCHG?#
SCHG costs less: 0.04% a year against 0.18%. Fees come from each issuer and were checked on October 16, 2026.
Which did better, QQQ or SCHG?#
From January 2010 to October 2026, QQQ returned about 18.7% a year and SCHG returned about 16.2% a year, with dividends reinvested. Their worst drops were −35.1% and −34.6%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.