# SCHX vs VOO: fees, holdings and returns compared

> SCHX vs VOO: what each ETF holds, what it costs, and how both did over the same dates, with yearly returns and worst drops.

SCHX holds about 750 of the largest US companies, picked by a Dow Jones index. VOO holds the about 500 in the S&P 500. Both are weighted by company size, so the same giants lead both, and their returns have been close. Over the same dates since September 2010, SCHX returned about 14.7% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 20, 2026.

## Key points

- Both charge 0.03% a year.
- SCHX started trading in November 2009. VOO started in September 2010.
- Worst drops since 2010: SCHX −34.3%, VOO −34.0%.
- Daily correlation: 1.00 (1 means they always move together).

## What is the difference between SCHX and VOO?

SCHX reaches a little further down in size: it adds about 250 more companies that are smaller than the largest 500. A committee picks the S&P 500 and requires a record of profits, while SCHX's index follows company size with set rules. Because the extra companies are small next to the giants, they move the fund only a little. Both charge very low fees.

| Fact | SCHX | VOO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full name | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF |
| Issuer | Schwab | Vanguard |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% a year | 0.03% a year |
| Started trading | November 3, 2009 | September 7, 2010 |
| Tracks | Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index | S&P 500 Index |
| Holdings | 749 holdings as of February 28, 2026 | 505 holdings as of September 30, 2026 |
| Type | US stocks, ETF | US stocks, ETF |

Fund facts checked on the [Schwab SCHX page](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465926020690/tm266454-2_497k.htm) and the [Vanguard VOO page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo).

## Is SCHX or VOO cheaper?

Both charge 0.03% a year. On $10,000, that is about $3 a year for SCHX and $3 for VOO. The fund takes its fee out of its own value a little each day, so you never get a bill.

## SCHX vs VOO performance over the same dates

Both funds are measured from September 2010 to October 2026, the dates both traded. SCHX returned about 14.7% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year. VOO came out ahead over this period, which does not mean it will again.

| Measure | SCHX | VOO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $10,000 grew to | $91,045 | $92,857 |
| Total return | 810.4% | 828.6% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | 14.7% | 14.8% |
| Worst drop from a high | −34.3% | −34.0% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 17.0% | 16.9% |
| Last 12 months | 15.0% | 15.8% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 23.7% | 23.8% |
| Last 5 years, per year | 12.1% | 12.8% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 15.4% | 15.5% |

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.

## SCHX and VOO returns by year

| Year | SCHX | VOO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (part of the year) | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 2025 | 17.5% | 17.8% |
| 2024 | 24.9% | 25.0% |
| 2023 | 26.8% | 26.3% |
| 2022 | −19.4% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | 26.8% | 28.8% |
| 2020 | 20.8% | 18.3% |
| 2019 | 31.2% | 31.4% |
| 2018 | −4.5% | −4.5% |
| 2017 | 21.9% | 21.8% |
| 2016 | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| 2014 | 13.3% | 12.9% |
| 2013 | 32.4% | 32.4% |
| 2012 | 16.1% | 16.0% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| 2010 (part of the year) | 15.1% | 14.8% |

## Which fell further in bad times?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. SCHX's worst fall was −34.3%, from February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on August 6, 2020.

VOO's worst fall was −34.0%, from February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on August 10, 2020.

Their daily moves had a correlation of 1.00. 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 SCHX or VOO

**SCHX.** People who use Schwab, or want a slightly wider set of large companies, often pick SCHX.

**VOO.** People who want the S&P 500 itself, the index most results are measured against, often pick VOO.

## Strategies that hold SCHX or VOO

No classic strategy holds SCHX or VOO yet.

## Other funds like SCHX and VOO

Each fund has more funds that hold the same kind of investments, ranked by how closely they move with it: [SCHX alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/SCHX.md) and [VOO alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/VOO.md).

## Test a mix of SCHX and VOO

Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add SCHX and VOO, 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 [SCHX](https://tactfolio.com/etf/SCHX.md) and [VOO](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VOO.md), or see [more ETF comparisons](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons.md).

## 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](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [S&P 500 index funds](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index-funds): Compare the biggest S&P 500 index funds, ETFs and mutual funds, by yearly fee, see how much fees cost over 30 years, and learn how to buy one.
- [S&P 500 index](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index): The S&P 500 tracks about 500 large US companies. Learn how stocks get in, how the index is weighted, how to invest in it, and how far it has fallen before.
- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.

## Common questions

### Is SCHX an S&P 500 fund?

No. SCHX tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index, about 750 companies. It holds most of the S&P 500 companies plus some more.

### Do SCHX and VOO overlap?

Heavily. Almost every S&P 500 company is also in SCHX, and they make up most of SCHX by value.

### Which is cheaper, SCHX or VOO?

Both charge 0.03% a year. Fees come from each issuer and were checked on October 17, 2026.

### Which did better, SCHX or VOO?

From September 2010 to October 2026, SCHX returned about 14.7% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year, with dividends reinvested. Their worst drops were −34.3% and −34.0%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

## Sources

- [Schwab: Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF fund page](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465926020690/tm266454-2_497k.htm)
- [Vanguard: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.