ETF Versus

BIL vs SGOV

State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF vs iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BIL

State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.14%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.02%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $49.6B ER: 0.14% Yield: 4.02% Since: May 25, 2007

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.01%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $83.3B ER: 0.09% Yield: 4.01% Since: May 26, 2020

Quick Verdict

SGOV has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.09% vs 0.14%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (-0.0% vs 0.0%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric BIL SGOV
Expense Ratio 0.14% 0.09%
Dividend Yield 4.0% 4.0%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Short-Term Treasury US Short-Term Treasury

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

95 97 99 101 103 105 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BIL -0.1%
SGOV +0.4%

Performance Comparison

Period BIL SGOV Difference
1 Month +0.01% +0.01% +0.00%
3 Months -0.02% -0.02% +0.00%
6 Months -0.10% -0.03% -0.07%
YTD -0.02% -0.02% +0.00%
1 Year -0.03% +0.04% -0.07%
3 Years -0.08% +0.16% -0.24%
5 Years -0.11% +0.37% -0.48%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BIL Fees SGOV Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $278 $179 $99
$10.000 20 years $1.194 $771 $423
$10.000 30 years $3.841 $2.486 $1.355
$50.000 10 years $1.391 $896 $495
$50.000 30 years $19.203 $12.428 $6.775
$100.000 30 years $38.406 $24.855 $13.551

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BIL SGOV
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 1.1%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -0.7%
Sharpe Ratio -4.15 -4.13

Dividend Comparison

Metric BIL SGOV
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.67 $4.02
Dividend Yield 4.02% 4.00%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SGOV 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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