ETF Versus

IJR vs SCHA

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000
SCHA Schwab

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.16%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $19.4B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.16% Since: Nov 3, 2009

Quick Verdict

SCHA has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.04% vs 0.06%), saving about $40 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SCHA has significantly outperformed with a 25.0% return vs 19.2%.

Key Metrics

Metric IJR SCHA
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 1.2%
Fund Family iShares Schwab
Category US Small Cap US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 85 95 105 115 125 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
SCHA +15.6%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR SCHA Difference
1 Month -4.33% -4.46% +0.13%
3 Months +2.92% +1.91% +1.01%
6 Months +4.03% +3.86% +0.17%
YTD +2.92% +1.91% +1.01%
1 Year +19.20% +25.00% -5.80%
3 Years +29.06% +40.06% -11.00%
5 Years +12.98% +15.59% -2.61%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees SCHA Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $80 $40
$10.000 20 years $515 $344 $171
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $1.112 $552
$50.000 10 years $598 $399 $199
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $5.560 $2.758
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $11.121 $5.516

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR SCHA
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 22.0%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -31.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.04

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR SCHA
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $0.34
Dividend Yield 1.28% 1.16%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

SCHA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK2.27%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.25%
ATI Inc.ATI0.48%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.44%
Coeur Mining, Inc.CDE0.44%
Revolution Medicines, Inc.RVMD0.42%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.39%
MKS Inc.MKSI0.37%
MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.MTSI0.36%
The New York Times CompanyNYT0.33%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHA if...

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

Choose SCHA if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Either works if...

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

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