Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SCHA vs SMLF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SCHA returned +17.8% to SMLF's +14.8%; 35% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $22.6bn on Aug 31, 2026 for Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF, and $4.2bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF.
Pair scorecard
SCHA costs 0.12 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.0 points.
| Measure | SCHA | SMLF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.8% | +14.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 7.9%, high on Jun 30, 2026 | 5.2%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index | STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.15% |
| Net assets, SCHA as of Aug 31, 2026 and SMLF as of Oct 27, 2026 | $22.6bn | $4.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 35% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 10.1% | 6.4% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, SCHA and SMLF hold 35% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
35% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
SCHA and SMLF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SCHA and SMLF are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. SCHA follows Dow Jones U.S. Small-Cap Total Stock Market Index and SMLF follows STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index.
- Holdings in common. 35% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 SCHA returned +17.8% and SMLF +14.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 3.0 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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SCHA
SCHA tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.8% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Aug 31, 2026, 7% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,705 positions, with the top ten at 10.1%. It sat 7.9% below its high of Jun 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
SMLF
SMLF tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 11% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 962 positions, with the top ten at 6.4%. It sat 5.2% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SCHA or SMLF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SCHA returned +17.8% and SMLF +14.8%.
- Which is cheaper, SCHA or SMLF?
- SCHA is cheaper, by 0.12 percentage points a year. That is about $12 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, SCHA against SMLF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/scha-vs-smlf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SCHA against SMLF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/scha-vs-smlf
[SCHA against SMLF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/scha-vs-smlf)
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