SCHG vs VUG ETF Comparison

Compare SCHG and VUG across fund costs, diversification, holdings, performance, income, risk and current AlgovestIQ evidence.

Market data as of Sep 5, 2026 market close· Fund characteristics as of Sep 5, 2026
SCHG
Schwab
vs
VUG
Vanguard
SCHG
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
Issuer
Schwab
Fund type
Equity
Index
-
Inception
2009-12-11
VUG
Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF
Issuer
Vanguard
Fund type
Large Cap Equity
Index
-
Inception
2004-01-26

What is the main difference between SCHG and VUG?

SCHG is Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF, while VUG is Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF. SCHG is tied to Equity; VUG is tied to Large Cap Equity. SCHG is broader by holdings count, with 194 positions versus 147 for VUG. VUG is more concentrated at the top, based on top-10 holdings weight.

Expense ratio
SCHG
0.04%
VUG
0.03%
Lower annual fund costVUG
Holdings
SCHG
194
VUG
147
Broader reported basketSCHG
1Y return
SCHG
+18.4%
VUG
+17.2%
Trailing performanceSCHG
Annualized volatility
SCHG
16.7%
VUG
17.9%
Lower realized volatilitySCHG
MetricSCHGVUGType
Expense ratio0.04%0.03%Fund
Assets under management$62.5B$372.0BFund
Holdings194147Fund
Top-10 concentration78.9%95.6%Fund
Average volume13,892,0191,787,878Fund
Underlying exposureEquityLarge Cap EquityFund
1Y return+18.4%+17.2%Performance
YTD return+9.9%+9.3%Performance
Annualized volatility16.7%17.9%Risk
Max drawdown-16.6%-16.7%Risk
Beta1.231.33Risk
Sharpe ratio0.810.70Risk
Sortino ratio1.201.07Risk
AIQ Score58/10058/100AlgovestIQ
AIQ Edge Score7/107/10AlgovestIQ
Momentum62/10059/100AlgovestIQ
Risk Resilience78/10076/100AlgovestIQ

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF vs Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF

Data as of Sep 5, 2026· market close· Factor / Style / Smart Beta· Coverage 66/66 fields· High confidence
AIQ VerdictCompetitiveAIQ Comparison Conviction 7/10

SCHG and VUG are effectively level

SCHG and VUG are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Evidence agreement: 6 of 4Comparison trend: Stable
SCHG

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF

AIQ Score
58/100
AIQ Edge Score
7/10
VUG

Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF

AIQ Score
58/100
AIQ Edge Score
7/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate SCHG and VUG as of Sep 5, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Compare Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF and Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.

Compare SCHG and VUG against another ticker

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Basic: 2 symbols·Explorer: 3 symbols·Pro and Premium: 5 symbols·Your limit: 2

AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

SCHG advantage
0
VUG advantage
  • Quality30%71 vs 76
    VUG +5
  • Momentum25%62 vs 59
    Even
  • Risk Resilience15%78 vs 76
    Even
  • Value30%30 vs 29
    Even

Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-04, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-03.

SCHG0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

VUG0 AIQ

Largest factor move: Value -1

No new signals fired.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — SCHG and VUG both carry a full feed there.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

Even

Neither separates on the overall score.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

Even

The two are level on Value.

Momentum

Even

The two are level on Momentum.

Lower downside

Even

Downside measures are level or not covered.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

Fund facts, side by side

Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.

MeasureSCHGVUGWhy it matters
Expense ratio0.04%0.03%Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold.
Assets under management$62.5B$372.0BLarger funds generally carry tighter spreads.
Holdings196166More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns.
Average volume13,892,0191,787,878Liquidity — matters most if you trade size.
Annualized volatility16.7%17.9%Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure.
Max drawdown-16.6%-16.7%The worst peak-to-trough loss on record for the fund.
Sharpe ratio0.810.70Return per unit of risk. Higher is better.
Beta1.231.33Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio.

Where the exposure actually sits

SCHG and VUG share 109.1% of their weighted exposure across 91 common holdings.

Technology46.2% vs 56.3%
Healthcare9.8% vs 4.6%
Financial Services8.2% vs 4.1%
Communication Services13.3% vs 15.4%
Industrials6.8% vs 4.8%
Consumer Cyclical10.3% vs 11.5%
Basic Materials1.6% vs 0.5%
Energy0.9% vs 0.3%
SCHGVUG

VUG is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 95.57% of the fund, against 78.87% for SCHG (147 holdings vs 194). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.

103 holdings are unique to SCHG and 56 to VUG. Owning both adds little diversification — they are largely the same exposure in different wrappers.

Largest shared positions

HoldingSCHGVUGShared
AAPLAPPLE19.15%25.19%19.15%
MSFTMICROSOFT15.05%19.19%15.05%
NVDANVIDIA10.99%12.81%10.99%
AMZNAMAZON COM INC10.06%10.3%10.06%
LLYELI LILLY5.85%5.44%5.44%
AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES4.57%4.34%4.34%
GOOGLALPHABET CLASS A3.99%5.8%3.99%
AVGOBROADCOM INC3.36%4.46%3.36%

Shared weight is the lower of the two positions — the portion of capital both funds genuinely have in the same security.

ETF comparison questions

Short answers to the fund-specific questions behind this comparison.

Which ETF is more diversified, SCHG or VUG?

SCHG currently has more reported holdings, with 194 positions versus 147.

Which has the lower expense ratio?

VUG has the lower reported expense ratio in the current fund profile.

Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?

The current dataset does not show a higher-yield winner.

Which ETF has been more volatile?

VUG has the higher annualized volatility in the current risk snapshot.

Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?

SCHG has the less severe max drawdown in the current risk snapshot.

Which ETF has the stronger current AlgovestIQ evidence?

The current AlgovestIQ evidence does not show a clear leader.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreEven58 vs 58
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationEvenValue 30 vs 29
TechnicalsEvenPrice vs 50-day 2.3% vs 2%; vs 200-day 9.2% vs 7.9%
Risk ResilienceEvenRisk Resilience 78 vs 76
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

AIQ Decision Stability

Competitive

The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.

  • The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • 6 of 4 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 23 Sep 4

VUG lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 0 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 23SCHG leads above the line · VUG leads belowSep 4
Today
Level
58 vs 58
7 sessions ago
Level
57 vs 57
30 sessions ago
VUG +1
61 vs 62
90 sessions ago
SCHG +1
59 vs 58

The lead changed hands 5 times in this window, most recently on Aug 12 when VUG moved ahead of SCHG.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

SCHGConflicted

4 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (5.81%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon
VUGConflicted

4 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (5.27%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

SCHGNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.86%, AIQ 0 points).

VUGNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.48%, AIQ 0 points).

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Performance

SCHG leads 5 of 6 windows
MetricSCHGVUG
1 week (5 sessions)-0.1%0%
1 month (20 sessions)1.2%0.2%
3 months (63 sessions)3%-0.3%
6 months (126 sessions)15.7%14.9%
Year to date9.9%9.3%
1 year (252 sessions)18.4%17.2%

Technicals

Split
MetricSCHGVUG
RSI (14)50.747.2
ADX (14)20.213.5
Price vs 50-day2.3%2%
Price vs 200-day9.2%7.9%
Volatility (1M, annualized)12.4%12.6%

Risk

Split
MetricSCHGVUG
Beta1.231.33
Sharpe ratio0.810.7
Sortino ratio1.21.07
Max drawdown-16.6%-16.7%
Current drawdown-0.3%-1.6%
Annualized volatility16.7%17.9%
Value at risk (95%)-1.8%-1.8%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better value, SCHG or VUG?

Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, SCHG or VUG?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, SCHG or VUG?

The two are level on Momentum. Momentum carries 25% of the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, SCHG or VUG?

The two are close on downside measures. Downside measures are level or not covered. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is SCHG more profitable than VUG?

Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.

What do the current signals say about SCHG and VUG?

SCHG: 4 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. VUG: 4 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on SCHG is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On VUG it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Compare SCHG and VUG with others

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.