They don't teach this in medical school, but choosing the right investments can make a massive difference to your long-term financial health. Even a small difference of 0.5% or 1% gained can have a big impact on the total value of your portfolio, thanks to the power of compound interest. Total stock market index funds and ETFs can be a valuable component as you consider the makeup of your portfolio.

If you're looking at investing in a total market fund, a few options exist, and it can be instructive to understand the differences between them. WCI has done a few similar comparisons before, like comparing FXAIX vs. VOO and SWPPX vs. VOO. Now, we will take a look at SCHB vs. VTI to see which of these total market index funds might make sense for your portfolio.

What Is a Total Stock Market ETF?

Before comparing SCHB and VTI, it makes sense to understand that these two funds are two different flavors of the same basic idea—a total market index fund. Total market index funds are funds that are designed to track the entire US stock market, including large, mid, small, and even microcap stocks. One of the best things about total stock market EFTs is that they can give you instant diversification across thousands of companies in a single investment.

Total market funds are available as both mutual funds and ETFs, with ETFs offering intraday trading and tax efficiency. Choosing a total market index fund eliminates the need to pick individual stocks or actively managed funds, allowing you to “set it and forget it.”

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What Is SCHB?

SCHB is the ticker for the Schwab US Broad Market ETF. It's one of Schwab's largest ETFs, with total net assets over $40 billion. It has a relatively low expense ratio, at 0.03%. This low expense ratio means that it's one of the cheapest ways to hold a broad swath of the US stock market, without having to pick and choose individual stocks. SCHB opened in November 2009, and, as of May 2026, it has a 10-year annualized return of 14.73%.

SCHB is an ETF as opposed to a mutual fund. This means that it can be bought and sold throughout the trading day while the market is open. ETFs also offer some tax advantages over mutual funds.

What Is VTI?

VTI is the ticker symbol for the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. VTI is an ETF offered by Vanguard, which you might recognize as the company best known for bringing index funds to everyday investors. VOO also has an annual expense ratio of 0.03%. VTI has total net assets of around $2 trillion. The fund opened in May 2001, and, as of May 2026, it also has a 10-year annualized return of 14.73%.

SCHB vs. VTI: Which Should I Choose?

Deciding between VTI and SCHB mostly comes down to a matter of personal preference or which is easier for you. The two funds are both ETFs, and they have the same expense ratio and 10-year average return. It may be as simple as whether you already have a brokerage account with Vanguard and/or Schwab.

These two ETFs are extremely similar, and any differences between the two are fairly minimal. Here were the numbers as of May 2026.

schb vs vti chart

SCHB vs. VTI: Which Is Better?

So, is VTI better than SCHB? Both funds are low-cost ETFs, with equivalent average returns over a 10-year time horizon. Either option can be a good choice, depending on where you already have brokerage accounts opened.

Either SCHB or VTI can be a good choice for long-term investors, since it gives you broad access to the total US stock market. You're not likely to regret adding either of these ETFs to your portfolio as part of a comprehensive investment strategy.

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The Bottom Line

Both SCHB and VTI are excellent, low-cost total market ETFs. While they track slightly different indices, the difference between SCHB and VTI is likely to be a rounding error or less, making either one of them an excellent choice if you're looking to add a total market ETF to your portfolio. Any difference between the two is likely to be too small to materially affect your financial future, so deciding between VTI and SCHB could be as simple as picking the one (Vanguard or Schwab) where you already have an account.

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