VTIAX vs. SWISX: Vanguard Total International or Schwab International Index Fund?
Figures last verified October 31, 2026
Total international versus developed-markets-only. This isn't a fee fight — it's a coverage decision, because SWISX deliberately excludes emerging markets (and Canada).
| VTIAX | SWISX | |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Admiral Shares | Schwab International Index Fund |
| Family | Vanguard | Schwab |
| Category | International | International |
| Type | Index | Index |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.06% |
| Cost per $10k/yr | $9 | $6 |
| Minimum | $3,000 | $0 |
| Strategy | Tracks the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index — about 8,500 stocks across developed and emerging markets outside the United States. | Tracks the MSCI EAFE Index — large and mid-cap developed-market stocks outside North America. |
VTIAX is the more complete one-fund answer, including emerging markets and small caps. SWISX suits investors who want developed markets only or size EM separately. Know what you're buying: these track different slices of the world, not the same slice at different prices.
About VTIAX
Whether to own international stocks at all is one of the few arguments that still divides otherwise-agreeing index investors. Bogle himself was famously lukewarm on the idea; Vanguard's own target-date funds put roughly 40% of equities abroad. If you land on the 'yes' side, VTIAX is the cleanest single answer: every developed and emerging market outside the US, large caps through small, in one fund at 0.09%.
About SWISX
SWISX is Schwab's house international fund, and the key thing to know is what it leaves out: tracking MSCI EAFE means developed markets only — no emerging markets, and (EAFE quirk) no Canada. Around 700 stocks from Japan, Europe, and Australia at 0.06%. For Schwab loyalists building a three-fund portfolio, it's the standard international piece.
Whichever you pick, the principle is the same one that runs through this whole site: minimize cost, hold for decades, ignore the noise. See how both stack up against the field in our best index funds by category, or run the numbers yourself with the expense ratio calculator.
Expense ratios and minimums drawn from fund provider documentation; last verified October 31, 2026. Editorial opinion, not investment advice. Confirm figures against the official prospectus before investing.