The Best Gold ETFs

The table below compares the performance and other essential indicators like dividend yield and expense ratio of Gold ETFs.

Gold ETFs invest in physical gold or in derivatives that track the price of gold. These ETFs provide investors with an easy and convenient way to invest in gold without physically buying and storing the metal.

Gold ETFs typically aim to track the spot price of gold, which is the metal's current market price. The ETFs either hold physical gold in vaults or invest in derivatives such as futures contracts and options, which are financial instruments that track the price of gold.

Gold ETFs are considered passive investments, as they aim to track the price of gold and do not require active management. They are also considered a relatively easy way to invest in gold, as they have lower expenses than physically buying and storing gold. They are also popular among investors seeking to diversify their portfolios or hedge against inflation or market downturns.

Number of ETFs: 31
Avg. Expense Ratio: 0.60%
Avg. Dividend Yield: 7.55%
Avg. 1 Year Return: 24.99%
Median Risk/Return Score: 29 / 100

The Best Gold ETFs

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Symbol	Full Name	Category	Inception	Expense Ratio	YTD Return	10Y Return (Annualized)	Dividend Yield	Risk / Return Rank	Max. Drawdown	Sharpe Ratio	Sortino Ratio	Omega Ratio	Martin Ratio	Calmar Ratio	Ulcer Index
GLDN.AX	Ishares Physical Gold ETF	Gold, Precious Metals	Nov 1, 2023	0.18%	-3.58%	—	0.08%	23

Best Gold ETFs by Risk/Return Score

The top Gold ETFs by PortfoliosLab Risk/Return Score are GDE (44) and RING (34). The score measures risk-adjusted performance over the past year, accounting for volatility, drawdown, and return consistency.

Symbol	Name	Risk / Return Rank	AUM	Inception
GDE	WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fun...	44	576.93M	Mar 2022
RING	iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	34	2.79B	Jan 2012
GDX	VanEck Gold Miners ETF	30	27.13B	May 2006
DBP	Invesco DB Precious Metals Fund	30	275.21M	Jan 2007
IAUM	iShares Gold Trust Micro	30	7.18B	Jun 2021

Best-Performing Gold ETFs Over 5 Years

The top Gold ETFs is DGP (28.82%). Across the lineup, Gold ETFs show an average 1-year return of 24.99% and an average 5-year return of 11.78%, providing a clearer view of performance across different investment horizons.

Symbol	Name	Return 5Y	AUM	Inception
DGP	DB Gold Double Long Exchange Traded Notes	28.82%	228.65M	Feb 2008
RING	iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	18.19%	2.79B	Jan 2012
GLDM	SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust	17.81%	30.87B	Jun 2018
SGOL	abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF	17.73%	7.51B	Sep 2009
BAR	GraniteShares Gold Trust	17.73%	1.49B	Aug 2017

Lowest-Cost Gold ETFs

The top Gold ETFs is IAUM (0.09%). With an average expense ratio of 0.60%, Gold ETFs remain a low-cost option for investors seeking broad market exposure, sector allocations, and diversified portfolio building blocks.

Symbol	Name	Expense Ratio	AUM	Inception
IAUM	iShares Gold Trust Micro	0.09%	7.18B	Jun 2021
GLDM	SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust	0.10%	30.87B	Jun 2018
SGOL	abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF	0.17%	7.51B	Sep 2009
BAR	GraniteShares Gold Trust	0.17%	1.49B	Aug 2017
AAAU	Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF	0.18%	2.68B	Jul 2018

Highest-Yield Gold ETFs

The top Gold ETFs is GLDY (48.65%). Across the lineup, Gold ETFs show an average dividend yield of 7.55%, offering investors a steady stream of income through regular dividend payments, making them attractive for income-seeking portfolios.

Symbol	Name	Dividend Yield	AUM	Inception
GLDY	Defiance Gold Enhanced Options Income ETF	48.65%	32.32M	Apr 2025
BGLD	FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF	44.90%	51.28M	Jan 2021
GDXW	Roundhill Gold Miners Weeklypay ETF	43.14%	86.28M	Oct 2025
YGLD	Simplify Gold Strategy PLUS Income ETF	20.11%	43.90M	Dec 2024
IGLD	FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF	18.38%	591.41M	Mar 2021

Top ETFs Categories

Leveraged Equities · 533 ETFs Europe Equities · 519 ETFs Global Equities · 460 ETFs Large Cap Blend Equities · 451 ETFs Derivative Income · 430 ETFs Technology Equities · 382 ETFs Defined Outcome · 328 ETFs S&P 500 · 281 ETFs Large Cap Growth Equities · 249 ETFs Dividend · 213 ETFs Emerging Markets Equities · 207 ETFs Foreign Large Cap Equities · 205 ETFs Corporate Bonds · 200 ETFs Asia Pacific Equities · 188 ETFs Cryptocurrency · 182 ETFs Government Bonds · 175 ETFs Large Cap Value Equities · 172 ETFs High Yield Bonds · 170 ETFs Options Trading · 158 ETFs Energy Equities · 151 ETFs Municipal Bonds · 143 ETFs Health & Biotech Equities · 135 ETFs Nasdaq-100 · 130 ETFs REIT · 130 ETFs Precious Metals · 122 ETFs Diversified Portfolio · 118 ETFs China Equities · 115 ETFs European Government Bonds · 115 ETFs Financials Equities · 113 ETFs Japan Equities · 113 ETFs

Top ETFs Comparisons

Compare the top ETFs symbols based on PortfoliosLab usage data.

Symbol name

GLDN.AX vs. GDX GLDN.AX vs. NDQ.AX GLDN.AX vs. BTGD GLDN.AX vs. BOLD.DE GLDN.AX vs. ICOM.L

Risk vs. Return Scatterplot

The Risk vs. Return Scatterplot allows you to quickly compare funds, stocks, and ETFs in one view. It displays the yearly return of an instrument on one axis and the risk (volatility) on the other.

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