The Best Short-Term Bond ETFs

The table below compares the performance and other essential indicators like dividend yield and expense ratio of Short-Term Bond ETFs.

Short-Term Bond ETFs and funds invest in fixed-income securities with relatively short maturities, typically one to three years. Their shorter duration makes them less sensitive to interest-rate changes than longer-dated bonds, offering lower volatility and more stable principal value while generating modest income — often used as a step up in yield from cash and money market holdings.

Number of ETFs: 64
Avg. Expense Ratio: 0.25%
Avg. Dividend Yield: 4.20%
Avg. 1 Year Return: 3.99%
Median Risk/Return Score: 87 / 100

64 results

Symbol	Full Name	Category	Inception	Expense Ratio	YTD Return	10Y Return (Annualized)	Dividend Yield	Risk / Return Rank
GTOS	Invesco Short Duration Total Return Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Dec 9, 2022	0.30%	1.44%	—	4.54%	94
GVI	iShares Intermediate Government/Credit Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Jan 5, 2007	0.20%	0.44%	1.70%	3.63%	46
ISTB	iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Oct 18, 2012	0.06%	0.87%	2.23%	4.26%	80
JABS	Janus Henderson Asset-Backed Securities ETF	Short-Term Bond	Jul 22, 2025	0.33%	1.82%	—	4.58%	—
JPLD	JPMorgan Limited Duration Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Feb 2, 1993	0.24%	1.47%	—	4.27%	94
JSCP	JPMorgan Short Duration Core Plus ETF	Short-Term Bond	Mar 1, 2021	0.33%	1.05%	—	4.45%	87
JSI	Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF	Short-Term Bond	Nov 8, 2023	0.50%	1.30%	—	5.86%	56
LDRC	iShares iBonds 1-5 Year Corporate Ladder ETF	Short-Term Bond, Corporate Bonds	Nov 7, 2024	0.10%	1.15%	—	4.20%	79
LDRT	iShares iBonds 1-5 Year Treasury Ladder ETF	Government Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Nov 7, 2024	0.07%	0.95%	—	4.06%	56
LDSF	First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF	Short-Term Bond	Jan 3, 2019	0.87%	1.08%	—	4.64%	77
LDUR	PIMCO Enhanced Low Duration Active ETF	Short-Term Bond	Jan 22, 2014	0.54%	1.41%	2.46%	4.30%	94
LODI	AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF	Short-Term Bond	Dec 3, 2024	0.15%	2.30%	—	4.96%	93
MSTI	Madison Short-Term Strategic Income ETF	Short-Term Bond	Sep 5, 2023	0.40%	1.00%	—	5.33%	64
MYCF	State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF	Corporate Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Sep 23, 2024	0.15%	2.00%	—	4.38%	99
MYCG	State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF	Corporate Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Sep 23, 2024	0.15%	1.70%	—	4.29%	98
MYCH	State Street My2028 Corporate Bond ETF	Corporate Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Sep 23, 2024	0.15%	1.20%	—	4.36%	92
NBSD	Neuberger Berman Short Duration Income ETF	Short-Term Bond	Jun 21, 2010	0.35%	1.18%	—	4.78%	90
NEAR	iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF	Short-Term Bond	Sep 25, 2013	0.25%	1.02%	2.86%	4.42%	90
NUSA	Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Mar 31, 2017	0.15%	0.70%	—	3.89%	70
PCS	PGIM Corporate Bond 0-5 Year ETF	Corporate Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Jul 29, 2025	0.20%	1.64%	—	4.37%	—

Best Short-Term Bond ETFs by Risk/Return Score

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs by PortfoliosLab Risk/Return Score are MYCF (99) and FLDB (98). The score measures risk-adjusted performance over the past year, accounting for volatility, drawdown, and return consistency.

Symbol	Name	Risk / Return Rank	AUM	Inception
MYCF	State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF	99	47.45M	Sep 2024
FLDB	Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF	98	409.34M	Feb 2024
FLDR	Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF	98	1.62B	Jun 2018
MYCG	State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF	98	33.60M	Sep 2024
DCRE	DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF	97	450.49M	Mar 2023

Best-Performing Short-Term Bond ETFs Over 5 Years

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs is NEAR (3.92%). Across the lineup, Short-Term Bond ETFs show an average 1-year return of 3.99% and an average 5-year return of 2.17%, providing a clearer view of performance across different investment horizons.

Symbol	Name	Return 5Y	AUM	Inception
NEAR	iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF	3.92%	4.76B	Sep 2013
FLDR	Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF	3.74%	1.62B	Jun 2018
USTB	VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF	3.52%	2.23B	Oct 2017
STOT	State Street DoubleLine Short Duration Total Retur...	2.82%	476.04M	Apr 2016
JSCP	JPMorgan Short Duration Core Plus ETF	2.49%	1.61B	Mar 2021

Lowest-Cost Short-Term Bond ETFs

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs is SCHO (0.03%). With an average expense ratio of 0.25%, Short-Term Bond 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
SCHO	Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF	0.03%	12.61B	Aug 2010
SPTS	SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF	0.03%	5.92B	Nov 2011
BSV	Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares	0.03%	70.40B	Apr 2007
VGSH	Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF	0.03%	33.90B	Nov 2009
BBSB	JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Treasury Bond 1-3 Year ...	0.04%	55.10M	Apr 2023

Highest-Yield Short-Term Bond ETFs

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs is TSEC (7.40%). Across the lineup, Short-Term Bond ETFs show an average dividend yield of 4.20%, offering investors a steady stream of income through regular dividend payments, making them attractive for income-seeking portfolios.

Symbol	Name	Dividend Yield	AUM	Inception
TSEC	Touchstone Securitized Income ETF	7.40%	122.71M	Jul 2023
JSI	Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF	5.86%	1.51B	Nov 2023
MSTI	Madison Short-Term Strategic Income ETF	5.33%	6.75M	Sep 2023
SDCP	Virtus Newfleet Short Duration Core Plus Bond ETF	5.20%	12.77M	Nov 2023
LODI	AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF	4.96%	77.26M	Dec 2024

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Top ETFs Comparisons

Compare the top ETFs symbols based on PortfoliosLab usage data.

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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