abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF (AFSC) belongs to the Small Cap Blend Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with AFSC. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to AFSC
AFSC charges 0.65% annually. There are 57 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF | 0.03% | 17.00B | Jul 2013 | AFSC vs SPSM | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 0.03% | 188.20B | Jan 2004 | AFSC vs VB | |
| iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 282.21M | Jun 2004 | AFSC vs ISCB | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 22.23B | Nov 2009 | AFSC vs SCHA | |
| Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF | 0.06% | 18.60B | Sep 2010 | AFSC vs VTWO |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to AFSC
AFSC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 79. There are 29 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 96 | — | Jun 2025 | AFSC vs RB | |
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 94 | 1.37B | May 2007 | AFSC vs FYX | |
| Hartford Multifactor Small Cap ETF | 92 | 61.48M | Mar 2015 | AFSC vs ROSC | |
| Victoryshares Small Cap Free Cash Flow ETF | 92 | 684.65M | Dec 2023 | AFSC vs SFLO | |
| Avantis US Small Cap Equity ETF | 91 | 3.05B | Jan 2022 | AFSC vs AVSC |
Top Performing AFSC Alternatives (YTD)
AFSC is at 25.20% YTD. There are 6 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 48.69%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares | 48.69% | 1.35B | Nov 2008 | AFSC vs TNA | |
| Victoryshares Small Cap Free Cash Flow ETF | 27.87% | 684.65M | Dec 2023 | AFSC vs SFLO | |
| Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF | 27.66% | 334.88M | Feb 2017 | AFSC vs ISMD | |
| Allspring SMID Core ETF | 27.10% | 78.82M | Jul 2025 | AFSC vs ASCE | |
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 25.97% | 1.37B | May 2007 | AFSC vs FYX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to AFSC
AFSC has 19.13% 1-year volatility. There are 57 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.55%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 6.55% | — | Jun 2025 | AFSC vs RB | |
| iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF | 9.75% | 288.96M | Sep 2016 | AFSC vs SMMV | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 10.67% | 1.37B | Apr 2019 | AFSC vs RYLD | |
| First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Small/Mid E... | 10.73% | 35.21M | Apr 2020 | AFSC vs HSMV | |
| CresAlta Small & Mid-Cap ETF | 11.65% | 88.99M | May 2026 | AFSC vs CVSM |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to AFSC
AFSC has a 1-year max drawdown of -10.29%. There are 49 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -2.09%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | -2.09% | — | Jun 2025 | AFSC vs RB | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | -6.29% | 1.37B | Apr 2019 | AFSC vs RYLD | |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | -6.96% | 5.55M | Jan 2023 | AFSC vs WCEO | |
| iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF | -7.02% | 288.96M | Sep 2016 | AFSC vs SMMV | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | -7.16% | 106.31M | May 2020 | AFSC vs SIXS |
Other ETFs from Aberdeen
The 2 most viewed Aberdeen ETFs shown here include BCI, BCD and span 1 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $3B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Bloomberg All Commodity Strategy K-1 Free ET... | Commodities | 76 | 22.53% | 2.98B | Mar 2017 | AFSC vs BCI | |
| abrdn Bloomberg All Commodity Longer Dated Strateg... | Commodities | 75 | 16.41% | 401.04M | Mar 2017 | AFSC vs BCD |
Often Compared With AFSC
Investors most often compare AFSC with CSB, PPLT, GLTR. These 20 comparison targets span 9 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare AFSC with Any Fund or Stock
Compare AFSC with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair AFSC with funds that move differently
abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to AFSC.
Explore AFSC Diversifiers