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 52 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.04%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 22.78B | Nov 2009 | AFSC vs SCHA | |
| iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 275.08M | Jun 2004 | AFSC vs ISCB | |
| SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF | 0.05% | 15.79B | Jul 2013 | AFSC vs SPSM | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 0.05% | 177.40B | Jan 2004 | AFSC vs VB | |
| Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF | 0.06% | 16.60B | Sep 2010 | AFSC vs VTWO |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to AFSC
AFSC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 47. There are 39 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 85.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF | 85 | 18.47M | Oct 2022 | AFSC vs QQQS | |
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 79 | 1.27B | May 2007 | AFSC vs FYX | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 77 | 8.82M | Aug 2024 | AFSC vs SCDS | |
| Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF | 76 | 5.00B | Dec 2007 | AFSC vs FESM | |
| iShares Micro-Cap ETF | 71 | 1.44B | Aug 2005 | AFSC vs IWC |
Top Performing AFSC Alternatives (YTD)
AFSC is at 16.58% YTD. There are 15 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 27.27%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF | 27.27% | 18.47M | Oct 2022 | AFSC vs QQQS | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 22.66% | 8.82M | Aug 2024 | AFSC vs SCDS | |
| Allspring SMID Core ETF | 22.25% | 33.92M | Jul 2025 | AFSC vs ASCE | |
| Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF | 21.54% | 318.37M | Feb 2017 | AFSC vs ISMD | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 19.79% | 22.78B | Nov 2009 | AFSC vs SCHA |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to AFSC
AFSC has 18.59% 1-year volatility. There are 50 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.21%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 6.21% | — | Jun 2025 | AFSC vs RB | |
| First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Small/Mid E... | 10.37% | 31.42M | Apr 2020 | AFSC vs HSMV | |
| OShares U.S. Small-Cap Quality Dividend ETF | 13.15% | 876.85M | Dec 2016 | AFSC vs OUSM | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | 13.30% | 106.31M | May 2020 | AFSC vs SIXS | |
| Opus Small Cap Value Plus ETF | 13.37% | 685.56M | Jul 2018 | AFSC vs OSCV |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to AFSC
AFSC has a 1-year max drawdown of -10.29%. There are 44 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -6.15%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF | -6.15% | 3.51B | Jun 2017 | AFSC vs CALF | |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | -6.96% | 5.55M | Jan 2023 | AFSC vs WCEO | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | -7.16% | 106.31M | May 2020 | AFSC vs SIXS | |
| VictoryShares US Small Cap High Dividend Volatilit... | -7.18% | 260.47M | Jul 2015 | AFSC vs CSB | |
| Opus Small Cap Value Plus ETF | -7.55% | 685.56M | Jul 2018 | AFSC vs OSCV |
Other ETFs from Aberdeen
The 6 most viewed Aberdeen ETFs shown here include GLTR, PPLT, BCI and span 3 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $3B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Standard Physical Precious Metals Basket ... | Precious Metals | 36 | 1.47% | 2.85B | Oct 2010 | AFSC vs GLTR | |
| Aberdeen Standard Physical Platinum Shares ETF | Precious Metals | 36 | -9.46% | 2.33B | Jan 2010 | AFSC vs PPLT | |
| abrdn Bloomberg All Commodity Strategy K-1 Free ET... | Commodities | 71 | 26.68% | 2.50B | Mar 2017 | AFSC vs BCI | |
| abrdn Bloomberg All Commodity Longer Dated Strateg... | Commodities | 71 | 20.45% | 423.65M | Mar 2017 | AFSC vs BCD | |
| Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF | Precious Metals | 19 | -18.39% | 764.83M | Jan 2010 | AFSC vs PALL | |
| abrdn Bloomberg Industrial Metals Strategy K-1 Fre... | Metals | — | — | 29.29M | Sep 2021 | AFSC vs BCIM |
Often Compared With AFSC
Investors most often compare AFSC with IJR, SIVR, BBSC. These 20 comparison targets span 14 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