GraniteShares Gold Trust (BAR) belongs to the Gold category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with BAR. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to BAR
BAR charges 0.17% annually. There are 2 ETFs in the Gold category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.09%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Gold Trust Micro | 0.09% | 7.18B | Jun 2021 | BAR vs IAUM | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | 0.10% | 30.87B | Jun 2018 | BAR vs GLDM | |
| abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF | 0.17% | 7.51B | Sep 2009 | BAR vs SGOL | |
| Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF | 0.18% | 2.68B | Jul 2018 | BAR vs AAAU | |
| WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fun... | 0.20% | 576.93M | Mar 2022 | BAR vs GDE |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to BAR
BAR has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 32. There are 6 ETFs in the Gold category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 49.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fun... | 49 | 576.93M | Mar 2022 | BAR vs GDE | |
| iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | 39 | 2.79B | Jan 2012 | BAR vs RING | |
| VanEck Gold Miners ETF | 35 | 27.13B | May 2006 | BAR vs GDX | |
| Sprott Active Gold & Silver Miners ETF | 35 | 166.17M | Feb 2025 | BAR vs GBUG | |
| WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Gold Miners Strateg... | 34 | 197.59M | Dec 2021 | BAR vs GDMN |
Top Performing BAR Alternatives (YTD)
BAR is at 2.94% YTD. There are 7 ETFs in the Gold category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 9.79%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WisdomTree Efficient Gold Plus Equity Strategy Fun... | 9.79% | 576.93M | Mar 2022 | BAR vs GDE | |
| VanEck Merk Gold Trust | 3.01% | 2.82B | May 2014 | BAR vs OUNZ | |
| iShares Gold Trust Micro | 3.00% | 7.18B | Jun 2021 | BAR vs IAUM | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | 3.00% | 30.87B | Jun 2018 | BAR vs GLDM | |
| Kurv Gold Enhanced Income ETF | 2.99% | 90.82M | Jul 2025 | BAR vs KGLD |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to BAR
BAR has 26.43% 1-year volatility. There are 10 ETFs in the Gold category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 11.90%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF | 11.90% | 51.28M | Jan 2021 | BAR vs BGLD | |
| Defiance Gold Enhanced Options Income ETF | 19.87% | 32.32M | Apr 2025 | BAR vs GLDY | |
| NEOS Gold High Income ETF | 20.31% | 462.95M | Jun 2025 | BAR vs IAUI | |
| FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF | 23.24% | 591.41M | Mar 2021 | BAR vs IGLD | |
| iShares Gold Trust Micro | 26.31% | 7.18B | Jun 2021 | BAR vs IAUM |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to BAR
BAR has a 1-year max drawdown of -19.19%. There are 9 ETFs in the Gold category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -11.11%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF | -11.11% | 51.28M | Jan 2021 | BAR vs BGLD | |
| Defiance Gold Enhanced Options Income ETF | -13.43% | 32.32M | Apr 2025 | BAR vs GLDY | |
| FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF | -17.56% | 591.41M | Mar 2021 | BAR vs IGLD | |
| Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF | -19.13% | 2.68B | Jul 2018 | BAR vs AAAU | |
| VanEck Merk Gold Trust | -19.14% | 2.82B | May 2014 | BAR vs OUNZ |
Other ETFs from GraniteShares
The 10 most viewed GraniteShares ETFs shown here include NVDL, TSYY, PTIR and span 4 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $5B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 34 | 19.95% | 4.62B | Dec 2022 | BAR vs NVDL | |
| GraniteShares YieldBOOST TSLA ETF | Derivative Income | 5 | -16.60% | 108.03M | Dec 2024 | BAR vs TSYY | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long PLTR Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 8 | -46.20% | 406.46M | Sep 2024 | BAR vs PTIR | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long AMD Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 96 | 395.18% | 1.66B | Mar 2024 | BAR vs AMDL | |
| GraniteShares Platinum Trust | Precious Metals | 36 | -9.33% | 206.40M | Jan 2018 | BAR vs PLTM | |
| GraniteShares 2x Short TSLA Daily ETF | Inverse Equities | 3 | -4.27% | 40.02M | Aug 2023 | BAR vs TSDD | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long META Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 5 | -19.72% | 257.21M | Dec 2022 | BAR vs FBL | |
| GraniteShares 2x Short NVDA Daily ETF | Inverse Equities | 1 | -34.83% | 68.19M | Aug 2023 | BAR vs NVD | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long TSLA Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 12 | -20.05% | 145.60M | Aug 2023 | BAR vs TSLR | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long MSFT Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 5 | -27.69% | 129.25M | Mar 2024 | BAR vs MSFL |
Often Compared With BAR
Investors most often compare BAR with GLD, IAU, FGDL. These 20 comparison targets span 13 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare BAR with Any Fund or Stock
Compare BAR with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair BAR with funds that move differently
GraniteShares Gold Trust alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to BAR.
Explore BAR Diversifiers