Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) belongs to the Short-Term Bond category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with BSV. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to BSV
BSV charges 0.03% annually. No ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 5.81B | Nov 2011 | BSV vs SPTS | |
| Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 12.71B | Aug 2010 | BSV vs SCHO | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.90B | Nov 2009 | BSV vs VGSH | |
| JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Treasury Bond 1-3 Year ... | 0.04% | 55.19M | Apr 2023 | BSV vs BBSB | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 116.60M | Aug 2025 | BSV vs TAXS |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to BSV
BSV has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 58. There are 46 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 99 | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | 98 | 409.34M | Feb 2024 | BSV vs FLDB | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 98 | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | BSV vs FLDR | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | 98 | 31.16M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs MYCG | |
| DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF | 96 | 416.13M | Mar 2023 | BSV vs DCRE |
Top Performing BSV Alternatives (YTD)
BSV is at 0.46% YTD. There are 55 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 2.29%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defined Duration 5 ETF | 2.29% | — | Nov 2025 | BSV vs DDV | |
| AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF | 2.02% | 77.26M | Dec 2024 | BSV vs LODI | |
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 1.84% | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs MYCF | |
| SanJac Alpha Low Duration ETF | 1.73% | 1.52M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs SJLD | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 1.72% | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | BSV vs FLDR |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to BSV
BSV has 1.82% 1-year volatility. There are 31 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.63%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 0.63% | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 0.81% | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | BSV vs FLDR | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | 0.92% | 409.34M | Feb 2024 | BSV vs FLDB | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | 0.97% | 31.16M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs MYCG | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.99% | 116.60M | Aug 2025 | BSV vs TAXS |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to BSV
BSV has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.29%. There are 34 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.12%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | -0.12% | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | -0.17% | 409.34M | Feb 2024 | BSV vs FLDB | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | -0.45% | 31.16M | Sep 2024 | BSV vs MYCG | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | -0.47% | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | BSV vs FLDR | |
| DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF | -0.68% | 416.13M | Mar 2023 | BSV vs DCRE |
Other ETFs from Vanguard
The 10 most viewed Vanguard ETFs shown here include VOO, VTI, VGT and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2T.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 60 | 8.08% | 1.70T | Sep 2010 | BSV vs VOO | |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 60 | 8.80% | 2.30T | May 2001 | BSV vs VTI | |
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equities | 58 | 22.32% | 170.10B | Mar 2004 | BSV vs VGT | |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Global Equities | 55 | 12.42% | 652.30B | Jan 2011 | BSV vs VXUS | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 29 | 3.21% | 393.80B | Jan 2004 | BSV vs VUG | |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equities | 60 | 10.01% | 95.30B | Jun 2008 | BSV vs VT | |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | Dividend | 77 | 11.42% | 96.10B | Nov 2006 | BSV vs VYM | |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | Total Bond Market | 35 | 0.94% | 394.40B | Apr 2007 | BSV vs BND | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | Dividend | 55 | 7.01% | 127.80B | Apr 2006 | BSV vs VIG | |
| Vanguard Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 86 | 14.56% | 245.00B | Jan 2004 | BSV vs VTV |
Often Compared With BSV
Investors most often compare BSV with VCSH, SHY, VUSB. These 20 comparison targets span 9 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare BSV with Any Fund or Stock
Compare BSV with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair BSV with funds that move differently
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to BSV.
Explore BSV Diversifiers