Capital Group Short Duration Municipal Income ETF (CGSM) belongs to the Municipal Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with CGSM. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to CGSM
CGSM charges 0.25% annually. There are 63 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 4.00B | Oct 2022 | CGSM vs SCMB | |
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.03% | 47.60B | Aug 2015 | CGSM vs VTEB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 183.09M | Jul 2019 | CGSM vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 126.55M | Aug 2025 | CGSM vs TAXS | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 163.46M | Aug 2025 | CGSM vs TAXI |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to CGSM
CGSM has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 88. There are 21 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 98.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 98 | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | CGSM vs MYMG | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 97 | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | CGSM vs AUSM | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | CGSM vs MYMF | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 97 | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | CGSM vs FUMB | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 1.41B | Mar 2015 | CGSM vs MEAR |
Top Performing CGSM Alternatives (YTD)
CGSM is at 1.43% YTD. There are 65 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.35%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF | 4.35% | 18.13M | Oct 2020 | CGSM vs RTAI | |
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 4.29% | 143.84M | Jun 2013 | CGSM vs RVNU | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 3.78% | 20.73M | Sep 2016 | CGSM vs MFLX | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 3.74% | 25.42M | Nov 2025 | CGSM vs THYM | |
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 3.62% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | CGSM vs OVM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to CGSM
CGSM has 1.34% 1-year volatility. There are 23 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.54%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 33.31M | Sep 2025 | CGSM vs ZMUN | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.70% | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | CGSM vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.71% | 408.07M | Oct 2007 | CGSM vs CALI | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.74% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | CGSM vs AUSM | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 0.81% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | CGSM vs FUMB |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to CGSM
CGSM has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.18%. There are 23 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.22%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | -0.22% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | CGSM vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.30% | 283.20M | Sep 2019 | CGSM vs BSMQ | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | CGSM vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | CGSM vs MYMG | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.38% | 581.67M | Apr 2019 | CGSM vs IBMO |
Other ETFs from Capital Group
The 10 most viewed Capital Group ETFs shown here include CGDV, CGGR, CGDG and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $37B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Group Dividend Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities, Dividend | 70 | 13.47% | 36.70B | Feb 2022 | CGSM vs CGDV | |
| Capital Group Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 24 | 3.64% | 24.88B | Feb 2022 | CGSM vs CGGR | |
| Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF | Global Equities | 51 | 8.17% | 5.30B | Sep 2023 | CGSM vs CGDG | |
| Capital Group Core Balanced ETF | Allocation--50% to 70% Equity, Diversified Portfolio | 46 | 6.72% | 7.08B | Sep 2023 | CGSM vs CGBL | |
| Capital Group Core Plus Income ETF | Intermediate Core-Plus Bond | 43 | 0.34% | 8.37B | Feb 2022 | CGSM vs CGCP | |
| Capital Group U.S. Multi-Sector Income ETF | Multisector Bonds | 62 | 1.63% | 5.20B | Oct 2022 | CGSM vs CGMS | |
| Capital Group Core Equity ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 55 | 10.89% | 11.25B | Feb 2022 | CGSM vs CGUS | |
| Capital Group Global Growth Equity ETF | Global Equities | 45 | 13.74% | 11.66B | Feb 2022 | CGSM vs CGGO | |
| Capital Group International Core Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 54 | 10.54% | 2.15B | Jun 2024 | CGSM vs CGIC | |
| Capital Group Conservative Equity ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 60 | 9.48% | 1.89B | Jun 2024 | CGSM vs CGCV |
Often Compared With CGSM
Investors most often compare CGSM with CGSD, FLMI, JMST. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare CGSM with Any Fund or Stock
Compare CGSM with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair CGSM with funds that move differently
Capital Group Short Duration Municipal Income ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to CGSM.
Explore CGSM Diversifiers