AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF (CWS) belongs to the Large Cap Growth Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with CWS. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to CWS
CWS charges 0.77% annually. There are 190 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF | 0.03% | 1.27B | Jun 2004 | CWS vs ILCB | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | 0.03% | 378.80B | Jan 2004 | CWS vs VUG | |
| iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF | 0.04% | 32.12B | Jul 2000 | CWS vs IUSG | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | 0.04% | 51.09B | Sep 2000 | CWS vs SPYG | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | 0.04% | 59.97B | Dec 2009 | CWS vs SCHG |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to CWS
CWS has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 18. There are 142 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 91.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 91 | 42.77B | Jun 2014 | CWS vs DGRO | |
| Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF | 91 | 705.83M | Feb 2015 | CWS vs ROUS | |
| Xtrackers Russell 1000 US Quality at a Reasonable ... | 90 | 76.03M | Apr 2018 | CWS vs QARP | |
| PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor U.S. Equity ETF | 89 | 290.05M | Aug 2017 | CWS vs MFUS | |
| RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | 89 | 88.05M | Jun 2016 | CWS vs RFDA |
Top Performing CWS Alternatives (YTD)
CWS is at 3.94% YTD. There are 133 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 25.69%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mango Growth ETF | 25.69% | 239.95M | Dec 2025 | CWS vs GARY | |
| SMART Earnings Growth ETF | 25.07% | 50.41M | Aug 2025 | CWS vs SGRT | |
| F/m Emerald Special Situations ETF | 24.45% | 29.00M | Aug 2014 | CWS vs SPIT | |
| US Vegan Climate ETF | 23.72% | 186.14M | Sep 2019 | CWS vs VEGN | |
| Inspire 100 ETF | 21.43% | 479.22M | Oct 2017 | CWS vs BIBL |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to CWS
CWS has 13.54% 1-year volatility. There are 37 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.20%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Alternative ETF | 8.20% | 39.10M | May 2017 | CWS vs CCOR | |
| SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF | 9.24% | 1.53B | Apr 2015 | CWS vs QUS | |
| Invesco Dividend Achievers™ ETF | 9.52% | 789.78M | Sep 2005 | CWS vs PFM | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 9.61% | 42.77B | Jun 2014 | CWS vs DGRO | |
| SPDR MSCI World StrategicFactors ETF | 9.71% | 174.18M | Jun 2014 | CWS vs QWLD |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to CWS
CWS has a 1-year max drawdown of -11.92%. There are 66 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -5.45%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | -5.45% | 88.05M | Jun 2016 | CWS vs RFDA | |
| Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF | -5.97% | 705.83M | Feb 2015 | CWS vs ROUS | |
| PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor U.S. Equity ETF | -6.39% | 290.05M | Aug 2017 | CWS vs MFUS | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | -6.47% | 42.77B | Jun 2014 | CWS vs DGRO | |
| SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF | -6.85% | 1.53B | Apr 2015 | CWS vs QUS |
Other ETFs from AdvisorShares
The 10 most viewed AdvisorShares ETFs shown here include MSOS, AADR, YOLO and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $853M.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities, Cannabis, Actively Managed | 31 | -10.38% | 852.98M | Sep 2020 | CWS vs MSOS | |
| AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF | Global Equities | 17 | -3.26% | 38.14M | Jul 2010 | CWS vs AADR | |
| AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF | Cannabis | 21 | -23.04% | 29.95M | Apr 2019 | CWS vs YOLO | |
| Advisorshares Msos 2x Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 18 | -49.55% | 49.50M | Aug 2022 | CWS vs MSOX | |
| AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF | Inverse Equities | 5 | -5.56% | 56.68M | Jan 2011 | CWS vs HDGE | |
| AdvisorShares Gerber Kawasaki ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 29 | 10.37% | 30.63M | Jul 2021 | CWS vs GK | |
| AdvisorShares Vice ETF | Consumer Discretionary Equities | 6 | 4.78% | 7.34M | Dec 2017 | CWS vs VICE | |
| AdvisorShares Q Dynamic Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 50 | 6.38% | 30.99M | Dec 2020 | CWS vs QPX | |
| AdvisorShares Hotel ETF | Consumer Discretionary Equities | 34 | 11.91% | 2.99M | Apr 2021 | CWS vs BEDZ | |
| AdvisorShares Restaurant ETF | Consumer Discretionary Equities | — | — | 1.86M | Apr 2021 | CWS vs EATZ |
Often Compared With CWS
Investors most often compare CWS with TOL, VOO, PEXL. These 20 comparison targets span 17 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare CWS with Any Fund or Stock
Compare CWS with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair CWS with funds that move differently
AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to CWS.
Explore CWS Diversifiers