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 194 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% | 1.29B | Jun 2004 | CWS vs ILCB | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | 0.03% | 393.80B | Jan 2004 | CWS vs VUG | |
| iShares Morningstar Growth ETF | 0.04% | 3.24B | Jun 2004 | CWS vs ILCG | |
| Invesco PureBeta MSCI USA ETF | 0.04% | 11.43B | Sep 2017 | CWS vs PBUS | |
| iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF | 0.04% | 32.41B | Jul 2000 | CWS vs IUSG |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to CWS
CWS has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 8. There are 179 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 89.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF | 89 | 692.72M | Feb 2015 | CWS vs ROUS | |
| Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empowerment ETF | 87 | 59.00M | Jul 2018 | CWS vs NACP | |
| RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | 86 | 87.62M | Jun 2016 | CWS vs RFDA | |
| PIMCO RAFI Dynamic Multi-Factor U.S. Equity ETF | 86 | 290.05M | Aug 2017 | CWS vs MFUS | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 86 | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | CWS vs DGRO |
Top Performing CWS Alternatives (YTD)
CWS is at -0.26% YTD. There are 185 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 34.03%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMART Earnings Growth ETF | 34.03% | 50.41M | Aug 2025 | CWS vs SGRT | |
| Mango Growth ETF | 30.03% | 239.95M | Dec 2025 | CWS vs GARY | |
| US Vegan Climate ETF | 28.42% | 186.14M | Sep 2019 | CWS vs VEGN | |
| F/m Emerald Special Situations ETF | 27.30% | 29.00M | Aug 2014 | CWS vs SPIT | |
| Invesco S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF | 26.05% | 2.19B | Mar 2006 | CWS vs RPG |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to CWS
CWS has 13.48% 1-year volatility. There are 47 ETFs in the Large Cap Growth Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Alternative ETF | 8.01% | 39.10M | May 2017 | CWS vs CCOR | |
| SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF | 9.15% | 1.54B | Apr 2015 | CWS vs QUS | |
| Invesco Dividend Achievers™ ETF | 9.40% | 785.89M | Sep 2005 | CWS vs PFM | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 9.50% | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | CWS vs DGRO | |
| T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth ETF | 9.71% | 1.39B | Aug 2020 | CWS vs TDVG |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to CWS
CWS has a 1-year max drawdown of -11.92%. There are 81 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% | 87.62M | Jun 2016 | CWS vs RFDA | |
| Hartford Multifactor US Equity ETF | -5.97% | 692.72M | 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% | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | CWS vs DGRO | |
| SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF | -6.85% | 1.54B | 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 $915M.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities, Cannabis | 29 | -0.42% | 915.20M | Sep 2020 | CWS vs MSOS | |
| AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright ADR ETF | Global Equities | 15 | -2.96% | 42.05M | Jul 2010 | CWS vs AADR | |
| AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF | Cannabis | 19 | -18.79% | 31.74M | Apr 2019 | CWS vs YOLO | |
| Advisorshares Msos 2x Daily ETF | Leveraged Equities | 17 | -37.05% | 55.09M | Aug 2022 | CWS vs MSOX | |
| AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF | Inverse Equities | 9 | -0.94% | 64.16M | Jan 2011 | CWS vs HDGE | |
| AdvisorShares Gerber Kawasaki ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 34 | 11.28% | 31.47M | Jul 2021 | CWS vs GK | |
| AdvisorShares Q Dynamic Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 52 | 7.67% | 33.16M | Dec 2020 | CWS vs QPX | |
| AdvisorShares Vice ETF | Consumer Discretionary Equities | 8 | 6.20% | 7.39M | Dec 2017 | CWS vs VICE | |
| AdvisorShares Hotel ETF | Consumer Discretionary Equities | 19 | 7.87% | 2.90M | Apr 2021 | CWS vs BEDZ | |
| AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright FSM US Core ETF | Diversified Portfolio | 36 | 10.53% | 125.35M | Dec 2019 | CWS vs DWUS |
Often Compared With CWS
Investors most often compare CWS with TOL, VOO, PEXL. These 20 comparison targets span 15 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