Aptus Deferred Income ETF (DEFR) belongs to the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with DEFR. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to DEFR
DEFR charges 0.79% annually. There are 54 ETFs in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.05%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 128.00M | Dec 2025 | DEFR vs BNDP | |
| iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF | 0.06% | 43.00B | Jun 2014 | DEFR vs IUSB | |
| iShares Core 5-10 Year USD Bond ETF | 0.06% | 274.69M | Nov 2016 | DEFR vs IMTB | |
| iShares ESG Advanced Total USD Bond Market ETF | 0.12% | 709.92M | Jun 2020 | DEFR vs EUSB | |
| iShares Yield Optimized Bond ETF | 0.17% | 447.20M | Apr 2014 | DEFR vs BYLD |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to DEFR
DEFR has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 24. There are 39 ETFs in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 88.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure Capital Bond Income ETF | 88 | 17.73M | Jan 2025 | DEFR vs BNDS | |
| F/m Opportunistic Income ETF | 85 | 46.32M | Sep 2023 | DEFR vs ZHOG | |
| SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF | 60 | 2.28M | Sep 2024 | DEFR vs SJCP | |
| Angel Oak Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF | 59 | 147.84M | Jun 2021 | DEFR vs MBS | |
| Cambria Fixed Income Trend ETF | 54 | — | Mar 2025 | DEFR vs CFIT |
Top Performing DEFR Alternatives (YTD)
DEFR is at -0.51% YTD. There are 46 ETFs in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.43%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambria Fixed Income Trend ETF | 4.43% | — | Mar 2025 | DEFR vs CFIT | |
| Infrastructure Capital Bond Income ETF | 4.31% | 17.73M | Jan 2025 | DEFR vs BNDS | |
| SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF | 1.18% | 2.28M | Sep 2024 | DEFR vs SJCP | |
| Neos Enhanced Income Aggregate Bond ETF | 1.03% | 185.58M | Aug 2022 | DEFR vs BNDI | |
| F/m Opportunistic Income ETF | 0.93% | 46.32M | Sep 2023 | DEFR vs ZHOG |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to DEFR
DEFR has 4.90% 1-year volatility. There are 54 ETFs in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.60%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/m Opportunistic Income ETF | 1.60% | 46.32M | Sep 2023 | DEFR vs ZHOG | |
| SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF | 2.47% | 2.28M | Sep 2024 | DEFR vs SJCP | |
| Angel Oak Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF | 2.74% | 147.84M | Jun 2021 | DEFR vs MBS | |
| First Trust Commercial Mortgage Opportunities ETF | 3.07% | 35.20M | Feb 2024 | DEFR vs CAAA | |
| DoubleLine Opportunistic Bond ETF | 3.15% | 735.65M | Mar 2022 | DEFR vs DBND |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to DEFR
DEFR has a 1-year max drawdown of -3.90%. There are 48 ETFs in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -1.31%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/m Opportunistic Income ETF | -1.31% | 46.32M | Sep 2023 | DEFR vs ZHOG | |
| Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF | -1.77% | 1.18M | Dec 2021 | DEFR vs KDRN | |
| SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF | -2.01% | 2.28M | Sep 2024 | DEFR vs SJCP | |
| First Trust Commercial Mortgage Opportunities ETF | -2.08% | 35.20M | Feb 2024 | DEFR vs CAAA | |
| Angel Oak Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF | -2.20% | 147.84M | Jun 2021 | DEFR vs MBS |
Other ETFs from Aptus
The 10 most viewed Aptus ETFs shown here include ACIO, ADME, JUCY and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aptus Collared Income Opportunity ETF | Diversified Portfolio | 56 | 6.71% | 2.38B | Jul 2019 | DEFR vs ACIO | |
| Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF | Equity Hedged | 62 | 9.26% | 290.93M | Jun 2016 | DEFR vs ADME | |
| Aptus Enhanced Yield ETF | Intermediate Core Bond | 91 | 3.73% | 316.83M | Oct 2022 | DEFR vs JUCY | |
| Aptus Defined Risk ETF | Diversified Portfolio | 21 | 2.34% | 1.52B | Aug 2018 | DEFR vs DRSK | |
| Aptus International Enhanced Yield ETF | Long-Short | 76 | 15.77% | 490.37M | Jul 2021 | DEFR vs IDUB | |
| Opus Small Cap Value Plus ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 16.29% | 697.02M | Jul 2018 | DEFR vs OSCV | |
| Aptus International Drawdown Managed Equity ETF | Global Equities | 75 | 15.77% | 62.12M | Jul 2021 | DEFR vs IDME | |
| Aptus Large Cap Enhanced Yield ETF | Derivative Income | 83 | 13.77% | 389.87M | Jun 2023 | DEFR vs DUBS | |
| Aptus October Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | — | 7.75% | — | Oct 2025 | DEFR vs OCTB | |
| Aptus January Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | — | 7.57% | — | Oct 2025 | DEFR vs JANB |
Often Compared With DEFR
Investors most often compare DEFR with FAAR, MAMB, RBIL. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare DEFR with Any Fund or Stock
Compare DEFR with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair DEFR with funds that move differently
Aptus Deferred Income ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to DEFR.
Explore DEFR Diversifiers