Dimensional U.S. Small Cap ETF (DFAS) belongs to the Small Cap Blend Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with DFAS. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to DFAS
DFAS charges 0.26% annually. There are 15 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF | 0.03% | 16.36B | Jul 2013 | DFAS vs SPSM | |
| iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 290.06M | Jun 2004 | DFAS vs ISCB | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 23.58B | Nov 2009 | DFAS vs SCHA | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 0.05% | 182.70B | Jan 2004 | DFAS vs VB | |
| iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 0.06% | 109.76B | May 2000 | DFAS vs IJR |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to DFAS
DFAS has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 60. There are 35 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 88.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 88 | 1.31B | May 2007 | DFAS vs FYX | |
| Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF | 87 | 5.29B | Dec 2007 | DFAS vs FESM | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 85 | 9.11M | Aug 2024 | DFAS vs SCDS | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 81 | 23.58B | Nov 2009 | DFAS vs SCHA | |
| Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF | 80 | 26.73M | Oct 2022 | DFAS vs QQQS |
Top Performing DFAS Alternatives (YTD)
DFAS is at 15.74% YTD. There are 36 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 61.93%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares | 61.93% | 1.44B | Nov 2008 | DFAS vs TNA | |
| Allspring SMID Core ETF | 31.27% | 78.82M | Jul 2025 | DFAS vs ASCE | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 27.90% | 9.11M | Aug 2024 | DFAS vs SCDS | |
| abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF | 26.03% | 10.83M | Jun 2004 | DFAS vs AFSC | |
| Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF | 25.75% | 328.92M | Feb 2017 | DFAS vs ISMD |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to DFAS
DFAS has 17.00% 1-year volatility. There are 25 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.56%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 6.56% | — | Jun 2025 | DFAS vs RB | |
| First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Small/Mid E... | 10.60% | 33.69M | Apr 2020 | DFAS vs HSMV | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 10.66% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | DFAS vs RYLD | |
| OShares U.S. Small-Cap Quality Dividend ETF | 13.19% | 875.00M | Dec 2016 | DFAS vs OUSM | |
| Opus Small Cap Value Plus ETF | 13.38% | 685.56M | Jul 2018 | DFAS vs OSCV |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to DFAS
DFAS has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.36%. There are 28 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -6.15%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF | -6.15% | 3.49B | Jun 2017 | DFAS vs CALF | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | -6.29% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | DFAS vs RYLD | |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | -6.96% | 5.55M | Jan 2023 | DFAS vs WCEO | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | -7.16% | 106.31M | May 2020 | DFAS vs SIXS | |
| VictoryShares US Small Cap High Dividend Volatilit... | -7.18% | 257.49M | Jul 2015 | DFAS vs CSB |
Other ETFs from Dimensional
The 10 most viewed Dimensional ETFs shown here include DFUS, DFIV, DFAW and span 6 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $47B.
Often Compared With DFAS
Investors most often compare DFAS with AVUV, AVSC, DFSTX. These 19 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare DFAS with Any Fund or Stock
Compare DFAS with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair DFAS with funds that move differently
Dimensional U.S. Small Cap ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to DFAS.
Explore DFAS Diversifiers