Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN) belongs to the Leveraged Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with DFEN. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to DFEN
DFEN charges 0.96% annually. There are 182 ETFs in the Leveraged Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.35%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WisdomTree Efficient U.S. Plus International Equit... | 0.35% | 43.18M | Mar 2026 | DFEN vs NTSD | |
| ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN | 0.45% | 48.07M | Sep 2021 | DFEN vs IFED | |
| Corgi BRKB 2x Daily ETF | 0.45% | — | Jul 2026 | DFEN vs BRKL | |
| Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 2X ETF | 0.60% | 260.25M | May 2014 | DFEN vs SPUU | |
| Leverage Shares 2X Long TER Daily ETF | 0.75% | 7.94M | Nov 2025 | DFEN vs TERG |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to DFEN
DFEN has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 30. There are 100 ETFs in the Leveraged Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 98.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily MU Bull 2X Shares | 98 | 3.86B | Oct 2024 | DFEN vs MUU | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long MU Daily ETF | 98 | 531.06M | Nov 2024 | DFEN vs MULL | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF | 98 | 22.69M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs XTAP | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long INTC Daily ETF | 97 | 282.58M | Feb 2025 | DFEN vs INTW | |
| Innovator Growth Accelerated Plus ETF - April | 97 | 20.37M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs QTAP |
Top Performing DFEN Alternatives (YTD)
DFEN is at 18.12% YTD. There are 104 ETFs in the Leveraged Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 615.57%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GraniteShares 2x Long DELL Daily ETF | 615.57% | 101.24M | Feb 2025 | DFEN vs DLLL | |
| Direxion Daily MU Bull 2X Shares | 372.51% | 3.86B | Oct 2024 | DFEN vs MUU | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long MU Daily ETF | 359.36% | 531.06M | Nov 2024 | DFEN vs MULL | |
| Direxion Daily INTC Bull 2X Shares | 259.95% | 63.06M | Nov 2025 | DFEN vs LINT | |
| GraniteShares 2x Long INTC Daily ETF | 259.86% | 282.58M | Feb 2025 | DFEN vs INTW |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to DFEN
DFEN has 67.94% 1-year volatility. There are 177 ETFs in the Leveraged Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 4.93%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF | 4.93% | 22.69M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs XTAP | |
| Innovator Growth Accelerated Plus ETF - April | 6.61% | 20.37M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs QTAP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF - July | 7.79% | 13.42M | Jul 2021 | DFEN vs XTJL | |
| Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF | 10.98% | 69.34M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs XDSQ | |
| Innovator Growth Accelerated Plus ETF - July | 11.72% | 19.11M | Jul 2021 | DFEN vs QTJL |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to DFEN
DFEN has a 1-year max drawdown of -41.75%. There are 114 ETFs in the Leveraged Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -1.72%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF | -1.72% | 22.69M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs XTAP | |
| Innovator Growth Accelerated Plus ETF - April | -2.81% | 20.37M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs QTAP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF - July | -5.12% | 13.42M | Jul 2021 | DFEN vs XTJL | |
| Innovator Growth Accelerated Plus ETF - July | -8.48% | 19.11M | Jul 2021 | DFEN vs QTJL | |
| Innovator US Equity Accelerated ETF | -9.60% | 69.34M | Apr 2021 | DFEN vs XDSQ |
Other ETFs from Direxion
The 10 most viewed Direxion ETFs shown here include SOXL, SPXL, TECL and span 9 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $20B.
Often Compared With DFEN
Investors most often compare DFEN with ITA, XAR, PPA. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare DFEN with Any Fund or Stock
Compare DFEN with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair DFEN with funds that move differently
Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to DFEN.
Explore DFEN Diversifiers