Essential 40 Stock ETF (ESN) belongs to the Large 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 ESN. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to ESN
ESN charges 0.70% annually. There are 191 ETFs in the Large Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Equity ETF | 0.02% | 8.89B | Mar 2019 | ESN vs BBUS | |
| Global X U.S. 500 ETF | 0.02% | 4.50M | Sep 2025 | ESN vs GXLC | |
| Franklin U.S. Equity Index ETF | 0.03% | 2.00B | Jun 2016 | ESN vs USPX | |
| iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF | 0.03% | 94.34B | Jan 2004 | ESN vs ITOT | |
| SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF | 0.03% | 13.48B | Oct 2000 | ESN vs SPTM |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to ESN
ESN has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 94. There are 4 ETFs in the Large Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco RAFI Strategic US ETF | 96 | 927.09M | Sep 2018 | ESN vs IUS | |
| Avantis Inflation Focused Equity ETF | 96 | 12.36M | Sep 2022 | ESN vs AVIE | |
| ARS Focused Opportunities Strategy ETF | 94 | 293.98M | Jun 2025 | ESN vs AFOS | |
| PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF | 94 | 160.47M | Dec 2019 | ESN vs RAFE | |
| Return Stacked US Stocks & Futures Yield ETF | 93 | — | May 2024 | ESN vs RSSY |
Top Performing ESN Alternatives (YTD)
ESN is at 17.69% YTD. There are 20 ETFs in the Large Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 35.88%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aztlan North America Nearshoring Stock Selection E... | 35.88% | 33.11M | Nov 2023 | ESN vs NRSH | |
| Return Stacked US Stocks & Futures Yield ETF | 30.52% | — | May 2024 | ESN vs RSSY | |
| ARS Focused Opportunities Strategy ETF | 30.16% | 293.98M | Jun 2025 | ESN vs AFOS | |
| Mohr Company Nav ETF | 26.09% | — | Sep 2024 | ESN vs CNAV | |
| First Trust Bloomberg Inflation Sensitive Equity E... | 23.66% | 5.62M | Mar 2023 | ESN vs FTIF |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to ESN
ESN has 9.97% 1-year volatility. There are 8 ETFs in the Large Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 7.38%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azoria 500 Meritocracy ETF | 7.38% | — | Jul 2025 | ESN vs SPXM | |
| 6 Meridian Mega Cap Equity ETF | 9.02% | 402.23M | May 2020 | ESN vs SIXA | |
| State Street SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF | 9.22% | 1.53B | Apr 2015 | ESN vs QUS | |
| Liberty One Spectrum ETF | 9.36% | 65.78M | Sep 2025 | ESN vs SPCT | |
| ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF | 9.47% | 744.97M | Jul 2009 | ESN vs EQL |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to ESN
ESN has a 1-year max drawdown of -6.42%. There are 8 ETFs in the Large Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -4.97%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avantis Inflation Focused Equity ETF | -4.97% | 12.36M | Sep 2022 | ESN vs AVIE | |
| Azoria 500 Meritocracy ETF | -5.08% | — | Jul 2025 | ESN vs SPXM | |
| 6 Meridian Mega Cap Equity ETF | -5.59% | 402.23M | May 2020 | ESN vs SIXA | |
| Invesco RAFI Strategic US ETF | -6.15% | 927.09M | Sep 2018 | ESN vs IUS | |
| ALPS Equal Sector Weight ETF | -6.19% | 744.97M | Jul 2009 | ESN vs EQL |
Often Compared With ESN
Investors most often compare ESN with IVV, AVLV, DJUN. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare ESN with Any Fund or Stock
Compare ESN with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair ESN with funds that move differently
Essential 40 Stock ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to ESN.
Explore ESN Diversifiers