Franklin Short-Term Municipal Income ETF (FTMS) belongs to the Municipal Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with FTMS. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to FTMS
FTMS charges 0.21% annually. There are 57 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 3.92B | Oct 2022 | FTMS vs SCMB | |
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.03% | 47.60B | Aug 2015 | FTMS vs VTEB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 180.62M | Jul 2019 | FTMS vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 60.89M | Aug 2025 | FTMS vs TAXT | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 153.73M | Aug 2025 | FTMS vs TAXI |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to FTMS
Among 107 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with risk / return rank data, the top risk-adjusted alternatives shown here go as high as 98.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 98 | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | FTMS vs MYMG | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 97 | 246.08M | Nov 2018 | FTMS vs FUMB | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | FTMS vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 1.39B | Mar 2015 | FTMS vs MEAR | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | 96 | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | FTMS vs GUMI |
Top Performing FTMS Alternatives (YTD)
FTMS is at 1.62% YTD. There are 72 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.48%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 4.48% | 142.76M | Jun 2013 | FTMS vs RVNU | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 4.02% | 19.03M | Sep 2016 | FTMS vs MFLX | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 3.94% | 25.43M | Nov 2025 | FTMS vs THYM | |
| Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF | 3.89% | 18.13M | Oct 2020 | FTMS vs RTAI | |
| NYLI MacKay Muni Allocation ETF | 3.81% | 27.55M | Dec 2025 | FTMS vs MMMA |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to FTMS
FTMS has 1.71% 1-year volatility. There are 34 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.54%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 30.59M | Sep 2025 | FTMS vs ZMUN | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.73% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | FTMS vs MYMF | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.74% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | FTMS vs AUSM | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.75% | 398.45M | Oct 2007 | FTMS vs CALI | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 0.78% | 246.08M | Nov 2018 | FTMS vs FUMB |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to FTMS
Among 107 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with 1-year drawdown data, the lowest-drawdown alternatives shown here go as shallow as -0.22%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | -0.22% | 246.08M | Nov 2018 | FTMS vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.33% | 290.51M | Sep 2019 | FTMS vs BSMQ | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | FTMS vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | FTMS vs MYMG | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.38% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | FTMS vs MYMF |
Other ETFs from Franklin Templeton
The 10 most viewed Franklin Templeton ETFs shown here include LVHI, FLIN, FLKR and span 9 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $5B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividen... | Volatility Hedged Equity, Dividend | 95 | 12.56% | 4.99B | Jul 2016 | FTMS vs LVHI | |
| Franklin FTSE India ETF | Asia Pacific Equities | 5 | -7.84% | 2.55B | Feb 2018 | FTMS vs FLIN | |
| Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF | Asia Pacific Equities | 94 | 109.27% | 1.16B | Nov 2017 | FTMS vs FLKR | |
| Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index E... | Dividend | 55 | 11.74% | 588.56M | Dec 2015 | FTMS vs LVHD | |
| Franklin International Core Dividend Tilt Index ET... | Foreign Large Cap Equities, Dividend | 60 | 11.46% | 2.60B | Jun 2016 | FTMS vs DIVI | |
| Putnam BDC Income ETF | Financials Equities | 4 | -11.79% | 272.46M | Sep 2022 | FTMS vs PBDC | |
| Franklin FTSE Japan ETF | Japan Equities | 60 | 16.02% | 3.93B | Nov 2017 | FTMS vs FLJP | |
| Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF | Gold, Precious Metals | 21 | -6.86% | 437.03M | Jun 2022 | FTMS vs FGDL | |
| Franklin FTSE China ETF | China Equities | 7 | -14.03% | 264.76M | Nov 2017 | FTMS vs FLCH | |
| Franklin FTSE Japan Hedged ETF | Japan Equities | 88 | 21.36% | 171.61M | Nov 2017 | FTMS vs FLJH |
Often Compared With FTMS
Investors most often compare FTMS with TAXS, OVM, HYMB. These 7 comparison targets span 3 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | Municipal Bonds, Short-Term Bond | — | 1.10% | 116.60M | Aug 2025 | FTMS vs TAXS | |
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | Municipal Bonds | 87 | 3.79% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | FTMS vs OVM | |
| SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Municipa... | Municipal Bonds | 65 | 3.69% | 2.99B | Apr 2011 | FTMS vs HYMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2027 Municipal Bond ETF | Municipal Bonds | 94 | 1.16% | 342.74M | Sep 2019 | FTMS vs BSMR | |
| Franklin Bitcoin ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -32.39% | 358.90M | Jan 2024 | FTMS vs EZBC | |
| X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF | Municipal Bonds | 14 | 1.66% | 4.54M | May 2023 | FTMS vs ZTAX | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Muni Bond ETF | Municipal Bonds | 90 | 1.05% | 587.10M | Apr 2019 | FTMS vs IBMO |
Compare FTMS with Any Fund or Stock
Compare FTMS with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair FTMS with funds that move differently
Franklin Short-Term Municipal Income ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to FTMS.
Explore FTMS Diversifiers