iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) belongs to the Government Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with GOVT. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to GOVT
GOVT charges 0.05% annually. There are 13 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR Portfolio Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 281.41M | May 2024 | GOVT vs SPTB | |
| Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 12.71B | Aug 2010 | GOVT vs SCHO | |
| Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 49.50B | Nov 2009 | GOVT vs VGIT | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.90B | Nov 2009 | GOVT vs VGSH | |
| Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 14.80B | Nov 2009 | GOVT vs VGLT |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to GOVT
GOVT has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 24. There are 33 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 100.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 100 | 46.54B | May 2007 | GOVT vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 100 | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | GOVT vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 100 | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | GOVT vs SHV | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 100 | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs TFLO | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 100 | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs USFR |
Top Performing GOVT Alternatives (YTD)
GOVT is at 0.11% YTD. There are 51 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 6.53%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 6.53% | 24.48M | Sep 2021 | GOVT vs BNDD | |
| iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active E... | 2.75% | 2.80B | Jun 2025 | GOVT vs GGOV | |
| Simplify Treasury Option Income ETF | 2.12% | 465.86M | Oct 2022 | GOVT vs BUCK | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 1.82% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.81% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs TFLO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to GOVT
GOVT has 3.57% 1-year volatility. There are 43 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.20%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 0.20% | 46.54B | May 2007 | GOVT vs BIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | GOVT vs SHV | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 0.23% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | GOVT vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 0.27% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 0.29% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs TFLO |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to GOVT
GOVT has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.85%. There are 39 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | -0.01% | 46.54B | May 2007 | GOVT vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | -0.02% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | GOVT vs GBIL | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | -0.02% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs TFLO | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | -0.02% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | GOVT vs USFR | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.03% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | GOVT vs SHV |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, IVV and span 14 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $838B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.71% | 95.28B | May 2020 | GOVT vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -28.88% | 48.04B | Jan 2024 | GOVT vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.20% | 837.93B | May 2000 | GOVT vs IVV | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 95 | 100.58% | 46.67B | Jul 2001 | GOVT vs SOXX | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 14 | 0.77% | 41.34B | Jul 2002 | GOVT vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 75 | 9.19% | 41.89B | Jun 2014 | GOVT vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 31 | -13.49% | 32.53B | Apr 2006 | GOVT vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.73% | 64.29B | Jan 2005 | GOVT vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 20.47% | 81.35B | May 2000 | GOVT vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 58 | 9.86% | 32.95B | Mar 2008 | GOVT vs ACWI |
Often Compared With GOVT
Investors most often compare GOVT with BND, IEF, VTG. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare GOVT with Any Fund or Stock
Compare GOVT with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair GOVT with funds that move differently
iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to GOVT.
Explore GOVT Diversifiers