iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) belongs to the Health & Biotech Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with IBB. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IBB
IBB charges 0.47% annually. There are 22 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF | 0.08% | 3.22B | Oct 2013 | IBB vs FHLC | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.08% | 41.65B | Dec 1998 | IBB vs XLV | |
| Vanguard Health Care ETF | 0.09% | 19.00B | Jan 2004 | IBB vs VHT | |
| Portfolio Building Block World Pharma and Biotech ... | 0.13% | 951.16M | Nov 2025 | IBB vs PBPH | |
| GSK plc ADRhedged ETF | 0.19% | 793.18K | Jan 2025 | IBB vs GSKH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IBB
IBB has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 85. There are 15 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 96 | 57.56M | Dec 2014 | IBB vs BBC | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 95 | 213.08M | Dec 2014 | IBB vs SBIO | |
| SPDR S&P Biotech ETF | 94 | 11.10B | Feb 2006 | IBB vs XBI | |
| iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | 94 | 1.34B | May 2006 | IBB vs IHE | |
| iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF | 93 | 5.85M | Aug 2022 | IBB vs IBRN |
Top Performing IBB Alternatives (YTD)
IBB is at 12.41% YTD. There are 25 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 40.11%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARK Genomic Revolution Multi-Sector ETF | 40.11% | 1.31B | Oct 2014 | IBB vs ARKG | |
| AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 35.29% | 44.37M | Sep 2021 | IBB vs PSIL | |
| Roundhill UNH WeeklyPay ETF | 34.33% | 6.01M | Dec 2025 | IBB vs UNHW | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 33.14% | 57.56M | Dec 2014 | IBB vs BBC | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 27.56% | 213.08M | Dec 2014 | IBB vs SBIO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IBB
IBB has 20.67% 1-year volatility. There are 37 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF | 0.00% | 12.73M | Oct 2015 | IBB vs CNCR | |
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | IBB vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | 8.64% | 10.11M | Jun 2007 | IBB vs SPAQ | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 10.87% | 16.78M | Jul 2025 | IBB vs XLVI | |
| Milliman Healthcare Inflation Plus ETF | 11.73% | 982.35K | Apr 2026 | IBB vs MHIP |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IBB
IBB has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.63%. There are 9 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | IBB vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | -4.32% | 10.11M | Jun 2007 | IBB vs SPAQ | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | -7.47% | 36.36M | Sep 2016 | IBB vs FTXH | |
| Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF | -8.34% | 74.65M | Jun 2021 | IBB vs IBBQ | |
| iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | -8.47% | 1.34B | May 2006 | IBB vs IHE |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, SOXX and span 14 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $894B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.92% | 97.69B | May 2020 | IBB vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 1 | -29.06% | 46.82B | Jan 2024 | IBB vs IBIT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 93 | 84.03% | 47.60B | Jul 2001 | IBB vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 66 | 10.46% | 894.38B | May 2000 | IBB vs IVV | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 13 | -1.48% | 42.18B | Jul 2002 | IBB vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 86 | 12.23% | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | IBB vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 27 | -19.03% | 28.37B | Apr 2006 | IBB vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -7.29% | 60.94B | Jan 2005 | IBB vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 69 | 19.72% | 83.34B | May 2000 | IBB vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 63 | 10.93% | 33.36B | Mar 2008 | IBB vs ACWI |
Often Compared With IBB
Investors most often compare IBB with BBH, SPY, FBIOX. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IBB with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IBB with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IBB with funds that move differently
iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IBB.
Explore IBB Diversifiers