iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF (IBRN) 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 IBRN. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IBRN
IBRN charges 0.47% annually. There are 23 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 | IBRN vs FHLC | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.08% | 42.10B | Dec 1998 | IBRN vs XLV | |
| Vanguard Health Care ETF | 0.09% | 20.40B | Jan 2004 | IBRN vs VHT | |
| VanEck Healthcare TruSector ETF | 0.10% | 850.50K | Apr 2026 | IBRN vs TRUH | |
| Portfolio Building Block World Pharma and Biotech ... | 0.13% | 933.15M | Nov 2025 | IBRN vs PBPH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IBRN
IBRN has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 91. There are 11 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | 96 | 1.65B | May 2006 | IBRN vs IHE | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | 96 | 911.09M | Sep 2016 | IBRN vs FTXH | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 96 | 47.80M | Dec 2014 | IBRN vs BBC | |
| Invesco Dynamic Pharmaceuticals ETF | 95 | 472.10M | Jun 2005 | IBRN vs PJP | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 95 | 201.57M | Dec 2014 | IBRN vs SBIO |
Top Performing IBRN Alternatives (YTD)
IBRN is at 13.26% YTD. There are 24 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 36.87%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 36.87% | 48.53M | Sep 2021 | IBRN vs PSIL | |
| ARK Genomic Revolution Multi-Sector ETF | 33.10% | 1.73B | Oct 2014 | IBRN vs ARKG | |
| Roundhill UNH WeeklyPay ETF | 28.78% | 7.27M | Dec 2025 | IBRN vs UNHW | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 26.39% | 47.80M | Dec 2014 | IBRN vs BBC | |
| F/m Emerald Life Sciences Innovation ETF | 24.40% | 74.65M | Oct 2024 | IBRN vs LFSC |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IBRN
IBRN has 25.61% 1-year volatility. There are 55 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 | IBRN vs CNCR | |
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | IBRN vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | 8.65% | 10.09M | Jun 2007 | IBRN vs SPAQ | |
| Milliman Healthcare Inflation Plus ETF | 10.97% | 982.35K | Apr 2026 | IBRN vs MHIP | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 11.07% | 21.55M | Jul 2025 | IBRN vs XLVI |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IBRN
IBRN has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.15%. There are 6 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 | IBRN vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | -4.20% | 10.09M | Jun 2007 | IBRN vs SPAQ | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | -7.47% | 911.09M | Sep 2016 | IBRN vs FTXH | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | -8.14% | 21.55M | Jul 2025 | IBRN vs XLVI | |
| Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF | -8.34% | 75.06M | Jun 2021 | IBRN vs IBBQ |
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 $869B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 2.11% | 99.95B | May 2020 | IBRN vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 1 | -28.22% | 46.52B | Jan 2024 | IBRN vs IBIT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 90 | 67.84% | 44.69B | Jul 2001 | IBRN vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 67 | 10.13% | 869.20B | May 2000 | IBRN vs IVV | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 91 | 13.39% | 42.77B | Jun 2014 | IBRN vs DGRO | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 9 | -3.49% | 41.54B | Jul 2002 | IBRN vs TLT | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 36 | -18.72% | 28.08B | Apr 2006 | IBRN vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 30 | -6.16% | 59.74B | Jan 2005 | IBRN vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 79 | 18.79% | 80.11B | May 2000 | IBRN vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 71 | 11.28% | 32.49B | Mar 2008 | IBRN vs ACWI |
Often Compared With IBRN
Investors most often compare IBRN with MEDI, IDNA, VOO. These 20 comparison targets span 3 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IBRN with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IBRN with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IBRN with funds that move differently
iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IBRN.
Explore IBRN Diversifiers