iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) 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 IEF. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IEF
IEF charges 0.15% annually. There are 48 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 5.81B | Nov 2011 | IEF vs SPTS | |
| Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 14.80B | Nov 2009 | IEF vs VGLT | |
| Schwab Long-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 760.90M | Oct 2019 | IEF vs SCHQ | |
| Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 12.71B | Aug 2010 | IEF vs SCHO | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.90B | Nov 2009 | IEF vs VGSH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IEF
IEF has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 20. There are 49 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 | IEF vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 100 | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | IEF vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 100 | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | IEF vs SHV | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 100 | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | IEF vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 100 | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | IEF vs TFLO |
Top Performing IEF Alternatives (YTD)
IEF is at 0.11% YTD. There are 59 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 7.17%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 7.17% | 24.48M | Sep 2021 | IEF vs BNDD | |
| iShares 25+ Year Treasury STRIPS Bond ETF | 3.57% | 278.12M | Sep 2020 | IEF vs GOVZ | |
| PIMCO 25+ Year Zero Coupon US Treasury Index Fund | 3.38% | 1.40B | Oct 2009 | IEF vs ZROZ | |
| Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury ETF | 3.21% | 4.30B | Dec 2007 | IEF vs EDV | |
| iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active E... | 2.84% | 2.80B | Jun 2025 | IEF vs GGOV |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IEF
IEF has 4.75% 1-year volatility. There are 51 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 | IEF vs BIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | IEF vs SHV | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 0.23% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | IEF vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 0.27% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | IEF vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 0.29% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | IEF vs TFLO |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IEF
IEF has a 1-year max drawdown of -4.07%. There are 46 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 | IEF vs BIL | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | -0.02% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | IEF vs TFLO | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | -0.02% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | IEF vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | -0.02% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | IEF vs USFR | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.03% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | IEF 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 | 1.72% | 95.28B | May 2020 | IEF vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -31.78% | 48.04B | Jan 2024 | IEF vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 60 | 8.13% | 837.93B | May 2000 | IEF vs IVV | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 95 | 99.95% | 46.67B | Jul 2001 | IEF vs SOXX | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 16 | 2.15% | 41.34B | Jul 2002 | IEF vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 78 | 9.37% | 41.89B | Jun 2014 | IEF vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 28 | -19.62% | 32.53B | Apr 2006 | IEF vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 21 | -7.61% | 64.29B | Jan 2005 | IEF vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 70 | 21.03% | 81.35B | May 2000 | IEF vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 59 | 9.71% | 32.95B | Mar 2008 | IEF vs ACWI |
Often Compared With IEF
Investors most often compare IEF with VGIT, LQD, SHY. These 20 comparison targets span 11 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IEF with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IEF with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IEF with funds that move differently
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IEF.
Explore IEF Diversifiers