iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI) 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 IEI. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IEI
IEI charges 0.15% annually. There are 50 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.50B | Nov 2009 | IEI vs VGSH | |
| Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 14.30B | Nov 2009 | IEI vs VGLT | |
| Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 48.60B | Nov 2009 | IEI vs VGIT | |
| Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 13.24B | Aug 2010 | IEI vs SCHO | |
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 5.90B | Nov 2011 | IEI vs SPTS |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IEI
IEI has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 28. 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 | 45.99B | May 2007 | IEI vs BIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 100 | 20.73B | Jan 2007 | IEI vs SHV | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 100 | 7.62B | Sep 2016 | IEI vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 100 | 17.01B | Feb 2014 | IEI vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 100 | 6.60B | Feb 2014 | IEI vs TFLO |
Top Performing IEI Alternatives (YTD)
IEI is at -0.42% YTD. There are 48 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.32%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 4.32% | 6.46M | Sep 2021 | IEI vs BNDD | |
| iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active E... | 2.30% | 44.04M | Jun 2025 | IEI vs GGOV | |
| Simplify Treasury Option Income ETF | 1.90% | 438.06M | Oct 2022 | IEI vs BUCK | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 1.60% | 17.01B | Feb 2014 | IEI vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.59% | 6.60B | Feb 2014 | IEI vs TFLO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IEI
IEI has 3.04% 1-year volatility. There are 30 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Treasury ETF | 0.00% | 1.55B | Feb 2020 | IEI vs IBTE | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.20% | 20.73B | Jan 2007 | IEI vs SHV | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 0.20% | 45.99B | May 2007 | IEI vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 0.23% | 7.62B | Sep 2016 | IEI vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 0.27% | 17.01B | Feb 2014 | IEI vs USFR |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IEI
IEI has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.50%. There are 30 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.01% | 20.73B | Jan 2007 | IEI vs SHV | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | -0.01% | 45.99B | May 2007 | IEI vs BIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | -0.02% | 17.01B | Feb 2014 | IEI vs USFR | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | -0.02% | 7.62B | Sep 2016 | IEI vs GBIL | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | -0.02% | 6.60B | Feb 2014 | IEI vs TFLO |
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 $855B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.51% | 91.90B | May 2020 | IEI vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -25.48% | 58.12B | Jan 2024 | IEI vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 70 | 10.85% | 854.92B | May 2000 | IEI vs IVV | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 16 | -0.27% | 42.90B | Jul 2002 | IEI vs TLT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 97 | 104.57% | 38.37B | Jul 2001 | IEI vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 71 | 8.76% | 40.46B | Jun 2014 | IEI vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 47 | 2.78% | 36.82B | Apr 2006 | IEI vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 32 | 2.98% | 69.92B | Jan 2005 | IEI vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 62 | 17.07% | 80.93B | May 2000 | IEI vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 66 | 12.13% | 32.93B | Mar 2008 | IEI vs ACWI |
Often Compared With IEI
Investors most often compare IEI with IEF, BND, TIP. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IEI with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IEI with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IEI with funds that move differently
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IEI.
Explore IEI Diversifiers