iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF (ISTB) belongs to the Short-Term Bond category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with ISTB. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to ISTB
ISTB charges 0.06% annually. There are 6 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 12.71B | Aug 2010 | ISTB vs SCHO | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.03% | 70.40B | Apr 2007 | ISTB vs BSV | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.90B | Nov 2009 | ISTB vs VGSH | |
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 5.81B | Nov 2011 | ISTB vs SPTS | |
| JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Treasury Bond 1-3 Year ... | 0.04% | 55.19M | Apr 2023 | ISTB vs BBSB |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to ISTB
ISTB has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 67. There are 35 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 99 | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | 98 | 409.34M | Feb 2024 | ISTB vs FLDB | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 98 | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | ISTB vs FLDR | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | 98 | 31.16M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs MYCG | |
| DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF | 95 | 416.13M | Mar 2023 | ISTB vs DCRE |
Top Performing ISTB Alternatives (YTD)
ISTB is at 0.53% YTD. There are 38 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 2.12%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defined Duration 5 ETF | 2.12% | — | Nov 2025 | ISTB vs DDV | |
| AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF | 1.94% | 77.26M | Dec 2024 | ISTB vs LODI | |
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 1.82% | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs MYCF | |
| SanJac Alpha Low Duration ETF | 1.71% | 1.52M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs SJLD | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 1.70% | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | ISTB vs FLDR |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to ISTB
ISTB has 1.79% 1-year volatility. There are 30 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.63%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 0.63% | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 0.81% | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | ISTB vs FLDR | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | 0.92% | 409.34M | Feb 2024 | ISTB vs FLDB | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | 0.98% | 31.16M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs MYCG | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.99% | 116.60M | Aug 2025 | ISTB vs TAXS |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to ISTB
ISTB has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.26%. There are 30 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.12%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | -0.12% | 47.54M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | -0.17% | 409.34M | Feb 2024 | ISTB vs FLDB | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | -0.45% | 31.16M | Sep 2024 | ISTB vs MYCG | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | -0.47% | 1.62B | Jun 2018 | ISTB vs FLDR | |
| DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF | -0.68% | 416.13M | Mar 2023 | ISTB vs DCRE |
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 | ISTB vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -28.88% | 48.04B | Jan 2024 | ISTB vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.20% | 837.93B | May 2000 | ISTB vs IVV | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 95 | 100.58% | 46.67B | Jul 2001 | ISTB vs SOXX | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 14 | 0.77% | 41.34B | Jul 2002 | ISTB vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 75 | 9.19% | 41.89B | Jun 2014 | ISTB vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 31 | -13.49% | 32.53B | Apr 2006 | ISTB vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.73% | 64.29B | Jan 2005 | ISTB vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 20.47% | 81.35B | May 2000 | ISTB vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 58 | 9.86% | 32.95B | Mar 2008 | ISTB vs ACWI |
Often Compared With ISTB
Investors most often compare ISTB with AGG, FUMBX, IMTB. These 20 comparison targets span 9 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare ISTB with Any Fund or Stock
Compare ISTB with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair ISTB with funds that move differently
iShares Core 1-5 Year USD Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to ISTB.
Explore ISTB Diversifiers