iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) belongs to the Aerospace & Defense category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with ITA. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to ITA
ITA charges 0.38% annually. There are 3 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.35%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 0.35% | 6.50B | Sep 2011 | ITA vs XAR | |
| Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF | 0.35% | — | Oct 2024 | ITA vs NATO | |
| Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF | 0.35% | 4.61M | Feb 2026 | ITA vs XDEF | |
| WisdomTree Global Defense Fund | 0.45% | 11.79M | Sep 2025 | ITA vs WDGF | |
| WisdomTree Asia Defense Fund | 0.45% | 23.89M | Sep 2025 | ITA vs WDAF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to ITA
ITA has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 32. There are 6 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 88.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procure Space ETF | 88 | 144.60M | Apr 2019 | ITA vs UFO | |
| ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF | 58 | 717.30M | Mar 2021 | ITA vs ARKX | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 52 | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | ITA vs GCAD | |
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | 46 | 15.67M | Dec 2024 | ITA vs FOWF | |
| SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 43 | 6.50B | Sep 2011 | ITA vs XAR |
Top Performing ITA Alternatives (YTD)
ITA is at 4.82% YTD. There are 10 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 52.32%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance Drone & Modern Warfare ETF | 52.32% | 171.74M | Sep 2025 | ITA vs JEDI | |
| Procure Space ETF | 49.39% | 144.60M | Apr 2019 | ITA vs UFO | |
| REX Drone ETF | 24.77% | 101.41M | Oct 2025 | ITA vs DRNZ | |
| ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF | 23.67% | 717.30M | Mar 2021 | ITA vs ARKX | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 14.09% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | ITA vs GCAD |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to ITA
ITA has 20.86% 1-year volatility. There are 4 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 13.94%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | 13.94% | 15.67M | Dec 2024 | ITA vs FOWF | |
| Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF | 19.03% | 8.37B | Oct 2005 | ITA vs PPA | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 19.25% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | ITA vs GCAD | |
| Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF | 20.71% | — | Oct 2024 | ITA vs NATO | |
| iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF | 21.15% | — | May 2025 | ITA vs IDEF |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to ITA
ITA has a 1-year max drawdown of -15.82%. There are 4 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -10.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | -10.08% | 15.67M | Dec 2024 | ITA vs FOWF | |
| Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF | -13.71% | 8.37B | Oct 2005 | ITA vs PPA | |
| iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF | -14.63% | — | May 2025 | ITA vs IDEF | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | -14.96% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | ITA vs GCAD | |
| Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF | -15.99% | — | Oct 2024 | ITA vs NATO |
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 | ITA vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -25.48% | 58.12B | Jan 2024 | ITA vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 70 | 10.85% | 854.92B | May 2000 | ITA vs IVV | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 16 | -0.27% | 42.90B | Jul 2002 | ITA vs TLT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 97 | 104.57% | 38.37B | Jul 2001 | ITA vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 71 | 8.76% | 40.46B | Jun 2014 | ITA vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 47 | 2.78% | 36.82B | Apr 2006 | ITA vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 32 | 2.98% | 69.92B | Jan 2005 | ITA vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 62 | 17.07% | 80.93B | May 2000 | ITA vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 66 | 12.13% | 32.93B | Mar 2008 | ITA vs ACWI |
Often Compared With ITA
Investors most often compare ITA with SHLD, VOO, FSDAX. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare ITA with Any Fund or Stock
Compare ITA with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair ITA with funds that move differently
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to ITA.
Explore ITA Diversifiers