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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF | 0.35% | 4.28M | Feb 2026 | ITA vs XDEF | |
| Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF | 0.35% | — | Oct 2024 | ITA vs NATO | |
| SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 0.35% | 7.23B | Sep 2011 | ITA vs XAR | |
| WisdomTree Global Defense Fund | 0.45% | 5.54M | Sep 2025 | ITA vs WDGF | |
| WisdomTree Asia Defense Fund | 0.45% | 24.36M | Sep 2025 | ITA vs WDAF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to ITA
ITA has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 38. There are 5 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 57.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 57 | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | ITA vs GCAD | |
| Procure Space ETF | 54 | 1.12B | Apr 2019 | ITA vs UFO | |
| ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF | 40 | 717.30M | Mar 2021 | ITA vs ARKX | |
| SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 40 | 7.23B | Sep 2011 | ITA vs XAR | |
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | 39 | 15.15M | Dec 2024 | ITA vs FOWF |
Top Performing ITA Alternatives (YTD)
ITA is at 10.04% YTD. There are 7 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 24.53%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procure Space ETF | 24.53% | 1.12B | Apr 2019 | ITA vs UFO | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 17.90% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | ITA vs GCAD | |
| Defiance Drone & Modern Warfare ETF | 16.35% | 173.78M | Sep 2025 | ITA vs JEDI | |
| Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | 15.64% | 427.18M | May 2017 | ITA vs DFEN | |
| SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 14.20% | 7.23B | Sep 2011 | ITA vs XAR |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to ITA
ITA has 21.90% 1-year volatility. There are 4 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 14.45%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | 14.45% | 15.15M | Dec 2024 | ITA vs FOWF | |
| Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF | 20.15% | 8.26B | Oct 2005 | ITA vs PPA | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 20.36% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | ITA vs GCAD | |
| Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF | 21.46% | — | Oct 2024 | ITA vs NATO | |
| iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF | 22.10% | 4.08B | 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% | 15.15M | Dec 2024 | ITA vs FOWF | |
| Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF | -13.71% | 8.26B | Oct 2005 | ITA vs PPA | |
| iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF | -14.78% | 4.08B | 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 $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 | ITA vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -28.88% | 48.04B | Jan 2024 | ITA vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.20% | 837.93B | May 2000 | ITA vs IVV | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 95 | 100.58% | 46.67B | Jul 2001 | ITA vs SOXX | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 14 | 0.77% | 41.34B | Jul 2002 | ITA vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 75 | 9.19% | 41.89B | Jun 2014 | ITA vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 31 | -13.49% | 32.53B | Apr 2006 | ITA vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.73% | 64.29B | Jan 2005 | ITA vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 20.47% | 81.35B | May 2000 | ITA vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 58 | 9.86% | 32.95B | 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