iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) belongs to the Small Cap Blend Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with IWM. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IWM
IWM charges 0.19% annually. There are 13 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF | 0.03% | 16.85B | Jul 2013 | IWM vs SPSM | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 23.26B | Nov 2009 | IWM vs SCHA | |
| iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 282.90M | Jun 2004 | IWM vs ISCB | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 0.05% | 182.70B | Jan 2004 | IWM vs VB | |
| iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 0.06% | 109.39B | May 2000 | IWM vs IJR |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IWM
IWM has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 68. There are 30 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 96 | — | Jun 2025 | IWM vs RB | |
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 90 | 1.36B | May 2007 | IWM vs FYX | |
| Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap Core ETF | 88 | 5.78B | Dec 2007 | IWM vs FESM | |
| Hartford Multifactor Small Cap ETF | 85 | 61.26M | Mar 2015 | IWM vs ROSC | |
| Avantis US Small Cap Equity ETF | 84 | 2.96B | Jan 2022 | IWM vs AVSC |
Top Performing IWM Alternatives (YTD)
IWM is at 20.14% YTD. There are 26 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 54.93%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares | 54.93% | 1.43B | Nov 2008 | IWM vs TNA | |
| Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF | 28.20% | 329.18M | Feb 2017 | IWM vs ISMD | |
| Allspring SMID Core ETF | 27.62% | 78.82M | Jul 2025 | IWM vs ASCE | |
| Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF | 27.09% | 21.99M | Oct 2022 | IWM vs QQQS | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 26.09% | 9.08M | Aug 2024 | IWM vs SCDS |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IWM
IWM has 19.50% 1-year volatility. There are 61 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.57%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 6.57% | — | Jun 2025 | IWM vs RB | |
| First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Small/Mid E... | 10.54% | 34.63M | Apr 2020 | IWM vs HSMV | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 10.66% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | IWM vs RYLD | |
| CresAlta Small & Mid-Cap ETF | 11.04% | 88.99M | May 2026 | IWM vs CVSM | |
| OShares U.S. Small-Cap Quality Dividend ETF | 13.06% | 873.92M | Dec 2016 | IWM vs OUSM |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IWM
IWM has a 1-year max drawdown of -11.03%. There are 51 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -2.09%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | -2.09% | — | Jun 2025 | IWM vs RB | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | -6.29% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | IWM vs RYLD | |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | -6.96% | 5.55M | Jan 2023 | IWM vs WCEO | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | -7.16% | 106.31M | May 2020 | IWM vs SIXS | |
| VictoryShares US Small Cap High Dividend Volatilit... | -7.18% | 264.62M | Jul 2015 | IWM vs CSB |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, SOXX and span 15 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $894B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.92% | 97.69B | May 2020 | IWM vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -26.32% | 46.82B | Jan 2024 | IWM vs IBIT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 94 | 88.79% | 47.60B | Jul 2001 | IWM vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 67 | 10.84% | 894.38B | May 2000 | IWM vs IVV | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 14 | -1.35% | 42.18B | Jul 2002 | IWM vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 83 | 11.23% | 42.05B | Jun 2014 | IWM vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 29 | -17.46% | 28.37B | Apr 2006 | IWM vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 24 | -6.04% | 60.94B | Jan 2005 | IWM vs IAU | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 65 | 11.64% | 33.36B | Mar 2008 | IWM vs ACWI | |
| iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF | Momentum, Large Cap Blend Equities | 60 | 28.00% | 27.36B | Apr 2013 | IWM vs MTUM |
Often Compared With IWM
Investors most often compare IWM with SPY, VTWO, AVUV. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IWM with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IWM with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IWM with funds that move differently
iShares Russell 2000 ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IWM.
Explore IWM Diversifiers