iShares Global Healthcare ETF (IXJ) belongs to the Health & Biotech Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with IXJ. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to IXJ
IXJ charges 0.40% annually. There are 18 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.08% | 42.10B | Dec 1998 | IXJ vs XLV | |
| Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF | 0.08% | 3.22B | Oct 2013 | IXJ vs FHLC | |
| Vanguard Health Care ETF | 0.09% | 20.40B | Jan 2004 | IXJ vs VHT | |
| VanEck Healthcare TruSector ETF | 0.10% | 850.50K | Apr 2026 | IXJ vs TRUH | |
| Portfolio Building Block World Pharma and Biotech ... | 0.13% | 933.15M | Nov 2025 | IXJ vs PBPH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to IXJ
IXJ has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 61. There are 40 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | 96 | 1.65B | May 2006 | IXJ vs IHE | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | 96 | 911.09M | Sep 2016 | IXJ vs FTXH | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 96 | 47.80M | Dec 2014 | IXJ vs BBC | |
| Invesco Dynamic Pharmaceuticals ETF | 95 | 472.10M | Jun 2005 | IXJ vs PJP | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 95 | 201.57M | Dec 2014 | IXJ vs SBIO |
Top Performing IXJ Alternatives (YTD)
IXJ is at 3.85% YTD. There are 46 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 36.87%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 36.87% | 48.53M | Sep 2021 | IXJ vs PSIL | |
| ARK Genomic Revolution Multi-Sector ETF | 33.10% | 1.73B | Oct 2014 | IXJ vs ARKG | |
| Roundhill UNH WeeklyPay ETF | 28.78% | 7.27M | Dec 2025 | IXJ vs UNHW | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 26.39% | 47.80M | Dec 2014 | IXJ vs BBC | |
| F/m Emerald Life Sciences Innovation ETF | 24.40% | 74.65M | Oct 2024 | IXJ vs LFSC |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to IXJ
IXJ has 15.38% 1-year volatility. There are 9 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF | 0.00% | 12.73M | Oct 2015 | IXJ vs CNCR | |
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | IXJ vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | 8.65% | 10.09M | Jun 2007 | IXJ vs SPAQ | |
| Milliman Healthcare Inflation Plus ETF | 10.97% | 982.35K | Apr 2026 | IXJ vs MHIP | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 11.07% | 21.55M | Jul 2025 | IXJ vs XLVI |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to IXJ
IXJ has a 1-year max drawdown of -10.78%. There are 21 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | IXJ vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | -4.20% | 10.09M | Jun 2007 | IXJ vs SPAQ | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | -7.47% | 911.09M | Sep 2016 | IXJ vs FTXH | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | -8.14% | 21.55M | Jul 2025 | IXJ vs XLVI | |
| Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF | -8.34% | 75.06M | Jun 2021 | IXJ vs IBBQ |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, SOXX and span 14 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $869B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 2.11% | 99.95B | May 2020 | IXJ vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 1 | -28.22% | 46.52B | Jan 2024 | IXJ vs IBIT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 90 | 67.84% | 44.69B | Jul 2001 | IXJ vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 67 | 10.13% | 869.20B | May 2000 | IXJ vs IVV | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 91 | 13.39% | 42.77B | Jun 2014 | IXJ vs DGRO | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 9 | -3.49% | 41.54B | Jul 2002 | IXJ vs TLT | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 36 | -18.72% | 28.08B | Apr 2006 | IXJ vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 30 | -6.16% | 59.74B | Jan 2005 | IXJ vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 79 | 18.79% | 80.11B | May 2000 | IXJ vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 71 | 11.28% | 32.49B | Mar 2008 | IXJ vs ACWI |
Often Compared With IXJ
Investors most often compare IXJ with IHI, XDWH.L, HLTH.L. These 20 comparison targets span 13 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare IXJ with Any Fund or Stock
Compare IXJ with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair IXJ with funds that move differently
iShares Global Healthcare ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to IXJ.
Explore IXJ Diversifiers