SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF (MBND) belongs to the Municipal Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with MBND. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to MBND
MBND charges 0.40% annually. There are 125 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.03% | 47.60B | Aug 2015 | MBND vs VTEB | |
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 4.00B | Oct 2022 | MBND vs SCMB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 183.09M | Jul 2019 | MBND vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 126.55M | Aug 2025 | MBND vs TAXS | |
| Northern Trust Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 60.72M | Aug 2025 | MBND vs TAXT |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to MBND
MBND has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 56. There are 98 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 97.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | MBND vs MYMG | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 97 | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | MBND vs FUMB | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 97 | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | MBND vs AUSM | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | MBND vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 1.41B | Mar 2015 | MBND vs MEAR |
Top Performing MBND Alternatives (YTD)
MBND is at 1.10% YTD. There are 109 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.58%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 4.58% | 143.84M | Jun 2013 | MBND vs RVNU | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 4.04% | 25.42M | Nov 2025 | MBND vs THYM | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 3.99% | 20.73M | Sep 2016 | MBND vs MFLX | |
| Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF | 3.89% | 18.13M | Oct 2020 | MBND vs RTAI | |
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 3.73% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | MBND vs OVM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to MBND
MBND has 2.71% 1-year volatility. There are 72 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.54%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 33.31M | Sep 2025 | MBND vs ZMUN | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.71% | 408.07M | Oct 2007 | MBND vs CALI | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.71% | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | MBND vs MYMF | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.74% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | MBND vs AUSM | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 0.79% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | MBND vs FUMB |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to MBND
MBND has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.44%. There are 48 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.22%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | -0.22% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | MBND vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.30% | 283.20M | Sep 2019 | MBND vs BSMQ | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | MBND vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | MBND vs MYMG | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.38% | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | MBND vs MYMF |
Other ETFs from State Street
The 10 most viewed State Street ETFs shown here include SPY, GLD, XLK and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $783B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 66 | 10.45% | 783.21B | Jan 1993 | MBND vs SPY | |
| SPDR Gold Shares | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -7.36% | 132.10B | Nov 2004 | MBND vs GLD | |
| State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Technology Equities | 63 | 26.22% | 120.59B | Dec 1998 | MBND vs XLK | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | S&P 500, Large Cap Growth Equities | 48 | 10.97% | 52.75B | Sep 2000 | MBND vs SPYG | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ... | S&P 500, Dividend | 54 | 14.99% | 7.40B | Oct 2015 | MBND vs SPYD | |
| State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | Energy Equities | 50 | 28.66% | 36.33B | Dec 1998 | MBND vs XLE | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 66 | 10.50% | 158.31B | Nov 2005 | MBND vs SPYM | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 23 | -7.26% | 27.70B | Jun 2018 | MBND vs GLDM | |
| State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | Utilities Equities | 31 | 8.54% | 23.51B | Dec 1998 | MBND vs XLU | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | Government Bonds, Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.88% | 46.75B | May 2007 | MBND vs BIL |
Often Compared With MBND
Investors most often compare MBND with JMUB, MUB, SPHY. These 20 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare MBND with Any Fund or Stock
Compare MBND with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair MBND with funds that move differently
SPDR Nuveen Municipal Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to MBND.
Explore MBND Diversifiers