iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR) 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 MEAR. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to MEAR
MEAR charges 0.25% annually. There are 63 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% | 48.80B | Aug 2015 | MEAR vs VTEB | |
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 4.01B | Oct 2022 | MEAR vs SCMB | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 126.43M | Aug 2025 | MEAR vs TAXS | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 183.09M | Jul 2019 | MEAR vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 162.98M | Aug 2025 | MEAR vs TAXI |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to MEAR
MEAR has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 96. There are 5 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 98.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 98 | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | MEAR vs MYMG | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | MEAR vs MYMF | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 97 | 245.98M | Nov 2018 | MEAR vs FUMB | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 97 | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | MEAR vs AUSM | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | 97 | 50.33M | Jul 2024 | MEAR vs GUMI |
Top Performing MEAR Alternatives (YTD)
MEAR is at 1.04% YTD. There are 41 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 3.63%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF | 3.63% | 4.54M | May 2023 | MEAR vs ZTAX | |
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 3.09% | 143.28M | Jun 2013 | MEAR vs RVNU | |
| NYLI MacKay Muni Allocation ETF | 2.44% | 28.01M | Dec 2025 | MEAR vs MMMA | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 2.43% | 21.52M | Sep 2016 | MEAR vs MFLX | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 2.14% | 25.35M | Nov 2025 | MEAR vs THYM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to MEAR
MEAR has 0.88% 1-year volatility. There are 6 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% | 34.08M | Sep 2025 | MEAR vs ZMUN | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.69% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | MEAR vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.72% | 427.40M | Oct 2007 | MEAR vs CALI | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.76% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | MEAR vs AUSM | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.82% | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | MEAR vs MYMG |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to MEAR
MEAR has a 1-year max drawdown of -0.47%. There are 7 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% | 245.98M | Nov 2018 | MEAR vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.30% | 270.65M | Sep 2019 | MEAR vs BSMQ | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | MEAR vs MYMG | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 50.33M | Jul 2024 | MEAR vs GUMI | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.38% | 580.66M | Apr 2019 | MEAR vs IBMO |
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 $880B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 2.04% | 98.56B | May 2020 | MEAR vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -26.79% | 47.12B | Jan 2024 | MEAR vs IBIT | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 93 | 75.19% | 45.06B | Jul 2001 | MEAR vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 61 | 8.96% | 880.32B | May 2000 | MEAR vs IVV | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 89 | 13.15% | 42.63B | Jun 2014 | MEAR vs DGRO | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 15 | -2.32% | 42.81B | Jul 2002 | MEAR vs TLT | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 32 | -18.36% | 26.77B | Apr 2006 | MEAR vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 28 | -6.09% | 59.26B | Jan 2005 | MEAR vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 74 | 18.78% | 82.12B | May 2000 | MEAR vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 60 | 9.76% | 32.06B | Mar 2008 | MEAR vs ACWI |
Often Compared With MEAR
Investors most often compare MEAR with JMST, DFIHX, BAB. These 20 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare MEAR with Any Fund or Stock
Compare MEAR with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair MEAR with funds that move differently
iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to MEAR.
Explore MEAR Diversifiers