VanEck Long Muni ETF (MLN) 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 MLN. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to MLN
MLN charges 0.24% annually. There are 57 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 3.87B | Oct 2022 | MLN vs SCMB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 178.36M | Jul 2019 | MLN vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 59.79M | Aug 2025 | MLN vs TAXT | |
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 45.70B | Aug 2015 | MLN vs VTEB | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 144.40M | Aug 2025 | MLN vs TAXI |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to MLN
MLN has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 68. There are 65 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 | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | MLN vs MYMG | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | MLN vs MYMF | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 96 | 230.57M | Nov 2018 | MLN vs FUMB | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 95 | 1.38B | Mar 2015 | MLN vs MEAR | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 94 | 339.63M | Sep 2019 | MLN vs BSMR |
Top Performing MLN Alternatives (YTD)
MLN is at 2.18% YTD. There are 17 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.13%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 4.13% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | MLN vs OVM | |
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 3.76% | 138.42M | Jun 2013 | MLN vs RVNU | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 3.39% | 18.90M | Sep 2016 | MLN vs MFLX | |
| Invesco New York AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF | 3.19% | 134.60M | Oct 2007 | MLN vs PZT | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 3.19% | 25.30M | Nov 2025 | MLN vs THYM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to MLN
MLN has 4.48% 1-year volatility. There are 126 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF | 0.00% | 349.85M | Mar 2018 | MLN vs IBMM | |
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 27.03M | Sep 2025 | MLN vs ZMUN | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF | 0.71% | 348.98M | Nov 2018 | MLN vs IBMN | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.73% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | MLN vs AUSM | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.75% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | MLN vs MYMF |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to MLN
MLN has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.56%. There are 55 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% | 230.57M | Nov 2018 | MLN vs FUMB | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.25% | 348.98M | Nov 2018 | MLN vs IBMN | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.33% | 294.75M | Sep 2019 | MLN vs BSMQ | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | MLN vs MYMG | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 40.29M | Jul 2024 | MLN vs GUMI |
Other ETFs from VanEck
The 10 most viewed VanEck ETFs shown here include SMH, GDX, NLR and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $68B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VanEck Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 96 | 75.55% | 67.82B | Dec 2011 | MLN vs SMH | |
| VanEck Gold Miners ETF | Gold, Precious Metals | 40 | 2.66% | 27.13B | May 2006 | MLN vs GDX | |
| VanEck Vectors Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF | Alternative Energy Equities | 30 | 11.25% | 4.87B | Aug 2007 | MLN vs NLR | |
| VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF | Materials | 40 | 1.93% | 8.65B | Nov 2009 | MLN vs GDXJ | |
| VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 33 | 0.44% | 11.84B | Apr 2012 | MLN vs MOAT | |
| VanEck Fabless Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 94 | 76.78% | 271.12M | Aug 2024 | MLN vs SMHX | |
| VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF | Materials | 90 | 38.23% | 3.01B | Oct 2010 | MLN vs REMX | |
| VanEck BDC Income ETF | Financials Equities | 4 | -6.86% | 1.57B | Feb 2013 | MLN vs BIZD | |
| VanEck Bitcoin Trust | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -23.13% | 1.22B | Jan 2024 | MLN vs HODL | |
| VanEck Vectors Investment Grade Floating Rate ETF | Corporate Bonds | 99 | 1.95% | 2.75B | Apr 2011 | MLN vs FLTR |
Often Compared With MLN
Investors most often compare MLN with SGOV, HYMU, LKOR. These 20 comparison targets span 9 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare MLN with Any Fund or Stock
Compare MLN with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair MLN with funds that move differently
VanEck Long Muni ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to MLN.
Explore MLN Diversifiers