U.S. Small Cap Equity Active ETF (RUSC) 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 RUSC. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to RUSC
RUSC charges 0.64% annually. There are 50 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% | 16.36B | Jul 2013 | RUSC vs SPSM | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 23.58B | Nov 2009 | RUSC vs SCHA | |
| iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 290.06M | Jun 2004 | RUSC vs ISCB | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 0.05% | 182.70B | Jan 2004 | RUSC vs VB | |
| Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF | 0.06% | 17.50B | Sep 2010 | RUSC vs VTWO |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to RUSC
RUSC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 79. There are 5 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 88.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 88 | 1.31B | May 2007 | RUSC vs FYX | |
| Fidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETF | 87 | 5.29B | Dec 2007 | RUSC vs FESM | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 85 | 9.11M | Aug 2024 | RUSC vs SCDS | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 81 | 23.58B | Nov 2009 | RUSC vs SCHA | |
| Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF | 80 | 26.73M | Oct 2022 | RUSC vs QQQS |
Top Performing RUSC Alternatives (YTD)
RUSC is at 23.06% YTD. There are 9 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 61.93%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares | 61.93% | 1.44B | Nov 2008 | RUSC vs TNA | |
| Allspring SMID Core ETF | 31.27% | 78.82M | Jul 2025 | RUSC vs ASCE | |
| JPMorgan Fundamental Data Science Small Core ETF | 27.90% | 9.11M | Aug 2024 | RUSC vs SCDS | |
| abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF | 26.03% | 10.83M | Jun 2004 | RUSC vs AFSC | |
| Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF | 25.75% | 328.92M | Feb 2017 | RUSC vs ISMD |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to RUSC
RUSC has 18.60% 1-year volatility. There are 43 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.56%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 6.56% | — | Jun 2025 | RUSC vs RB | |
| First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Small/Mid E... | 10.60% | 33.69M | Apr 2020 | RUSC vs HSMV | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 10.66% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | RUSC vs RYLD | |
| OShares U.S. Small-Cap Quality Dividend ETF | 13.19% | 875.00M | Dec 2016 | RUSC vs OUSM | |
| Opus Small Cap Value Plus ETF | 13.38% | 685.56M | Jul 2018 | RUSC vs OSCV |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to RUSC
RUSC has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.18%. There are 24 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -6.15%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF | -6.15% | 3.49B | Jun 2017 | RUSC vs CALF | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | -6.29% | 1.36B | Apr 2019 | RUSC vs RYLD | |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | -6.96% | 5.55M | Jan 2023 | RUSC vs WCEO | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | -7.16% | 106.31M | May 2020 | RUSC vs SIXS | |
| VictoryShares US Small Cap High Dividend Volatilit... | -7.18% | 257.49M | Jul 2015 | RUSC vs CSB |
Other ETFs from Russell
The 4 most viewed Russell ETFs shown here include REMG, RIFR, RINT and span 4 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $111M.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Investments Emerging Markets Equity ETF | Emerging Markets Diversified | 82 | 31.18% | 110.52M | May 2025 | RUSC vs REMG | |
| Russell Investments Global Infrastructure ETF | Industrials Equities | 44 | 9.78% | — | May 2025 | RUSC vs RIFR | |
| Russell Investments International Developed Equity... | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 49 | 9.99% | — | May 2025 | RUSC vs RINT | |
| Russell Investments Global Equity ETF | Global Equities | 69 | 9.72% | — | May 2025 | RUSC vs RGLO |
Often Compared With RUSC
Investors most often compare RUSC with ABLS, FSCC, SYZ. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare RUSC with Any Fund or Stock
Compare RUSC with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair RUSC with funds that move differently
U.S. Small Cap Equity Active ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to RUSC.
Explore RUSC Diversifiers