Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (SAEF) belongs to the Mid 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 SAEF. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to SAEF
SAEF charges 0.59% annually. There are 49 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF | 0.03% | 213.90B | Jan 2004 | SAEF vs VO | |
| iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 1.58B | Jun 2004 | SAEF vs IMCB | |
| iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF | 0.05% | 119.17B | May 2000 | SAEF vs IJH | |
| SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF | 0.05% | 17.47B | Nov 2005 | SAEF vs SPMD | |
| Vanguard Extended Market ETF | 0.05% | 89.90B | Dec 2001 | SAEF vs VXF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SAEF
SAEF has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 35. There are 55 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 92.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 92 | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | SAEF vs OPTZ | |
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 88 | 193.13M | Dec 2006 | SAEF vs CSD | |
| Pacer US Export Leaders ETF | 87 | 51.69M | Jul 2018 | SAEF vs PEXL | |
| Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF | 77 | 319.02M | Nov 2023 | SAEF vs CPAI | |
| Tema American Reshoring ETF | 73 | 274.07M | May 2023 | SAEF vs RSHO |
Top Performing SAEF Alternatives (YTD)
SAEF is at 9.41% YTD. There are 53 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 39.67%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 39.67% | 193.13M | Dec 2006 | SAEF vs CSD | |
| Tema American Reshoring ETF | 33.69% | 274.07M | May 2023 | SAEF vs RSHO | |
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 31.51% | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | SAEF vs OPTZ | |
| Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 29.35% | — | Jun 2025 | SAEF vs CTEF | |
| Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF | 27.41% | 319.02M | Nov 2023 | SAEF vs CPAI |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SAEF
SAEF has 18.79% 1-year volatility. There are 72 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.80%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF | 8.80% | 421.80M | Feb 2018 | SAEF vs VFMV | |
| ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF | 9.50% | 185.97M | May 2020 | SAEF vs SIXL | |
| Invesco Dynamic Market ETF | 9.75% | 95.10M | May 2003 | SAEF vs PWC | |
| Invesco Bloomberg MVP Multi-factor ETF | 9.75% | 101.26M | May 2003 | SAEF vs BMVP | |
| WisdomTree US Multifactor Fund | 10.79% | 352.83M | Jun 2017 | SAEF vs USMF |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SAEF
SAEF has a 1-year max drawdown of -12.81%. There are 67 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -6.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF | -6.00% | 421.80M | Feb 2018 | SAEF vs VFMV | |
| RiverNorth Patriot ETF | -6.25% | 3.96M | Feb 2022 | SAEF vs FLDZ | |
| SRH U.S. Quality ETF | -6.31% | 170.62M | Oct 2022 | SAEF vs SRHQ | |
| Invesco Dynamic Market ETF | -6.45% | 95.10M | May 2003 | SAEF vs PWC | |
| Invesco Bloomberg MVP Multi-factor ETF | -6.45% | 101.26M | May 2003 | SAEF vs BMVP |
Other ETFs from Charles Schwab
The 10 most viewed Charles Schwab ETFs shown here include SCHD, SCHG, SCHX and span 6 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $95B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | Dividend | 80 | 19.01% | 94.95B | Oct 2011 | SAEF vs SCHD | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 39 | 6.42% | 61.08B | Dec 2009 | SAEF vs SCHG | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 10.72% | 72.63B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHX | |
| Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 68 | 11.28% | 43.31B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHB | |
| Schwab International Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 59 | 15.56% | 66.49B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHF | |
| Schwab International Dividend Equity ETF | Dividend, Foreign Large Cap Equities | 51 | 7.94% | 2.27B | Apr 2021 | SAEF vs SCHY | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 81 | 15.39% | 15.54B | Dec 2009 | SAEF vs SCHV | |
| Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company Index ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 90 | 14.57% | 25.47B | Aug 2013 | SAEF vs FNDX | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 71 | 19.79% | 22.78B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHA | |
| Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities, Large Cap Value Equities | 84 | 21.21% | 24.55B | Aug 2013 | SAEF vs FNDF |
Often Compared With SAEF
Investors most often compare SAEF with SCHK, SPY, VOO. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare SAEF with Any Fund or Stock
Compare SAEF with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair SAEF with funds that move differently
Schwab Ariel ESG ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to SAEF.
Explore SAEF Diversifiers