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 54 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF | 0.03% | 18.14B | Nov 2005 | SAEF vs SPMD | |
| Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF | 0.03% | 218.80B | Jan 2004 | SAEF vs VO | |
| Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 14.91B | Jan 2011 | SAEF vs SCHM | |
| iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 1.64B | Jun 2004 | SAEF vs IMCB | |
| Vanguard Extended Market ETF | 0.05% | 93.70B | Dec 2001 | SAEF vs VXF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SAEF
SAEF has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 36. There are 62 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 93.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 93 | — | Jun 2025 | SAEF vs CTEF | |
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 90 | 226.12M | Dec 2006 | SAEF vs CSD | |
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 88 | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | SAEF vs OPTZ | |
| iShares MSCI Peru ETF | 86 | 536.81M | Jun 2009 | SAEF vs EPU | |
| Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF | 85 | 366.29M | Nov 2023 | SAEF vs CPAI |
Top Performing SAEF Alternatives (YTD)
SAEF is at 13.52% YTD. There are 44 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 37.25%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 37.25% | 226.12M | Dec 2006 | SAEF vs CSD | |
| Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 34.97% | — | Jun 2025 | SAEF vs CTEF | |
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 28.25% | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | SAEF vs OPTZ | |
| Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF | 25.99% | 366.29M | Nov 2023 | SAEF vs CPAI | |
| Vanguard U.S. Momentum Factor ETF | 22.17% | 1.70B | Feb 2018 | SAEF vs VFMO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SAEF
SAEF has 18.84% 1-year volatility. There are 72 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.76%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF | 8.76% | 426.50M | Feb 2018 | SAEF vs VFMV | |
| Invesco Dynamic Market ETF | 9.76% | 95.10M | May 2003 | SAEF vs PWC | |
| Invesco Bloomberg MVP Multi-factor ETF | 9.76% | 101.68M | May 2003 | SAEF vs BMVP | |
| ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF | 10.25% | 185.97M | May 2020 | SAEF vs SIXL | |
| Indexperts Quality Earnings Focused ETF | 11.00% | 34.97M | Dec 2024 | SAEF vs QIDX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SAEF
SAEF has a 1-year max drawdown of -12.81%. There are 69 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% | 426.50M | Feb 2018 | SAEF vs VFMV | |
| RiverNorth Patriot ETF | -6.25% | 3.97M | 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% | 101.68M | 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 $99B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | Dividend | 89 | 19.84% | 98.55B | Oct 2011 | SAEF vs SCHD | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 35 | 7.23% | 60.56B | Dec 2009 | SAEF vs SCHG | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 11.12% | 72.77B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHX | |
| Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 69 | 11.77% | 43.66B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHB | |
| Schwab International Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 67 | 15.00% | 66.31B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHF | |
| Schwab International Dividend Equity ETF | Dividend, Foreign Large Cap Equities | 70 | 10.36% | 2.36B | Apr 2021 | SAEF vs SCHY | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 86 | 15.65% | 15.78B | Dec 2009 | SAEF vs SCHV | |
| Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company Index ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 94 | 16.60% | 26.25B | Aug 2013 | SAEF vs FNDX | |
| Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities, Large Cap Value Equities | 86 | 18.49% | 24.25B | Aug 2013 | SAEF vs FNDF | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 78 | 21.72% | 23.26B | Nov 2009 | SAEF vs SCHA |
Often Compared With SAEF
Investors most often compare SAEF with SCHK, SPY, VOO. These 20 comparison targets span 13 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