Schwab Municipal Bond ETF (SCMB) 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 SCMB. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to SCMB
SCMB charges 0.03% annually. No ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.03% | 48.80B | Aug 2015 | SCMB vs VTEB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 183.09M | Jul 2019 | SCMB vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 130.20M | Aug 2025 | SCMB vs TAXS | |
| Northern Trust Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 60.01M | Aug 2025 | SCMB vs TAXT | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 169.01M | Aug 2025 | SCMB vs TAXI |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SCMB
SCMB has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 67. There are 77 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 My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | SCMB vs MYMF | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.63M | Sep 2024 | SCMB vs MYMG | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 97 | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | SCMB vs AUSM | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 97 | 246.47M | Nov 2018 | SCMB vs FUMB | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | 97 | 54.13M | Jul 2024 | SCMB vs GUMI |
Top Performing SCMB Alternatives (YTD)
SCMB is at 0.06% YTD. There are 114 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 3.71%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF | 3.71% | 4.54M | May 2023 | SCMB vs ZTAX | |
| NYLI MacKay Muni Allocation ETF | 2.42% | 28.01M | Dec 2025 | SCMB vs MMMA | |
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 2.38% | 142.95M | Jun 2013 | SCMB vs RVNU | |
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 2.26% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | SCMB vs OVM | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 2.25% | 26.19M | Nov 2025 | SCMB vs THYM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SCMB
SCMB has 3.01% 1-year volatility. There are 88 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% | 34.95M | Sep 2025 | SCMB vs ZMUN | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.69% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | SCMB vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.72% | 445.30M | Oct 2007 | SCMB vs CALI | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.76% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | SCMB vs AUSM | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 0.84% | 246.47M | Nov 2018 | SCMB vs FUMB |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SCMB
SCMB has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.92%. There are 84 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% | 246.47M | Nov 2018 | SCMB vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.30% | 270.83M | Sep 2019 | SCMB vs BSMQ | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 54.13M | Jul 2024 | SCMB vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 8.63M | Sep 2024 | SCMB vs MYMG | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.38% | 576.01M | Apr 2019 | SCMB vs IBMO |
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 $104B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | Dividend | 95 | 24.03% | 104.16B | Oct 2011 | SCMB vs SCHD | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 30 | 4.99% | 59.97B | Dec 2009 | SCMB vs SCHG | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 64 | 10.00% | 71.82B | Nov 2009 | SCMB vs SCHX | |
| Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 10.58% | 43.26B | Nov 2009 | SCMB vs SCHB | |
| Schwab International Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 77 | 14.79% | 67.17B | Nov 2009 | SCMB vs SCHF | |
| Schwab International Dividend Equity ETF | Dividend, Foreign Large Cap Equities | 86 | 13.81% | 2.52B | Apr 2021 | SCMB vs SCHY | |
| Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 89 | 16.12% | 15.73B | Dec 2009 | SCMB vs SCHV | |
| Schwab Fundamental U.S. Large Company Index ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 95 | 17.56% | 26.79B | Aug 2013 | SCMB vs FNDX | |
| Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities, Large Cap Value Equities | 91 | 20.14% | 25.13B | Aug 2013 | SCMB vs FNDF | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 77 | 18.33% | 22.23B | Nov 2009 | SCMB vs SCHA |
Often Compared With SCMB
Investors most often compare SCMB with SWNTX, MUB, SCYB. These 20 comparison targets span 5 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare SCMB with Any Fund or Stock
Compare SCMB with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair SCMB with funds that move differently
Schwab Municipal Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to SCMB.
Explore SCMB Diversifiers