AB Short Duration Income ETF (SDFI) belongs to the Short-Term Bond category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with SDFI. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to SDFI
SDFI charges 0.30% annually. There are 41 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 6.07B | Nov 2011 | SDFI vs SPTS | |
| Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 12.67B | Aug 2010 | SDFI vs SCHO | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.03% | 70.40B | Apr 2007 | SDFI vs BSV | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.90B | Nov 2009 | SDFI vs VGSH | |
| JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Treasury Bond 1-3 Year ... | 0.04% | 55.13M | Apr 2023 | SDFI vs BBSB |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SDFI
SDFI has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 77. There are 35 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 99 | 46.25M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | 98 | 409.03M | Feb 2024 | SDFI vs FLDB | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 98 | 1.91B | Jun 2018 | SDFI vs FLDR | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | 98 | 36.12M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs MYCG | |
| DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF | 97 | 452.76M | Mar 2023 | SDFI vs DCRE |
Top Performing SDFI Alternatives (YTD)
SDFI is at 1.14% YTD. There are 23 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 2.37%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defined Duration 5 ETF | 2.37% | — | Nov 2025 | SDFI vs DDV | |
| AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF | 2.26% | 77.26M | Dec 2024 | SDFI vs LODI | |
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 2.08% | 46.25M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs MYCF | |
| SanJac Alpha Low Duration ETF | 2.08% | 1.52M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs SJLD | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 1.83% | 1.91B | Jun 2018 | SDFI vs FLDR |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SDFI
SDFI has 1.97% 1-year volatility. There are 44 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.59%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | 0.59% | 46.25M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | 0.80% | 1.91B | Jun 2018 | SDFI vs FLDR | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | 0.92% | 409.03M | Feb 2024 | SDFI vs FLDB | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | 0.95% | 36.12M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs MYCG | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.98% | 126.55M | Aug 2025 | SDFI vs TAXS |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SDFI
SDFI has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.20%. There are 29 ETFs in the Short-Term Bond category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.12%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF | -0.12% | 46.25M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs MYCF | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF | -0.17% | 409.03M | Feb 2024 | SDFI vs FLDB | |
| State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF | -0.45% | 36.12M | Sep 2024 | SDFI vs MYCG | |
| Fidelity Low Duration Bond Factor ETF | -0.47% | 1.91B | Jun 2018 | SDFI vs FLDR | |
| DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF | -0.68% | 452.76M | Mar 2023 | SDFI vs DCRE |
Other ETFs from AllianceBernstein
The 10 most viewed AllianceBernstein ETFs shown here include FWD, LOWV, YEAR and span 9 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $3B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB Disruptors ETF | Global Equities | 74 | 29.85% | 3.13B | Mar 2023 | SDFI vs FWD | |
| AB US Low Volatility Equity ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 27 | 3.77% | 199.62M | Mar 2023 | SDFI vs LOWV | |
| AB Ultra Short Income ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 98 | 1.51% | 1.49B | Sep 2022 | SDFI vs YEAR | |
| AB US High Dividend ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 71 | 12.35% | 211.19M | Mar 2023 | SDFI vs HIDV | |
| AB Tax-Aware Short Duration ETF | Municipal Bonds | 83 | 1.28% | 1.37B | Sep 2022 | SDFI vs TAFI | |
| AB High Yield ETF | High Yield Bonds | 66 | 2.21% | 327.24M | Jul 2016 | SDFI vs HYFI | |
| AB Corporate Bond ETF | Corporate Bonds | 30 | -0.29% | 26.19M | Dec 2023 | SDFI vs EYEG | |
| AB US Large Cap Strategic Equities ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 51 | 9.26% | 1.30B | Sep 2023 | SDFI vs LRGC | |
| AB International Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome, Foreign Large Cap Equities | 56 | 5.81% | 122.81M | Dec 2024 | SDFI vs BUFI | |
| AB International Low Volatility Equity ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 31 | 7.07% | 1.80B | Jul 2024 | SDFI vs ILOW |
Often Compared With SDFI
Investors most often compare SDFI with FFUT, BPH, BNO. These 20 comparison targets span 11 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare SDFI with Any Fund or Stock
Compare SDFI with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair SDFI with funds that move differently
AB Short Duration Income ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to SDFI.
Explore SDFI Diversifiers