iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) belongs to the Government Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with SHY. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to SHY
SHY charges 0.15% annually. There are 48 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 12.71B | Aug 2010 | SHY vs SCHO | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.90B | Nov 2009 | SHY vs VGSH | |
| Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 14.80B | Nov 2009 | SHY vs VGLT | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 281.41M | May 2024 | SHY vs SPTB | |
| Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 49.50B | Nov 2009 | SHY vs VGIT |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SHY
SHY has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 72. There are 21 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 100.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 100 | 46.54B | May 2007 | SHY vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 100 | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | SHY vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 100 | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | SHY vs SHV | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 100 | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs TFLO | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 100 | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs USFR |
Top Performing SHY Alternatives (YTD)
SHY is at 0.43% YTD. There are 35 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 6.53%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 6.53% | 24.48M | Sep 2021 | SHY vs BNDD | |
| iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active E... | 2.75% | 2.80B | Jun 2025 | SHY vs GGOV | |
| Simplify Treasury Option Income ETF | 2.12% | 465.86M | Oct 2022 | SHY vs BUCK | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 1.82% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.81% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs TFLO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SHY
SHY has 1.37% 1-year volatility. There are 19 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.20%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 0.20% | 46.54B | May 2007 | SHY vs BIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | SHY vs SHV | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 0.23% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | SHY vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 0.27% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 0.29% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs TFLO |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SHY
SHY has a 1-year max drawdown of -0.89%. There are 19 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | -0.01% | 46.54B | May 2007 | SHY vs BIL | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | -0.02% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs TFLO | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | -0.02% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | SHY vs USFR | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | -0.02% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | SHY vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.03% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | SHY vs SHV |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, IVV and span 14 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $838B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.71% | 95.28B | May 2020 | SHY vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -28.88% | 48.04B | Jan 2024 | SHY vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.20% | 837.93B | May 2000 | SHY vs IVV | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 95 | 100.58% | 46.67B | Jul 2001 | SHY vs SOXX | |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | Government Bonds, Long-Term Bond | 14 | 0.77% | 41.34B | Jul 2002 | SHY vs TLT | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 75 | 9.19% | 41.89B | Jun 2014 | SHY vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 31 | -13.49% | 32.53B | Apr 2006 | SHY vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.73% | 64.29B | Jan 2005 | SHY vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 20.47% | 81.35B | May 2000 | SHY vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 58 | 9.86% | 32.95B | Mar 2008 | SHY vs ACWI |
Often Compared With SHY
Investors most often compare SHY with IEF, BSV, SPY. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare SHY with Any Fund or Stock
Compare SHY with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair SHY with funds that move differently
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to SHY.
Explore SHY Diversifiers