State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF (SPSM) belongs to the Small 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 SPSM. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to SPSM
SPSM charges 0.03% annually. No ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Small-Cap ETF | 0.03% | 188.20B | Jan 2004 | SPSM vs VB | |
| Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 22.23B | Nov 2009 | SPSM vs SCHA | |
| iShares Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 282.21M | Jun 2004 | SPSM vs ISCB | |
| iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 0.06% | 109.63B | May 2000 | SPSM vs IJR | |
| Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF | 0.06% | 18.60B | Sep 2010 | SPSM vs VTWO |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SPSM
SPSM has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 90. There are 10 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 96 | — | Jun 2025 | SPSM vs RB | |
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 95 | 1.37B | May 2007 | SPSM vs FYX | |
| Victoryshares Small Cap Free Cash Flow ETF | 94 | 684.65M | Dec 2023 | SPSM vs SFLO | |
| Hartford Multifactor Small Cap ETF | 94 | 61.48M | Mar 2015 | SPSM vs ROSC | |
| Avantis US Small Cap Equity ETF | 94 | 3.05B | Jan 2022 | SPSM vs AVSC |
Top Performing SPSM Alternatives (YTD)
SPSM is at 23.56% YTD. There are 15 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 56.19%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares | 56.19% | 1.35B | Nov 2008 | SPSM vs TNA | |
| Victoryshares Small Cap Free Cash Flow ETF | 30.25% | 684.65M | Dec 2023 | SPSM vs SFLO | |
| Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF | 30.08% | 334.88M | Feb 2017 | SPSM vs ISMD | |
| Allspring SMID Core ETF | 29.71% | 78.82M | Jul 2025 | SPSM vs ASCE | |
| First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 28.12% | 1.37B | May 2007 | SPSM vs FYX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SPSM
SPSM has 17.24% 1-year volatility. There are 35 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.56%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 6.56% | — | Jun 2025 | SPSM vs RB | |
| iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF | 9.73% | 288.96M | Sep 2016 | SPSM vs SMMV | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 10.58% | 1.37B | Apr 2019 | SPSM vs RYLD | |
| First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Small/Mid E... | 10.73% | 35.21M | Apr 2020 | SPSM vs HSMV | |
| CresAlta Small & Mid-Cap ETF | 11.58% | 88.99M | May 2026 | SPSM vs CVSM |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SPSM
SPSM has a 1-year max drawdown of -8.72%. There are 22 ETFs in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -2.09%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProShares Russell 2000 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | -2.09% | — | Jun 2025 | SPSM vs RB | |
| Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | -6.29% | 1.37B | Apr 2019 | SPSM vs RYLD | |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | -6.96% | 5.55M | Jan 2023 | SPSM vs WCEO | |
| iShares MSCI USA Small-Cap Min Vol Factor ETF | -7.02% | 288.96M | Sep 2016 | SPSM vs SMMV | |
| 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | -7.16% | 106.31M | May 2020 | SPSM vs SIXS |
Other ETFs from State Street
The 10 most viewed State Street ETFs shown here include SPY, GLD, XLK and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $789B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 78 | 11.70% | 789.06B | Jan 1993 | SPSM vs SPY | |
| SPDR Gold Shares | Gold, Precious Metals | 28 | -6.21% | 130.32B | Nov 2004 | SPSM vs GLD | |
| State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Technology Equities | 62 | 23.97% | 115.56B | Dec 1998 | SPSM vs XLK | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | S&P 500, Large Cap Growth Equities | 53 | 12.43% | 51.09B | Sep 2000 | SPSM vs SPYG | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 78 | 11.77% | 160.81B | Nov 2005 | SPSM vs SPYM | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ... | S&P 500, Dividend | 81 | 17.73% | 8.75B | Oct 2015 | SPSM vs SPYD | |
| State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | Energy Equities | 75 | 33.31% | 38.64B | Dec 1998 | SPSM vs XLE | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 28 | -6.13% | 27.37B | Jun 2018 | SPSM vs GLDM | |
| State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | Utilities Equities | 21 | 5.31% | 23.07B | Dec 1998 | SPSM vs XLU | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | Government Bonds, Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 2.10% | 47.03B | May 2007 | SPSM vs BIL |
Often Compared With SPSM
Investors most often compare SPSM with IWM, AVUV, VIOO. These 20 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare SPSM with Any Fund or Stock
Compare SPSM with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair SPSM with funds that move differently
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to SPSM.
Explore SPSM Diversifiers