Macquarie Tax-Free USA Short Term ETF (STAX) 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 STAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to STAX
STAX charges 0.29% annually. There are 82 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 4.00B | Oct 2022 | STAX vs SCMB | |
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.03% | 47.60B | Aug 2015 | STAX vs VTEB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 183.09M | Jul 2019 | STAX vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 126.55M | Aug 2025 | STAX vs TAXS | |
| Northern Trust Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 60.72M | Aug 2025 | STAX vs TAXT |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to STAX
STAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 87. There are 17 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 My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | STAX vs MYMG | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 97 | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | STAX vs FUMB | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 97 | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | STAX vs AUSM | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | STAX vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 1.41B | Mar 2015 | STAX vs MEAR |
Top Performing STAX Alternatives (YTD)
STAX is at 1.50% YTD. There are 77 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.58%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 4.58% | 143.84M | Jun 2013 | STAX vs RVNU | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 4.04% | 25.42M | Nov 2025 | STAX vs THYM | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 3.99% | 20.73M | Sep 2016 | STAX vs MFLX | |
| Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF | 3.89% | 18.13M | Oct 2020 | STAX vs RTAI | |
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 3.73% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | STAX vs OVM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to STAX
STAX has 1.07% 1-year volatility. There are 11 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% | 33.31M | Sep 2025 | STAX vs ZMUN | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.71% | 408.07M | Oct 2007 | STAX vs CALI | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.71% | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | STAX vs MYMF | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.74% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | STAX vs AUSM | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 0.79% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | STAX vs FUMB |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to STAX
STAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.05%. There are 17 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% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | STAX vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.30% | 283.20M | Sep 2019 | STAX vs BSMQ | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | STAX vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | STAX vs MYMG | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.38% | 581.67M | Apr 2019 | STAX vs IBMO |
Other ETFs from Macquarie
The 3 most viewed Macquarie ETFs shown here include BILD, PWER, EXUS and span 4 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $17M.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie Global Listed Infrastructure ETF | Energy Equities | 61 | 9.93% | 6.30M | Nov 2023 | STAX vs BILD | |
| Macquarie Energy Transition ETF | Alternative Energy Equities | 68 | 15.46% | 12.79M | Nov 2023 | STAX vs PWER | |
| Macquarie Focused International Core ETF | Foreign Large Cap Equities, Actively Managed | 21 | 10.37% | 16.95M | Jun 2025 | STAX vs EXUS |
Often Compared With STAX
Investors most often compare STAX with NTAUX, TAXX, SGOV. These 20 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare STAX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare STAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair STAX with funds that move differently
Macquarie Tax-Free USA Short Term ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to STAX.
Explore STAX Diversifiers