iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) 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 TLT. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to TLT
TLT charges 0.15% annually. There are 51 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% | 12.61B | Aug 2010 | TLT vs SCHO | |
| Vanguard Total Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 122.30M | Jul 2025 | TLT vs VTG | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.90B | Nov 2009 | TLT vs VGSH | |
| Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 49.50B | Nov 2009 | TLT vs VGIT | |
| Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 14.80B | Nov 2009 | TLT vs VGLT |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to TLT
TLT has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 13. There are 65 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 | 46.22B | May 2007 | TLT vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 100 | 7.68B | Sep 2016 | TLT vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 100 | 20.79B | Jan 2007 | TLT vs SHV | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 100 | 17.79B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 100 | 6.56B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs TFLO |
Top Performing TLT Alternatives (YTD)
TLT is at 0.26% YTD. There are 39 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 6.20%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 6.20% | 54.21M | Sep 2021 | TLT vs BNDD | |
| iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active E... | 2.72% | 2.87B | Jun 2025 | TLT vs GGOV | |
| Simplify Treasury Option Income ETF | 2.23% | 472.24M | Oct 2022 | TLT vs BUCK | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 1.94% | 17.79B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.92% | 6.56B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs TFLO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to TLT
TLT has 9.53% 1-year volatility. There are 77 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% | 46.22B | May 2007 | TLT vs BIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 20.79B | Jan 2007 | TLT vs SHV | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 0.23% | 7.68B | Sep 2016 | TLT vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 0.27% | 17.79B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 0.29% | 6.56B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs TFLO |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to TLT
TLT has a 1-year max drawdown of -7.58%. There are 68 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% | 46.22B | May 2007 | TLT vs BIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | -0.02% | 17.79B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | -0.02% | 6.56B | Feb 2014 | TLT vs TFLO | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | -0.02% | 7.68B | Sep 2016 | TLT vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.03% | 20.79B | Jan 2007 | TLT vs SHV |
Other ETFs from iShares
The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include SGOV, IBIT, IVV and span 13 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $885B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.83% | 94.72B | May 2020 | TLT vs SGOV | |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | Cryptocurrency | 2 | -27.25% | 44.95B | Jan 2024 | TLT vs IBIT | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 64 | 10.78% | 885.46B | May 2000 | TLT vs IVV | |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF | Semiconductors, Technology Equities | 94 | 93.31% | 40.97B | Jul 2001 | TLT vs SOXX | |
| iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities, Dividend | 83 | 12.32% | 42.09B | Jun 2014 | TLT vs DGRO | |
| iShares Silver Trust | Silver, Precious Metals | 33 | -12.90% | 28.64B | Apr 2006 | TLT vs SLV | |
| iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 26 | -3.54% | 61.47B | Jan 2005 | TLT vs IAU | |
| iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities | 70 | 21.93% | 81.71B | May 2000 | TLT vs IWM | |
| iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | Global Equities | 64 | 12.37% | 33.01B | Mar 2008 | TLT vs ACWI | |
| iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | Total Bond Market | 35 | 0.75% | 138.12B | Sep 2003 | TLT vs AGG |
Often Compared With TLT
Investors most often compare TLT with SPY, IEF, TMF. These 20 comparison targets span 13 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare TLT with Any Fund or Stock
Compare TLT with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair TLT with funds that move differently
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to TLT.
Explore TLT Diversifiers