Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT) 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 VGIT. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VGIT
VGIT charges 0.03% annually. No ETFs in the Government Bonds category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 6.12B | Nov 2011 | VGIT vs SPTS | |
| Vanguard Total Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 146.70M | Jul 2025 | VGIT vs VTG | |
| BondBloxx Bloomberg One Year Target Duration US Tr... | 0.03% | 841.59M | Sep 2022 | VGIT vs XONE | |
| SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 10.64B | May 2007 | VGIT vs SPTL | |
| Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 33.80B | Nov 2009 | VGIT vs VGSH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VGIT
VGIT has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 25. There are 34 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 | 47.03B | May 2007 | VGIT vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 100 | 7.59B | Sep 2016 | VGIT vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 100 | 20.70B | Jan 2007 | VGIT vs SHV | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 100 | 18.13B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 100 | 6.70B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs TFLO |
Top Performing VGIT Alternatives (YTD)
VGIT is at -0.77% YTD. There are 42 ETFs in the Government Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 2.49%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active E... | 2.49% | 2.97B | Jun 2025 | VGIT vs GGOV | |
| Simplify Treasury Option Income ETF | 2.42% | 489.70M | Oct 2022 | VGIT vs BUCK | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 2.27% | 18.13B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 2.22% | 6.70B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs TFLO | |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 2.15% | 20.75M | Sep 2021 | VGIT vs BNDD |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VGIT
VGIT has 3.34% 1-year volatility. There are 37 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% | 47.03B | May 2007 | VGIT vs BIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 20.70B | Jan 2007 | VGIT vs SHV | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 0.22% | 7.59B | Sep 2016 | VGIT vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 0.27% | 18.13B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 0.29% | 6.70B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs TFLO |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VGIT
VGIT has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.83%. There are 37 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% | 47.03B | May 2007 | VGIT vs BIL | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | -0.02% | 6.70B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs TFLO | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | -0.02% | 7.59B | Sep 2016 | VGIT vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | -0.02% | 18.13B | Feb 2014 | VGIT vs USFR | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.03% | 20.70B | Jan 2007 | VGIT vs SHV |
Other ETFs from Vanguard
The 10 most viewed Vanguard ETFs shown here include VOO, VTI, VGT and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2T.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 68 | 10.16% | 1.70T | Sep 2010 | VGIT vs VOO | |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 10.49% | 2.30T | May 2001 | VGIT vs VTI | |
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equities | 52 | 20.36% | 169.20B | Mar 2004 | VGIT vs VGT | |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Global Equities | 71 | 12.75% | 651.00B | Jan 2011 | VGIT vs VXUS | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 28 | 5.02% | 378.80B | Jan 2004 | VGIT vs VUG | |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equities | 70 | 11.15% | 97.00B | Jun 2008 | VGIT vs VT | |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | Dividend | 90 | 14.21% | 96.20B | Nov 2006 | VGIT vs VYM | |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | Total Bond Market | 29 | -0.54% | 398.10B | Apr 2007 | VGIT vs BND | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | Dividend | 75 | 9.71% | 129.60B | Apr 2006 | VGIT vs VIG | |
| Vanguard Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 93 | 16.37% | 254.20B | Jan 2004 | VGIT vs VTV |
Often Compared With VGIT
Investors most often compare VGIT with IEF, VGLT, VTIP. These 17 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VGIT with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VGIT with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VGIT with funds that move differently
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VGIT.
Explore VGIT Diversifiers