Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) 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 VGSH. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VGSH
VGSH 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 Long Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 10.39B | May 2007 | VGSH vs SPTL | |
| BondBloxx Bloomberg One Year Target Duration US Tr... | 0.03% | 758.60M | Sep 2022 | VGSH vs XONE | |
| BondBloxx Bloomberg Six Month Target Duration US T... | 0.03% | 1.91B | Sep 2022 | VGSH vs XHLF | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 281.41M | May 2024 | VGSH vs SPTB | |
| SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF | 0.03% | 5.81B | Nov 2011 | VGSH vs SPTS |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VGSH
VGSH has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 77. There are 18 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 | VGSH vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 100 | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | VGSH vs GBIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 100 | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | VGSH vs SHV | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 100 | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs TFLO | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 100 | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs USFR |
Top Performing VGSH Alternatives (YTD)
VGSH is at 0.47% YTD. There are 32 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 | VGSH vs BNDD | |
| iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active E... | 2.75% | 2.80B | Jun 2025 | VGSH vs GGOV | |
| Simplify Treasury Option Income ETF | 2.12% | 465.86M | Oct 2022 | VGSH vs BUCK | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 1.82% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.81% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs TFLO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VGSH
VGSH has 1.31% 1-year volatility. There are 16 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 | VGSH vs BIL | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.21% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | VGSH vs SHV | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | 0.23% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | VGSH vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 0.27% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | 0.29% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs TFLO |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VGSH
VGSH has a 1-year max drawdown of -0.88%. There are 18 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 | VGSH vs BIL | |
| Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF | -0.02% | 7.67B | Sep 2016 | VGSH vs GBIL | |
| WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | -0.02% | 17.46B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs USFR | |
| iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF | -0.02% | 6.61B | Feb 2014 | VGSH vs TFLO | |
| iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -0.03% | 20.81B | Jan 2007 | VGSH 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 | 59 | 8.19% | 1.70T | Sep 2010 | VGSH vs VOO | |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 59 | 8.82% | 2.30T | May 2001 | VGSH vs VTI | |
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equities | 58 | 23.32% | 170.10B | Mar 2004 | VGSH vs VGT | |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Global Equities | 55 | 12.51% | 652.30B | Jan 2011 | VGSH vs VXUS | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 31 | 3.52% | 393.80B | Jan 2004 | VGSH vs VUG | |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equities | 59 | 10.06% | 95.30B | Jun 2008 | VGSH vs VT | |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | Dividend | 75 | 11.51% | 96.10B | Nov 2006 | VGSH vs VYM | |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | Total Bond Market | 32 | 0.49% | 394.40B | Apr 2007 | VGSH vs BND | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | Dividend | 54 | 6.98% | 127.80B | Apr 2006 | VGSH vs VIG | |
| Vanguard Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 84 | 14.47% | 245.00B | Jan 2004 | VGSH vs VTV |
Often Compared With VGSH
Investors most often compare VGSH with SGOV, SHY, VTIP. These 19 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VGSH with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VGSH with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VGSH with funds that move differently
Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VGSH.
Explore VGSH Diversifiers