Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) belongs to the Health & Biotech Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with VHT. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VHT
VHT charges 0.09% annually. There are 2 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.08% | 41.65B | Dec 1998 | VHT vs XLV | |
| Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF | 0.08% | 3.22B | Oct 2013 | VHT vs FHLC | |
| Portfolio Building Block World Pharma and Biotech ... | 0.13% | 951.16M | Nov 2025 | VHT vs PBPH | |
| GSK plc ADRhedged ETF | 0.19% | 793.18K | Jan 2025 | VHT vs GSKH | |
| Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF | 0.19% | 74.65M | Jun 2021 | VHT vs IBBQ |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VHT
VHT has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 56. There are 30 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 96 | 57.56M | Dec 2014 | VHT vs BBC | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 95 | 213.08M | Dec 2014 | VHT vs SBIO | |
| SPDR S&P Biotech ETF | 94 | 11.10B | Feb 2006 | VHT vs XBI | |
| iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | 94 | 1.34B | May 2006 | VHT vs IHE | |
| iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF | 93 | 5.85M | Aug 2022 | VHT vs IBRN |
Top Performing VHT Alternatives (YTD)
VHT is at 6.22% YTD. There are 40 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 40.11%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARK Genomic Revolution Multi-Sector ETF | 40.11% | 1.31B | Oct 2014 | VHT vs ARKG | |
| AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF | 35.29% | 44.37M | Sep 2021 | VHT vs PSIL | |
| Roundhill UNH WeeklyPay ETF | 34.33% | 6.01M | Dec 2025 | VHT vs UNHW | |
| Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF | 33.14% | 57.56M | Dec 2014 | VHT vs BBC | |
| ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF | 27.56% | 213.08M | Dec 2014 | VHT vs SBIO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VHT
VHT has 15.33% 1-year volatility. There are 7 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF | 0.00% | 12.73M | Oct 2015 | VHT vs CNCR | |
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | VHT vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | 8.64% | 10.11M | Jun 2007 | VHT vs SPAQ | |
| State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 10.87% | 16.78M | Jul 2025 | VHT vs XLVI | |
| Milliman Healthcare Inflation Plus ETF | 11.73% | 982.35K | Apr 2026 | VHT vs MHIP |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VHT
VHT has a 1-year max drawdown of -10.40%. There are 13 ETFs in the Health & Biotech Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amplify Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF | 0.00% | 9.68M | Jun 2020 | VHT vs GERM | |
| Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF | -4.32% | 10.11M | Jun 2007 | VHT vs SPAQ | |
| First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF | -7.47% | 36.36M | Sep 2016 | VHT vs FTXH | |
| Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF | -8.34% | 74.65M | Jun 2021 | VHT vs IBBQ | |
| iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF | -8.47% | 1.34B | May 2006 | VHT vs IHE |
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 | 66 | 10.45% | 1.70T | Sep 2010 | VHT vs VOO | |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 66 | 10.96% | 2.30T | May 2001 | VHT vs VTI | |
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equities | 57 | 22.94% | 170.10B | Mar 2004 | VHT vs VGT | |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Global Equities | 56 | 11.67% | 652.30B | Jan 2011 | VHT vs VXUS | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 32 | 6.19% | 393.80B | Jan 2004 | VHT vs VUG | |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equities | 63 | 11.12% | 95.30B | Jun 2008 | VHT vs VT | |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | Dividend | 83 | 13.44% | 96.10B | Nov 2006 | VHT vs VYM | |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | Total Bond Market | 32 | -0.17% | 394.40B | Apr 2007 | VHT vs BND | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | Dividend | 66 | 9.40% | 127.80B | Apr 2006 | VHT vs VIG | |
| Vanguard Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 90 | 16.06% | 245.00B | Jan 2004 | VHT vs VTV |
Often Compared With VHT
Investors most often compare VHT with VGHCX, VGHAX, IXJ. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VHT with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VHT with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VHT with funds that move differently
Vanguard Health Care ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VHT.
Explore VHT Diversifiers