Vanguard Short Duration Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VSDM) 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 VSDM. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VSDM
VSDM charges 0.12% annually. There are 15 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.03% | 45.70B | Aug 2015 | VSDM vs VTEB | |
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 3.87B | Oct 2022 | VSDM vs SCMB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 178.36M | Jul 2019 | VSDM vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 144.40M | Aug 2025 | VSDM vs TAXI | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 94.44M | Aug 2025 | VSDM vs TAXS |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VSDM
VSDM has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 84. 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 | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | VSDM vs MYMG | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | VSDM vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 95 | 1.38B | Mar 2015 | VSDM vs MEAR | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 95 | 230.57M | Nov 2018 | VSDM vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 94 | 339.63M | Sep 2019 | VSDM vs BSMR |
Top Performing VSDM Alternatives (YTD)
VSDM is at 1.22% YTD. There are 71 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 3.96%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 3.96% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | VSDM vs OVM | |
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 3.71% | 138.42M | Jun 2013 | VSDM vs RVNU | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 3.33% | 18.90M | Sep 2016 | VSDM vs MFLX | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 3.33% | 25.30M | Nov 2025 | VSDM vs THYM | |
| SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Municipa... | 2.87% | 2.93B | Apr 2011 | VSDM vs HYMB |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VSDM
VSDM has 1.36% 1-year volatility. There are 26 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bond ETF | 0.00% | 349.85M | Mar 2018 | VSDM vs IBMM | |
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 27.03M | Sep 2025 | VSDM vs ZMUN | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF | 0.71% | 348.98M | Nov 2018 | VSDM vs IBMN | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.73% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | VSDM vs AUSM | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.75% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | VSDM vs MYMF |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VSDM
VSDM has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.46%. There are 28 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% | 230.57M | Nov 2018 | VSDM vs FUMB | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.25% | 348.98M | Nov 2018 | VSDM vs IBMN | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.33% | 294.75M | Sep 2019 | VSDM vs BSMQ | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 40.29M | Jul 2024 | VSDM vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | VSDM vs MYMG |
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 | 70 | 10.91% | 1.60T | Sep 2010 | VSDM vs VOO | |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 68 | 11.20% | 2.20T | May 2001 | VSDM vs VTI | |
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equities | 76 | 31.64% | 144.20B | Mar 2004 | VSDM vs VGT | |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Global Equities | 60 | 14.25% | 629.30B | Jan 2011 | VSDM vs VXUS | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 43 | 9.49% | 365.00B | Jan 2004 | VSDM vs VUG | |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equities | 67 | 12.24% | 90.20B | Jun 2008 | VSDM vs VT | |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | Dividend | 77 | 12.47% | 94.60B | Nov 2006 | VSDM vs VYM | |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | Total Bond Market | 37 | 0.27% | 389.80B | Apr 2007 | VSDM vs BND | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | Dividend | 56 | 7.57% | 124.70B | Apr 2006 | VSDM vs VIG | |
| Vanguard Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 79 | 12.30% | 238.00B | Jan 2004 | VSDM vs VTV |
Often Compared With VSDM
Investors most often compare VSDM with VTES, VCRM, MINO. These 20 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VSDM with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VSDM with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VSDM with funds that move differently
Vanguard Short Duration Tax-Exempt Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VSDM.
Explore VSDM Diversifiers