Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTEB) 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 VTEB. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VTEB
VTEB charges 0.03% annually. No ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 3.92B | Oct 2022 | VTEB vs SCMB | |
| Northern Trust Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 60.89M | Aug 2025 | VTEB vs TAXT | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 180.62M | Jul 2019 | VTEB vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 153.73M | Aug 2025 | VTEB vs TAXI | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 116.60M | Aug 2025 | VTEB vs TAXS |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VTEB
VTEB has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 72. There are 55 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 | VTEB vs MYMG | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | VTEB vs MYMF | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 96 | 246.08M | Nov 2018 | VTEB vs FUMB | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 95 | 1.39B | Mar 2015 | VTEB vs MEAR | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | 95 | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | VTEB vs GUMI |
Top Performing VTEB Alternatives (YTD)
VTEB is at 1.70% YTD. There are 57 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.08%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 4.08% | 142.76M | Jun 2013 | VTEB vs RVNU | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 3.93% | 19.03M | Sep 2016 | VTEB vs MFLX | |
| Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF | 3.90% | 18.13M | Oct 2020 | VTEB vs RTAI | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 3.61% | 25.43M | Nov 2025 | VTEB vs THYM | |
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 3.51% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | VTEB vs OVM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VTEB
VTEB has 2.68% 1-year volatility. There are 70 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.54%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 30.59M | Sep 2025 | VTEB vs ZMUN | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.73% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | VTEB vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.75% | 398.45M | Oct 2007 | VTEB vs CALI | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.75% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | VTEB vs AUSM | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 0.78% | 246.08M | Nov 2018 | VTEB vs FUMB |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VTEB
VTEB has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.71%. There are 64 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% | 246.08M | Nov 2018 | VTEB vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.33% | 290.51M | Sep 2019 | VTEB vs BSMQ | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | VTEB vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | VTEB vs MYMG | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.38% | 587.10M | Apr 2019 | VTEB vs IBMO |
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 | VTEB vs VOO | |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 59 | 8.82% | 2.30T | May 2001 | VTEB vs VTI | |
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equities | 58 | 23.32% | 170.10B | Mar 2004 | VTEB vs VGT | |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Global Equities | 55 | 12.51% | 652.30B | Jan 2011 | VTEB vs VXUS | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 31 | 3.52% | 393.80B | Jan 2004 | VTEB vs VUG | |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equities | 59 | 10.06% | 95.30B | Jun 2008 | VTEB vs VT | |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | Dividend | 75 | 11.51% | 96.10B | Nov 2006 | VTEB vs VYM | |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | Total Bond Market | 32 | 0.49% | 394.40B | Apr 2007 | VTEB vs BND | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | Dividend | 54 | 6.98% | 127.80B | Apr 2006 | VTEB vs VIG | |
| Vanguard Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 84 | 14.47% | 245.00B | Jan 2004 | VTEB vs VTV |
Often Compared With VTEB
Investors most often compare VTEB with MUB, VTES, VWIUX. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VTEB with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VTEB with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VTEB with funds that move differently
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VTEB.
Explore VTEB Diversifiers