SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) belongs to the Aerospace & Defense category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with XAR. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to XAR
XAR charges 0.35% annually. No ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.35%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF | 0.35% | 4.28M | Feb 2026 | XAR vs XDEF | |
| Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF | 0.35% | — | Oct 2024 | XAR vs NATO | |
| iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | 0.38% | 14.21B | May 2006 | XAR vs ITA | |
| WisdomTree Global Defense Fund | 0.45% | 5.54M | Sep 2025 | XAR vs WDGF | |
| WisdomTree Asia Defense Fund | 0.45% | 24.36M | Sep 2025 | XAR vs WDAF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to XAR
XAR has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 40. There are 3 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 57.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 57 | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | XAR vs GCAD | |
| Procure Space ETF | 54 | 1.12B | Apr 2019 | XAR vs UFO | |
| ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF | 40 | 717.30M | Mar 2021 | XAR vs ARKX | |
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | 39 | 15.15M | Dec 2024 | XAR vs FOWF | |
| iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | 38 | 14.21B | May 2006 | XAR vs ITA |
Top Performing XAR Alternatives (YTD)
XAR is at 14.20% YTD. There are 4 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 24.53%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procure Space ETF | 24.53% | 1.12B | Apr 2019 | XAR vs UFO | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 17.90% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | XAR vs GCAD | |
| Defiance Drone & Modern Warfare ETF | 16.35% | 173.78M | Sep 2025 | XAR vs JEDI | |
| Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | 15.64% | 427.18M | May 2017 | XAR vs DFEN | |
| ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF | 13.18% | 717.30M | Mar 2021 | XAR vs ARKX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to XAR
XAR has 27.98% 1-year volatility. There are 8 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 14.45%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | 14.45% | 15.15M | Dec 2024 | XAR vs FOWF | |
| Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF | 20.15% | 8.26B | Oct 2005 | XAR vs PPA | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | 20.36% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | XAR vs GCAD | |
| Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF | 21.46% | — | Oct 2024 | XAR vs NATO | |
| iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | 21.90% | 14.21B | May 2006 | XAR vs ITA |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to XAR
XAR has a 1-year max drawdown of -17.22%. There are 6 ETFs in the Aerospace & Defense category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -10.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF | -10.08% | 15.15M | Dec 2024 | XAR vs FOWF | |
| Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF | -13.71% | 8.26B | Oct 2005 | XAR vs PPA | |
| iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF | -14.78% | 4.08B | May 2025 | XAR vs IDEF | |
| Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF | -14.96% | 24.90M | Jan 2023 | XAR vs GCAD | |
| iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | -15.82% | 14.21B | May 2006 | XAR vs ITA |
Other ETFs from State Street
The 10 most viewed State Street ETFs shown here include SPY, GLD, XLK and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $765B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.15% | 765.27B | Jan 1993 | XAR vs SPY | |
| SPDR Gold Shares | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.79% | 138.96B | Nov 2004 | XAR vs GLD | |
| State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Technology Equities | 66 | 28.25% | 130.33B | Dec 1998 | XAR vs XLK | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | S&P 500, Large Cap Growth Equities | 45 | 8.70% | 52.13B | Sep 2000 | XAR vs SPYG | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ... | S&P 500, Dividend | 47 | 12.56% | 7.30B | Oct 2015 | XAR vs SPYD | |
| State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | Energy Equities | 42 | 23.49% | 36.84B | Dec 1998 | XAR vs XLE | |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 22 | -4.72% | 28.75B | Jun 2018 | XAR vs GLDM | |
| State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 59 | 8.21% | 148.87B | Nov 2005 | XAR vs SPYM | |
| State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | Utilities Equities | 27 | 6.99% | 22.62B | Dec 1998 | XAR vs XLU | |
| SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | Government Bonds, Ultrashort Bond | 100 | 1.67% | 46.54B | May 2007 | XAR vs BIL |
Often Compared With XAR
Investors most often compare XAR with SHLD, VOO, FSDAX. These 20 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare XAR with Any Fund or Stock
Compare XAR with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair XAR with funds that move differently
SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to XAR.
Explore XAR Diversifiers