X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF (ZTAX) 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 ZTAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to ZTAX
ZTAX charges 1.14% annually. There are 134 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 | ZTAX vs VTEB | |
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 3.87B | Oct 2022 | ZTAX vs SCMB | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 178.36M | Jul 2019 | ZTAX vs FMUN | |
| Northern Trust Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 144.40M | Aug 2025 | ZTAX vs TAXI | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 94.44M | Aug 2025 | ZTAX vs TAXS |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to ZTAX
ZTAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 14. There are 109 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 | ZTAX vs MYMG | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | ZTAX vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 95 | 1.38B | Mar 2015 | ZTAX vs MEAR | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 95 | 230.57M | Nov 2018 | ZTAX vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 94 | 339.63M | Sep 2019 | ZTAX vs BSMR |
Top Performing ZTAX Alternatives (YTD)
ZTAX is at 0.20% YTD. There are 125 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 | ZTAX vs OVM | |
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 3.71% | 138.42M | Jun 2013 | ZTAX vs RVNU | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 3.33% | 18.90M | Sep 2016 | ZTAX vs MFLX | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 3.33% | 25.30M | Nov 2025 | ZTAX vs THYM | |
| SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Municipa... | 2.87% | 2.93B | Apr 2011 | ZTAX vs HYMB |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to ZTAX
ZTAX has 26.32% 1-year volatility. There are 134 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 | ZTAX vs IBMM | |
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 27.03M | Sep 2025 | ZTAX vs ZMUN | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF | 0.71% | 348.98M | Nov 2018 | ZTAX vs IBMN | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.73% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | ZTAX vs AUSM | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.75% | 8.74M | Sep 2024 | ZTAX vs MYMF |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to ZTAX
ZTAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -10.47%. There are 109 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 | ZTAX vs FUMB | |
| iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF | -0.25% | 348.98M | Nov 2018 | ZTAX vs IBMN | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.33% | 294.75M | Sep 2019 | ZTAX vs BSMQ | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 9.88M | Sep 2024 | ZTAX vs MYMG | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 40.29M | Jul 2024 | ZTAX vs GUMI |
Often Compared With ZTAX
Investors most often compare ZTAX with MMIN, BSMP, TAXF. These 20 comparison targets span 1 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare ZTAX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare ZTAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair ZTAX with funds that move differently
X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to ZTAX.
Explore ZTAX Diversifiers