Below is our complete list of best-performing gold ETFs. We exclude gold exchange-traded notes and leveraged gold ETFs, which may come with added risk or fees.
Best-performing gold ETFs
» Want to add these to your portfolio? See our list of the best brokers for ETF investing. These investment platforms offer a strong selection of tools for building a diversified portfolio, and our list only includes brokers that don’t charge commissions for ETF trades.
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Today’s gold price is $4,610.70 per ounce. The best performing gold ETF by one-year return is FGDL, which is up 52.44% in the past year, but the fund with the lowest expense ratio is IAUM. |
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Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF |
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SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust |
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Source: Finviz & Kitco. Data current as of April 2, 2026. |
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What are gold ETFs?
Gold ETFs are exchange-traded funds that give investors exposure to gold without having to directly purchase, store and resell the precious metal. Some gold ETFs track the price of gold, while others invest in companies in the gold-mining industry.
As with other types of ETFs, the issuing company buys stock in gold-related companies or purchases and stores gold bullion itself. Investors buy shares in the fund, whose value rises and falls with the underlying gold price or company stock value.
How to invest in gold ETFs
Here’s how to buy shares in a gold ETF:
Step 1: Find a gold ETF
Step 2: Analyze the ETF
It’s important to research ETFs before buying, just as you’d research stocks. Two things to check before purchasing shares in a gold ETF:
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Five-year returns. Most (but not all) gold ETFs are pegged to spot gold price, so returns should align with gold price moves.
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Expense ratio. This is the ETF’s annual fee, paid out of your investment in the fund. Look for a low one.
And two important notes: The average investor may want to exercise caution around buying leveraged gold ETFs — these use financial derivatives and borrowed money to make bets on future price movements. Another asset to be cautious about is gold exchange-traded notes. ETNs are secured debt obligations that don’t actually own the underlying gold (unlike ETFs) and have a greater risk of credit default.
These investments are more for professional investors and generally not suitable for the buy-and-hold strategy favored by many retirement investors.
Step 3: Buy the gold ETF
You can buy ETFs through an online broker just like you’d buy a stock. One approach is to buy them regularly to take advantage of dollar-cost averaging.
Learn more about sector ETFs:
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NWWP is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply skill or training. Calculator by NerdWallet, Inc., an affiliate, for informational purposes only.
Neither the author nor editor held positions in the aforementioned investments at the time of publication.
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