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THESE ETFS COMBINE THE LOWEST EXPENSE RATIOS WITH STRONG OVERALL QUANTITATIVE SCORES — MAXIMUM RETURN RETENTION AT MINIMUM COST.
This screen identifies 50 ETFs that pass our cheapest etfs criteria. These ETFs combine the lowest expense ratios with strong overall quantitative scores — maximum return retention at minimum cost. ETF screeners like this one help investors systematically filter a universe of funds down to the most promising opportunities based on quantitative factors rather than subjective opinions. The top matches include QQQ (80.0), IEF (80.0), SMH (80.0).
#1 QQQ (QQQ) — Composite score: 80.0/100, rated Strong Buy. QQQ is a u.s. large cap growth ETF managed by Other with — in AUM and an expense ratio of —. Its strongest factor is Performance at 100/100. Its Cost is 50.0/100.
#2 IEF (IEF) — Composite score: 80.0/100, rated Strong Buy. IEF is a u.s. intermediate treasury ETF managed by Other with — in AUM and an expense ratio of —. Its strongest factor is Performance at 100/100. Its Cost is 50.0/100.
#3 SMH (SMH) — Composite score: 80.0/100, rated Strong Buy. SMH is a semiconductors ETF managed by Other with — in AUM and an expense ratio of —. Its strongest factor is Performance at 100/100. Its Cost is 50.0/100.
| # | Ticker | Rating | Composite | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QQQ | 80.0 | 50.0 | |
| 2 | IEF | 80.0 | 50.0 | |
| 3 | SMH | 80.0 | 50.0 | |
| 4 | ICLN | 80.0 | 50.0 | |
| 5 | GLDM | 76.0 | 50.0 | |
| 6 | DGRO | 75.0 | 50.0 | |
| 7 | IVV | 73.0 | 50.0 | |
| 8 | DBMF | 73.0 | 50.0 | |
| 9 | VNQ | 69.0 | 50.0 | |
| 10 | VYM | 69.0 | 50.0 | |
| 11 | DVY | 66.0 | 50.0 | |
| 12 | IEFA | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 13 | SPXL | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 14 | IWD | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 15 | VFH | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 16 | VDE | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 17 | IXUS | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 18 | SCHZ | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 19 | SKYY | 65.0 | 50.0 | |
| 20 | SPHD | 63.0 | 50.0 | |
| 21 | IJH | 60.0 | 50.0 | |
| 22 | SPY | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 23 | EEM | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 24 | WCLD | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 25 | VOO | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 26 | IWM | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 27 | XLK | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 28 | XLV | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 29 | XLI | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 30 | XLC | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 31 | XLY | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 32 | XLP | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 33 | AGG | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 34 | TLT | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 35 | SHY | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 36 | LQD | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 37 | HYG | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 38 | MBB | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 39 | PDBC | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 40 | ARKG | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 41 | ARKF | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 42 | BOTZ | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 43 | FDN | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 44 | NOBL | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 45 | CTA | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 46 | ESGU | 58.0 | 50.0 | |
| 47 | QUAL | 55.0 | 50.0 | |
| 48 | XLRE | 54.0 | 50.0 | |
| 49 | HDV | 53.0 | 50.0 | |
| 50 | FDLO | 53.0 | 50.0 |
The cheapest ETFs have expense ratios below 0.10%, meaning you pay less than $10 per year for every $10,000 invested. Our screen filters for ultra-low-cost funds that also score well on performance, momentum, and other quantitative factors.
Lower expense ratios directly improve your net returns over time. Research by Morningstar consistently shows that expense ratio is one of the best predictors of future fund performance. However, cost should be considered alongside tracking quality and liquidity.
For broad-market index ETFs, expense ratios below 0.10% are considered excellent. For specialized or actively managed ETFs, ratios below 0.50% are competitive. The average ETF expense ratio across the industry is approximately 0.40%.