Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are funds that invest in physical gold or gold mining stocks. They are one of many ways to invest in gold. Gold ETFs are an easy way to gain instant exposure to the gold market, making them ideal for anyone seeking to invest in gold.
Gold ETFs fall into two basic categories:
- Funds that own physical gold.
- Funds that own gold mining stocks.
Top gold ETFs for 2026
The best gold ETFs are:
Here's a closer look at each of these top gold ETFs.
1. SPDR Gold Trust
NYSEMKT: GLD
Key Data Points
SPDR Gold Trust (GLD -0.18%) is the largest and most liquid gold ETF, with over $176 billion in AUM in early 2026 (more than double iShares Gold Trust's AUM). It's the gold standard for investors seeking direct exposure to the price of the yellow metal. The ETF's sole asset is gold bullion, which it stores in secure vaults.
Investors pay a premium for this leading gold ETF. It has a higher expense ratio than other ETFs that own physical gold bullion at 0.4%.
However, it's still relatively cheaper than shipping, insuring, and storing gold bars and coins, especially given its liquidity. Its large size makes it a favorite of institutional investors, such as pension funds, which use it to hedge against inflation and other risks.
2. iShares Gold Trust
NYSEMKT: IAU
Key Data Points
iShares Gold Trust (IAU -0.18%) is almost identical to SPDR Gold Shares, making it another great way to invest directly in gold. It boasts a lower expense ratio than its larger rival (0.25%), making it an even lower-cost way to gain upside exposure to gold prices. It's also large (over $80 billion in AUM as of early 2026) and highly liquid.
Owning shares in this ETF is a great proxy for owning physical gold without the hassle and expense of storing or insuring bars and coins. The ETF handles these items, storing its bullion in the London branch of JPMorgan Chase (JPM -0.15%). Overall, this gold ETF has done an excellent job of tracking gold's price, with only minor underperformance due to its expense ratio.
3. VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF
NYSEMKT: GDX
Key Data Points
VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX +1.06%) is the largest ETF focused on major gold mining stocks. That makes it the best gold ETF for investors looking to invest in mining companies.
Shares of mining companies can outperform gold prices. They can benefit from the dual catalysts of production growth and a rising gold price. However, owning mining stocks is riskier than investing directly in gold, as cost inflation and other factors can lead to underperformance.
As of early 2026, the ETF had nearly $33 billion in AUM and held over 50 gold mining companies. Its top holdings included the largest gold mining companies in the world by market capitalization, led by the following five:
- Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM +0.94%)
- Newmont (NEM +1.59%)
- Barrick Gold (B +2.64%)
- Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM +2.80%)
- AngloGold Ashanti (AU +0.65%)
The market cap of the largest mining company on this list tops $126 billion (Newmont), while the smallest is more than $53 billion (AngloGold Ashanti). The gold ETF's top 10 holdings comprise almost 57% of its assets, led by Agnico Eagle Mines at 9.9%, giving investors greater exposure to the world's largest gold mining companies and making the ETF ideal for investors seeking quality over quantity. The fund offers this exposure to the top gold mining stocks at a reasonable cost (0.51% expense ratio).
4. VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF
NYSEMKT: GDXJ
Key Data Points
5. Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF
The Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL -0.04%) holds physical gold. It only holds gold sourced from accredited refiners that demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and to combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and human rights abuses. This responsibly sourced gold ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.15% and nearly $580 million in AUM as of early 2026.
6. Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF
NYSEMKT: AAAU
Key Data Points
The Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU -0.15%) is another ETF that holds physical gold. Like iShares Gold Trust, this fund holds gold bullion in the London branch of JPMorgan Chase. It has a lower ETF expense ratio than its larger rivals at 0.18% and nearly $3.2 billion in AUM in early 2026.
7. abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF
NYSEMKT: SGOL
Key Data Points
The abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL -0.20%) also holds physical gold. However, it seeks to only hold London Good Delivery gold bullion bars refined on or after Jan. 1, 2012. All gold refined on or after that date has been refined in accordance with the London Bullion Market Association's Responsible Gold Guidance.
In addition to holding responsibly sourced gold, this ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.17%. It had nearly $9 billion in AUM in early 2026.
How Do Gold ETFs Work?
Gold ETFs work by pooling investor money and using it to invest in gold. Some gold ETFs invest buy phsical gold bars held in a bank vault. They enable investors to earn returns that match the price of gold before fees. Others will invest in gold mining stocks. These ETFs enable investors to collect passive income from dividends paid by mining stocks and potentially earn returns that exceed the rise in gold prices as the underlying miners expand production and grow profits.
What to look for in gold ETFs
Investors considering an ETF focused on gold should look for the following characteristics:
- Large size: The ETF should have at least $200 million of assets under management (AUM). A larger size makes the ETF less likely to fall prey to market manipulation or trade at a significant premium to its net asset value.
- Reasonable expense ratio: Look for an expense ratio of less than 1%. Any expense ratio above 1.5% is considered excessive.
- Non-leveraged ETFs: A leveraged ETF borrows money or uses derivatives, such as options and futures contracts, to magnify its returns. These carry much higher risk, and leverage in a down market can amplify losses.
Pros and cons of investing in gold ETFs
Investing in gold ETFs has its share of benefits and drawbacks. Some pros of investing in gold ETFs include:
- Lower risk: Investing in a gold ETF is less risky than buying physical gold and storing it at home, where it could be stolen, or investing in individual gold stocks.
- Easy access: Gold ETFs make it easy to invest in physical gold or broadly in gold mining stocks.
- Passive investments: Gold ETFs are passive investments. You don't need to buy gold or a safe to store it in, or manage a portfolio of gold mining stocks.
However, investing in gold ETFs isn't without its drawbacks, which include:
- Potential for underperformance: A gold stock ETF could potentially underperform the price of gold or the top gold mining stocks.
- No physical possession: While gold ETFs own physical gold, you wouldn't have physical possession of the gold if you needed it during an extreme emergency situation.
Finding the best gold ETF for your portfolio
Gold ETFs allow investors to speculate on gold prices without buying physical gold. The benefit of owning a gold mining company ETF over a gold price ETF is that it can generate higher returns.
Gold miners can use the cash flow generated by gold production to expand production, repay debt, pay dividends, and repurchase shares. Those investments and shareholder returns position gold mining companies to potentially deliver total returns higher than the long-term price gains of gold.
How Are Gold ETFs Taxed?
Taxes on gold ETFs depend on their legal structure and the investment account in which you hold them. Most physical gold ETFs are grantor trusts and taxed as collectibles. As a result, the top capital gains tax rate on the sale of one of these ETFs is 28%. Meanwhile, gold ETFs that aren't structured as trusts (typically gold mining stock ETFs) get taxed at the long-term capital gains rate (0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your tax bracket), assuming you hold the shares for at least a year. You'd also pay dividend taxes on any dividends received.
However, any gold ETFs held in retirement accounts are either tax-deferred (Traditional IRA or 401(k)) or tax-free (Roth IRA).
Related investing topics
FAQ
Gold ETF FAQ
About the Author
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Matt DiLallo has positions in JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
