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Treasury bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a popular way for investors to access the safety and stability of U.S. government debt without the hassle of buying individual bonds.
These exchange-traded funds hold baskets of U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. That makes them one of the lowest credit risk investments available.
In times of market volatility or economic uncertainty, investors often move into Treasuries as a flight to safety. These funds also tend to perform well when interest rates are falling, like during recessions, since central banks may cut rates or even restart bond-buying programs (quantitative easing).
While you can buy Treasuries directly through TreasuryDirect, many investors prefer Treasury bond ETFs because they’re easier to buy and sell, available on any brokerage platform, and typically pay interest monthly instead of semiannually.
Treasury ETFs have become a go-to option for adding income, diversification, and downside protection to a portfolio. Here's what you need to know before adding them to a portfolio.
Treasury bond ETFs may seem complex if you're used to investing in stocks, but they're actually pretty simple once you understand how they work.
In this list, we’ll go over some of the biggest, cheapest, and most diversified Treasury bond ETFs available today and help you figure out which one might be right for your portfolio.
The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEMKT:GOVT) is the "buy the entire Treasury market" option, excluding inflation-protected and stripped bonds.
It tracks the ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index, which holds just over 200 U.S. Treasury securities with maturities ranging from one to 30 years.
The result is a broad, diversified portfolio with intermediate interest rate sensitivity, reflected in an average duration of about 5.7 years.
As of now, investors can expect a 4.13% 30-day SEC yield, and the fund remains cost-effective with a 0.05% expense ratio, or just $5 per $10,000 investment.
Even cheaper than the iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, the SPDR Portfolio Treasury ETF (NYSEMKT:SPTL) charges just a 0.03% expense ratio, making it one of the lowest-cost ways to own the entire U.S. Treasury market.
It tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury index, covering a broad range of government bonds from under one year to 30 years in maturity.
Like the iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, it excludes inflation-protected securities and stripped bonds but holds a slightly larger portfolio of 279 bonds as of mid-2025.
The fund has a 5.8-year duration and offers a 4.15% 30-day SEC yield, making it a cost-effective and diversified option for intermediate-term Treasury exposure.
Not all Treasury bond ETFs passively track an index. The Franklin U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEMKT:FLGV) is actively managed, which means its portfolio managers select
specific bonds in an effort to outperform its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury index.
While still a broad Treasury ETF with exposure to bills, notes, and bonds, the Franklin U.S. Treasury Bond ETF differs by also including Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). It’s more concentrated than its peers, holding just 33 securities in mid-2025.
Despite being actively managed, this ETF remains cost-effective with a 0.09% expense ratio, and it offers a 4.09% 30-day SEC yield. Its 5.8-year duration is in line with other intermediate-term Treasury ETFs.
While ETFs like the last three mentioned hold Treasury bonds across the maturity spectrum, they all average out to an intermediate duration by design.
That’s intentional. This "goldilocks" segment of the yield curve offers a balance of income and rate sensitivity, making it ideal for broad exposure.
But investors can also target this part of the Treasury curve more directly with the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (NASDAQ:VGIT), which tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3–10 Year Bond Index.
Roughly half the fund is in bonds maturing between three and five years, and the other half is in bonds maturing between five and 10 years. The result is a slightly shorter 4.9-year duration, which lowers rate sensitivity a bit.
Right now, the 30-day SEC yield is 4.01%, and like most Vanguard ETFs, the expense ratio is a rock-bottom 0.03%.
ETF providers are constantly competing, so it’s not surprising to see near-identical products offered by different firms, right down to the fees and portfolio exposure.
If you prefer Schwab over Vanguard for any reason, the Schwab Intermediate-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (NYSEMKT:SCHR) is the logical substitute for the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF. Both ETFs track the same Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3–10 Year Index, feature an identical 0.03% expense ratio, and carry a 4.9-year duration.
As of now, this ETF’s 30-day SEC yield is 4.00%, almost matching the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF. Flip a coin -- either ETF delivers efficient, low-cost exposure to the intermediate portion of the U.S. Treasury yield curve.
Start by identifying why you want to use Treasury bond ETFs in your portfolio.
For most investors, the goal is safety by reducing overall equity risk. Income tends to be a secondary concern since Treasury bond yields are lower than corporate bonds due to minimal credit risk.
Once your objective is clear, decide which part of the yield curve you want to target: short, intermediate, or long-term maturities.
Short-term Treasuries are ideal for capital preservation and low volatility. Long-term Treasuries can be powerful hedges during recessions or rate cuts but carry more risk if interest rates rise.
Most investors opt for intermediate-term exposure or a broad basket that averages to an intermediate duration.
Finally, picking the right Treasury bond ETF often comes down to cost. Most of these ETFs are highly liquid and offer similar yields and durations, so the lower the expense ratio, the better.
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