ETFs vs. mutual funds

They're similar—but they're different in some very key ways. We'll help you compare.

How are ETFs and mutual funds alike?

  • stacked trapezoid image

    Similar structure

    Biggest similarity: both represent managed "baskets" or "pools" of individual securities, for example stocks or bonds.

  • pie chart image

    Exposure opportunity

    ETFs (exchange-traded funds) and mutual funds both offer exposure to a wide variety of asset classes and niche markets. They generally provide more diversification than a single stock or bond, and they can be used to create a diversified portfolio when funds from multiple asset classes are combined.  
     


How are ETFs and mutual funds different?

  • ETFs
    ETFs
  • Mutual Funds
    Mutual Funds
  • How are they managed?
  • ETFs
    While they can be actively or passively managed by fund managers, most ETFs are passive investments pegged to the performance of a particular index.
  • Mutual Funds
    Mutual funds come in both active and indexed varieties, but most are actively managed. Active mutual funds are managed by fund managers.
  • How are they traded?
  • ETFs
    ETFs trade like stocks and are bought and sold on a stock exchange, experiencing price changes throughout the day. This means that the price at which you buy an ETF will likely differ from the prices paid by other investors.
  • Mutual Funds
    Mutual fund orders are executed once per day, with all investors on the same day receiving the same price.
  • What's the minimum investment?
  • ETFs
    Because they trade like stocks, ETFs do not require a minimum initial investment and are purchased as whole shares. You can buy an ETF for the price of just one share, usually referred to as the ETF's "market price."
  • Mutual Funds
    Minimum initial investments for mutual funds are normally a flat dollar amount and aren’t based on the fund's share price.

    Unlike ETFs, mutual funds can be purchased in fractional shares or fixed dollar amounts.
  • What are the costs?
  • ETFs
    ETFs have implicit and explicit costs. While your broker will disclose the cost of trading commissions and the ETF provider will disclose the operating expense ratio, don't overlook the bid/ask spread and premium/discount to NAV. These costs are implicit and result from buying or selling an ETF in the market at a price which may differ from the value of the ETF's underlying holding. 

  • Mutual Funds
    Mutual funds can be purchased without trading commissions, but in addition to operating expenses they may carry other fees (for example, sales loads or early redemption fees.
  • What about tax efficiency? 
  • ETFs
    ETFs often generate fewer capital gains for investors since they may have lower turnover and can use the in-kind creation/redemption process to manage the cost basis of their holdings.
  • Mutual Funds
    A sale of securities within a mutual fund may trigger capital gains for shareholders—even for those who may have an unrealized loss on the overall mutual fund investment.

ETF or mutual fund? Which is right for you?

That all depends on your goals and the type of investor you are.

Consider an ETF, if:

  • You trade actively

    Intraday trades, stop orders, limit orders, options, and short selling—all are possible with ETFs, but not with mutual funds.
     

  • You're tax sensitive

    ETFs and index mutual funds tend to be generally more tax efficient than actively managed funds. 

    And, in general, ETFs tend to be more tax efficient than index mutual funds.
     


Consider an index mutual fund, if:

  • You invest frequently

    If you make regular deposits—for example, you use dollar-cost averaging—a no-load index mutual fund can be a cost-effective option, and it allows you to fully invest the same dollar amount each time (since mutual funds can be purchased in fractional shares).

  • Similar ETFs are thinly traded

    When you buy or sell ETF shares, the price may be less than the net asset value (or, NAV) of the ETF. This discrepancy (aka: the "bid/ask spread") is often nominal, but for less actively traded ETFs, that might not always be the case.

    By contrast, mutual funds always trade at NAV, without any bid/ask spreads.


Consider an actively managed mutual fund, if:

  • You're looking for a fund that could potentially beat the market

    People invest in actively managed mutual funds in hopes they'll surpass their benchmarks.

    Also, actively managed funds acquired as part of a specific strategy may complement index funds in a portfolio, and help to reduce downside risk and mitigate market volatility.

  • You're investing in a less efficient market

    Some markets are "highly efficient"—which means they’re so popular, there isn't much opportunity to add any real value via active portfolio management.

    But in less efficient markets–like high-yield bonds or emerging markets–there may be greater opportunities through active portfolio management.
     

ETFs and mutual funds, at a glance:

ETFs and mutual funds, at a glance:

ETFs and mutual funds at a glance
  • Passive ETFs
    Passive ETFs
  • Active ETFs
    Active ETFs
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
  • Expense Ratio (OER) Tooltip
  • Passive ETFs
    Generally lower than actively managed mutual funds.
  • Active ETFs
    Generally higher than passive ETFs; on par with a mutual fund’s institutional share class.
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Generally lower than actively managed mutual funds.
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Generally higher than passively managed, index-tracking funds
  • Performance
  • Passive ETFs
    Performance generally seeks to track a benchmark index
  • Active ETFs
    Performance seeks to outperform a benchmark index.
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Performance seeks to track a benchmark index.
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Performance seeks to outperform a benchmark index.
  • Selection of Funds
  • Passive ETFs
    About 2,000
  • Active ETFs
    Over 700 actively managed ETFs and over 45 active semi-transparent ETFs 
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    About 500*
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    About 7,000*
  • Trading
  • Passive ETFs
    Intraday
  • Active ETFs
    Intraday
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    End of Day
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    End of Day
  • Price
  • Passive ETFs
    Market price Tooltip
  • Active ETFs
    Market price Tooltip
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    NAV (Net Asset Value) Tooltip
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    NAV (Net Asset Value) Tooltip
  • Potential Tax Efficiency Tooltip
  • Passive ETFs
    Most efficient
  • Active ETFs
    Efficient
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Efficient
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Less efficient
  • Holdings Transparency
  • Passive ETFs
    Holdings generally reported daily
  • Active ETFs
    Active semi-transparent ETFs generally report full holdings on a monthly or quarterly basis, whereas actively managed ETFs will report holdings daily 
  • Index Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Holdings generally reported monthly or quarterly
  • Actively Managed Mutual Funds Tooltip
    Holdings generally reported monthly or quarterly

*Oldest share classes of funds available in the U.S. as reported by Morningstar Direct, December 2021


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