Alternatives
Best IAUI Alternatives in 2026
Gold income and bullion ETFs to consider alongside the NEOS Gold High Income ETF.
Data updated September 2026 · 7 ETFs
Who this page is for
Best for
- IAUI holders comparing similar funds, fees, payouts, and strategy design
- Gold investors deciding how much metal upside to exchange for monthly income
- Investors who will compare total return and NAV trend alongside distribution rate
Not a fit for
- Investors expecting an option-income fund to track spot gold without an upside cap
- Anyone treating a current distribution rate as guaranteed future income
- Investors choosing from headline yield alone without reviewing the underlying exposure
Analysis
The Best IAUI Alternatives category blends two distinct approaches to gold exposure: long-established physical bullion trusts and newer options-income strategies layered on top of gold. GLD, IAU, and GLDM represent the traditional, low-cost bullion-tracking side of the category, run by State Street and iShares, with no reported distribution yield since they simply track spot gold.
AI-generated analysis — AI can make mistakes. Verify important information independently. Not investment advice. AI risk disclosure
Risks specific to this category
- Strategy mismatch: several funds on this list track a different index or use a different income mechanism than IAUI, so swapping into one changes the exposure — upside participation, payout cadence, and tax character can all shift, not just the ticker.
- Capped upside: covered-call and option-overlay funds in this group keep the option premium in a rally but surrender gains above the strike, so they can trail the very index they write options against.
- Distribution sustainability: the average distribution rate here is 18.6%, and payouts at that level often include return of capital — when distributions persistently exceed total return, NAV erodes and shrinks the base that generates future income.
- Concentration in one theme: most funds here focus on gold, so the whole list tends to draw down together when that corner of the market falls out of favor — diversification across the table is lower than the fund count suggests.
- Expense drag: expense ratios in this group average 0.61% — several times what broad index funds charge — and that cost compounds directly against total return.
See this list inside your portfolio
A ranked list is a starting point. Dividend Vision turns it into a plan — forecasting the income your holdings actually generate and putting each fund's yield next to its total return and risk.
- Income forecasting — know what your holdings pay monthly, quarterly, and yearly
- Yield vs. total return — weigh each distribution against price performance, not the headline rate
- Screen & compare — line up any income ETFs side by side on yield, cost, and strategy
- Portfolio risk — see income concentration, issuer overlap, and volatility across your holdings
- AI ETF comparison — ask plain-language questions to compare yield, risk, and income potential
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How these alternatives are selected
- Universe: a hand-curated peer set, split into close peers (4 here — same core exposure and same income mechanism, so a like-for-like swap) and broader substitutes (a different index, underlying asset, or income mechanism). Every fund is labelled in the Strategy fit column; IAUI itself is excluded.
- Eligibility: active ETFs only — liquidated, delisted, and renamed funds drop out automatically. Leveraged and inverse products are never listed: a daily-reset 2x or -1x fund is not an alternative to a long income position.
- Ranking: assets under management, used only as a fund-size ranking. Never ranked by yield — yields are shown as data, not used to order the list.
- Fit: how each fund's strategy differs from IAUI — and who each one suits — is covered in the strategy notes and FAQ below.
Top picks
Top 3 IAUI alternatives by assets under management.
Yield distribution
Expense ratio distribution
Income projection
Estimated income if the current average distribution rate of 10.64% held for a full year with share prices unchanged. Distribution rate is not total return—a fund can pay a large distribution while its share price falls—so treat these as an upper-bound illustration, not a forecast.
| Investment | Annual income | Monthly income | Weekly income |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $1,064 | $89 | $20 |
| $25,000 | $2,660 | $222 | $51 |
| $50,000 | $5,321 | $443 | $102 |
| $100,000 | $10,641 | $887 | $205 |
Issuer breakdown
Distribution of ETFs by fund issuer, showing how concentrated or varied the sponsor lineup is.
All 7 ETFs
| Ticker | Name | Strategy fit | Issuer | Yield | Expense ratio | AUM | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLD | SPDR Gold Shares | Broader substitute | State Street | — | 0.40% | $146.4B | None |
| IAU | iShares Gold Trust | Broader substitute | iShares | — | 0.25% | $64.6B | None |
| GLDM | SPDR Gold Minishares Trust of beneficial interest | Broader substitute | State Street | — | 0.10% | $32.0B | None |
| IGLD | FT Cboe Vest Gold Target Income ETF | Close peer | First Trust | 22.48% | 0.85% | $608M | Monthly |
| KGLD | Kurv Gold Enhanced Income ETF | Close peer | Kurv | 15.33% | 1.00% | $164M | Monthly |
| YGLD | Simplify Gold Strategy PLUS Income ETF | Close peer | Simplify ETFs | 12.30% | 0.62% | $36M | Monthly |
| GOLI | Defiance Gold Enhanced Options Income ETF | Close peer | Defiance ETFs | 24.38% | 1.04% | $24M | Weekly |
Frequently asked questions
What are the best iaui alternatives?
This page lists the top 7 ETFs in this category ranked by key metrics. The list includes funds from issuers like State Street, iShares, First Trust, Kurv and more.
How often is this list updated?
The data on this page is refreshed regularly using the latest available distribution rates, expense ratios, and AUM figures. Last updated September 2026.
What is the average yield of these ETFs?
The average distribution yield across the 7 ETFs on this list is 10.64%. Individual yields range from 12.30% to 24.38%.
KGLD vs IGLD vs IAUI, which gold income ETF is better?
None is universally better — they sell different amounts of gold upside for cash. IAUI is NEOS's covered-call gold income ETF. KGLD (Kurv) typically advertises a higher current payout with a more aggressive overlay. IGLD (FT Vest) uses a target-income options design. Compare distribution rate with total return, NAV trend, fees, and how much of a gold rally each overlay gives up. Bullion funds such as GLD and IAU skip the income overlay entirely.
What is the closest alternative to IAUI?
KGLD and GLDI are direct gold option-income comparisons, although GLDI is an ETN rather than an ETF. IGLD and YGLD provide other income-overlay designs.
What should I compare when choosing a IAUI alternative?
Compare the gold exposure vehicle, option coverage and tenor, issuer or counterparty risk, fees, distribution composition, upside capture, NAV trend, and total return versus gold.
Does a higher-yielding IAUI alternative produce a better return?
Not necessarily. Distribution rate measures cash paid, not wealth created. Compare total return, NAV trend, fees, distribution composition, and the amount of upside surrendered by any options overlay.
Explore more
Learn the method
The metrics and risks behind this list, explained in the Academy.
From the blog
Put this list to work in your portfolio
Import or build a portfolio to see income forecasts, upcoming distributions, income concentration, and risk across everything you own — and where a fund's yield and total return diverge.
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