IMOM alternatives and similar ETFs
The ETFs most like IMOM are SCHF, VEA and IEFA. None of them holds exactly what IMOM holds, so each is a looser match.
Written by the Tactfolio research team. Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.
Key points
- 7 funds can stand in for IMOM: 7 related funds.
- IMOM charges 0.38% a year (about $38 on $10,000). The cheapest alternative here, SCHF, charges 0.03%.
- SCHF moved most like IMOM: a daily correlation of 0.87 over about the last five years.
- Returns and drops for each pair use the same dates for both funds.
IMOM alternatives at a glance#
Each fund below can stand in for IMOM, closest first. “Related” funds make a different bet that often moves the same way.
| ETF | How close | Yearly fee | Fee on $10,000 | Tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMOM | This fund | 0.38% | $38 | No index |
| SCHF | Related fund | 0.03% | $3 | FTSE Developed ex US Index |
| VEA | Related fund | 0.03% | $3 | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index |
| IEFA | Related fund | 0.07% | $7 | MSCI EAFE IMI Index (Net) |
| EFA | Related fund | 0.32% | $32 | MSCI EAFE Index (Net) |
| PDP | Related fund | 0.62% | $62 | Dorsey Wright Technical Leaders Index |
| MTUM | Related fund | 0.15% | $15 | MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant Index |
| QMOM | Related fund | 0.28% | $28 | No index |
Fees come from each fund company, checked on the dates shown on each fund’s page.
How IMOM and its alternatives did over the same dates#
Each row measures the alternative and IMOM on the days both traded, so neither gets a head start. Correlation shows how closely their daily moves matched over about the last five years. A value of 1 means they always moved together.
| ETF | Moves with IMOM | Per year | IMOM per year | Worst drop | IMOM worst drop | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCHF | 0.87 | 9.2% | 6.1% | −34.9% | −45.7% | December 2015 |
| VEA | 0.87 | 9.1% | 6.1% | −35.7% | −45.7% | December 2015 |
| IEFA | 0.86 | 8.5% | 6.1% | −34.8% | −45.7% | December 2015 |
| EFA | 0.86 | 8.4% | 6.1% | −34.2% | −45.7% | December 2015 |
| PDP | 0.72 | 11.7% | 6.1% | −34.7% | −45.7% | December 2015 |
| MTUM | 0.71 | 14.9% | 6.1% | −34.1% | −45.7% | December 2015 |
| QMOM | 0.70 | 11.3% | 6.1% | −39.1% | −45.7% | December 2015 |
Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.
Each IMOM alternative, compared#
SCHF: Schwab International Equity ETF#
SCHF is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately.
It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $38 for IMOM. It held 1,480 stocks, against 50 for IMOM.
From December 2015 to October 2026, SCHF returned about 9.2% a year and IMOM returned about 6.1% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.87).
Read the SCHF fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.
VEA: Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF#
VEA is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately.
It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $38 for IMOM. It held 3,903 stocks, against 50 for IMOM.
From December 2015 to October 2026, VEA returned about 9.1% a year and IMOM returned about 6.1% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.87).
Read the VEA fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.
IEFA: iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF#
IEFA is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately.
It charges 0.07% a year, about $7 on $10,000, against $38 for IMOM. It held 2,626 stocks, against 50 for IMOM.
From December 2015 to October 2026, IEFA returned about 8.5% a year and IMOM returned about 6.1% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.86).
Read the IEFA fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.
EFA: iShares MSCI EAFE ETF#
EFA is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately.
It charges 0.32% a year, about $32 on $10,000, against $38 for IMOM. It held 657 stocks, against 50 for IMOM.
From December 2015 to October 2026, EFA returned about 8.4% a year and IMOM returned about 6.1% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.86).
Read the EFA fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.
PDP: Invesco Dorsey Wright Momentum ETF#
PDP is a looser match. It holds US stocks whose prices have risen the most lately, picked again on a schedule, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately.
It charges 0.62% a year, about $62 on $10,000, against $38 for IMOM.
From December 2015 to October 2026, PDP returned about 11.7% a year and IMOM returned about 6.1% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved together, but not always (correlation 0.72).
Read the PDP fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.
MTUM: iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF#
MTUM is a looser match. It holds US stocks whose prices have risen the most lately, picked again on a schedule, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately.
It charges 0.15% a year, about $15 on $10,000, against $38 for IMOM. It held 125 stocks, against 50 for IMOM.
From December 2015 to October 2026, MTUM returned about 14.9% a year and IMOM returned about 6.1% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved together, but not always (correlation 0.71).
Read the MTUM fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.
QMOM: Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Momentum ETF#
QMOM is a looser match. It holds US stocks whose prices have risen the most lately, picked again on a schedule, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately.
It charges 0.28% a year, about $28 on $10,000, against $38 for IMOM. It held 64 stocks, against 50 for IMOM.
From December 2015 to October 2026, QMOM returned about 11.3% a year and IMOM returned about 6.1% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved together, but not always (correlation 0.70).
Read the QMOM fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.
IMOM versions from other fund companies#
Some people keep all their funds with one company. Here is the closest fund to IMOM from each other company on this page:
- Schwab: SCHF, Schwab International Equity ETF (related fund, 0.03% a year)
- Vanguard: VEA, Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (related fund, 0.03% a year)
- iShares (BlackRock): IEFA, iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (related fund, 0.07% a year)
- Invesco: PDP, Invesco Dorsey Wright Momentum ETF (related fund, 0.62% a year)
Most brokers let you buy any ETF, whoever runs it. Mutual fund versions, such as a fund company’s index mutual fund, are not listed here.
How to choose between IMOM and its alternatives#
- What it tracks. A fund on the same index holds the same stocks. A different index can mean different weights, more or fewer holdings, or a different mix.
- The fee. The difference is often small. On $10,000, IMOM costs about $38 a year. SCHF costs about $3.
- History. An older fund has been through more bad markets, so you can see how far it fell.
- What you already own. Two funds that move together add little variety. A fund with a low correlation behaves more on its own.
Swapping IMOM to harvest a tax loss#
Some investors sell a fund at a loss to lower their taxes, then buy a similar fund so they stay invested. This is called tax-loss harvesting.
The IRS wash sale rule blocks the loss if you buy a “substantially identical” security within 30 days before or after the sale. The IRS has not said exactly when two funds count. Funds on the same index are more likely to. Funds on a different index, such as SCHF, VEA or IEFA, are less likely to.
Ask a tax professional before you rely on this. Read the IRS rules in Publication 550.
Test IMOM and its alternatives in a backtest#
Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the builder, add IMOM and SCHF, and see how each would have done on the same dates, or how a mix of both would have done.
The details#
Alternatives are picked from facts, not from returns. First come funds that track the same index as IMOM. Then come funds that hold the same kind of stocks through another index. Last come funds from a close category that make a different bet. Leveraged funds are only listed as alternatives to other leveraged funds.
Within each group, the funds whose daily returns moved most like IMOM over about the last five years come first. Returns and worst drops use Tactfolio’s stored daily prices, adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. Each alternative is measured with IMOM only on days both traded. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.
Common questions#
What ETF is most similar to IMOM?#
SCHF is the closest. SCHF is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while IMOM holds stocks outside the US whose prices have risen the most lately. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days.
Is there a cheaper alternative to IMOM?#
Yes. SCHF charges 0.03% a year, VEA charges 0.03% a year and IEFA charges 0.07% a year, against 0.38% for IMOM. On $10,000 that is about $3 a year instead of $38.
Is IMOM or SCHF better?#
Neither is better for everyone. From December 2015 to October 2026, IMOM returned about 6.1% a year and SCHF returned about 9.2% a year. IMOM charges 0.38% a year and SCHF charges 0.03%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.
What if I had put $10,000 in IMOM 10 years ago?#
It would have grown to about $19,127 by October 16, 2026, with dividends reinvested. That is about 6.7% a year. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.
Sources#
- Alpha Architect: Alpha Architect International Quantitative Momentum ETF fund page
- Schwab: Schwab International Equity ETF fund page
- Vanguard: Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF fund page
- iShares (BlackRock): iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF fund page
- iShares (BlackRock): iShares MSCI EAFE ETF fund page
- Invesco: Invesco Dorsey Wright Momentum ETF fund page
- iShares (BlackRock): iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF fund page
- Alpha Architect: Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Momentum ETF fund page
- IRS Publication 550: wash sales