MDY alternatives and similar ETFs

MDY alternatives at a glance#

Each fund below can stand in for MDY, closest first. “Same index” funds hold the same stocks as MDY. “Same kind” funds hold the same kind of stocks through a different index. “Related” funds make a different bet that often moves the same way.

Fees come from each fund company, checked on the dates shown on each fund’s page.

How MDY and its alternatives did over the same dates#

Each row measures the alternative and MDY 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.

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 MDY alternative, compared#

IJH: iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF#

IJH tracks the same S&P MidCap 400 Index as MDY, so the two hold the same stocks. The main differences are the fee and the fund company.

It charges 0.05% a year, about $5 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 408 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From May 2000 to October 2026, IJH returned about 9.6% a year and MDY returned about 9.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

Read the IJH fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

SCHM: Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF#

SCHM also holds medium-sized US companies. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index, while MDY tracks the S&P MidCap 400 Index.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 497 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From January 2011 to October 2026, SCHM returned about 10.9% a year and MDY returned about 10.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.99).

Read the SCHM fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

IWR: iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF#

IWR also holds medium-sized US companies. It tracks the Russell MidCap Index, while MDY tracks the S&P MidCap 400 Index.

It charges 0.18% a year, about $18 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 822 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From August 2001 to October 2026, IWR returned about 9.9% a year and MDY returned about 9.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.98).

Read the IWR fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

VO: Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF#

VO also holds medium-sized US companies. It tracks the Morningstar US Mid Cap Index, while MDY tracks the S&P MidCap 400 Index.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 271 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From January 2004 to October 2026, VO returned about 10.2% a year and MDY returned about 9.6% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.96).

Read the VO fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

VB: Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF#

VB is a looser match. It holds small US companies, while MDY holds medium-sized US companies.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 1,301 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From January 2004 to October 2026, VB returned about 9.6% a year and MDY returned about 9.6% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.99).

Read the VB fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

SCHA: Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF#

SCHA is a looser match. It holds small US companies, while MDY holds medium-sized US companies.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 1,721 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From November 2009 to October 2026, SCHA returned about 11.8% a year and MDY returned about 11.8% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the SCHA fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

IJR: iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF#

IJR is a looser match. It holds small US companies, while MDY holds medium-sized US companies.

It charges 0.06% a year, about $6 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 643 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From May 2000 to October 2026, IJR returned about 9.8% a year and MDY returned about 9.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the IJR fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

IWM: iShares Russell 2000 ETF#

IWM is a looser match. It holds small US companies, while MDY holds medium-sized US companies.

It charges 0.19% a year, about $19 on $10,000, against $23 for MDY. It held 1,983 stocks, against 400 for MDY.

From May 2000 to October 2026, IWM returned about 8.4% a year and MDY returned about 9.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.96).

Read the IWM fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

MDY versions from other fund companies#

Some people keep all their funds with one company. Here is the closest fund to MDY from each other company on this page:

• iShares (BlackRock): IJH, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (same index, 0.05% a year)
• Schwab: SCHM, Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF (same kind of fund, 0.03% a year)
• Vanguard: VO, Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF (same kind of fund, 0.03% 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 MDY 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, MDY costs about $23 a year. SCHM 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 MDY 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 SCHM, IWR or VO, are less likely to.

Ask a tax professional before you rely on this. Read the IRS rules in Publication 550.

Test MDY 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 MDY and IJH, 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 MDY. 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 MDY 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 MDY only on days both traded. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.