DJP alternatives and similar ETFs

The ETFs most like DJP are DBC, GSG and GLDM. DBC and GSG hold futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials, like DJP.

Written by the Tactfolio research team. Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

Yearly fee
0.7%
about $70 on $10,000
Return per year
0.4%
since October 2006
Worst drop
−78.3%
since 2006
Started trading
Jun 2006
iPath (Barclays)

Key points

  • 8 funds can stand in for DJP: 2 of the same kind and 6 related funds.
  • DJP charges 0.7% a year (about $70 on $10,000). The cheapest alternative here, GLDM, charges 0.1%.
  • DBC moved most like DJP: a daily correlation of 0.91 over about the last five years.
  • Returns and drops for each pair use the same dates for both funds.

DJP alternatives at a glance#

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

ETFHow closeYearly feeFee on $10,000Tracks
DJPThis fund0.7%$70Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return
DBCSame kind of fund0.85%$85DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return
GSGSame kind of fund0.75%$75S&P GSCI Total Return Index
GLDMRelated fund0.1%$10LBMA Gold Price PM
SGOLRelated fund0.17%$17LBMA Gold Price PM
BARRelated fund0.1749%$17.49LBMA Gold Price PM
AAAURelated fund0.18%$18LBMA Gold Price PM
IAURelated fund0.25%$25LBMA Gold Price
GLDRelated fund0.4%$40LBMA Gold Price PM

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

How DJP and its alternatives did over the same dates#

$5k$10k$20k20192020202120222023202420252026
DJPDBCGSGGLDMGrowth of $10,000, log scale, with dividends reinvested. Past results do not tell you what happens next.

Each row measures the alternative and DJP 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.

ETFMoves with DJPPer yearDJP per yearWorst dropDJP worst dropSince
DBC0.912.8%0.4%−76.4%−78.3%October 2006
GSG0.89−0.5%0.4%−89.6%−78.3%October 2006
GLDM0.4315.3%9.8%−26.3%−35.6%June 2018
SGOL0.438.5%2.0%−45.5%−70.2%September 2009
BAR0.4313.2%9.3%−26.3%−38.4%September 2017
AAAU0.4316.6%10.8%−26.3%−35.6%August 2018
IAU0.439.9%0.4%−45.1%−78.3%October 2006
GLD0.429.7%0.4%−45.6%−78.3%October 2006

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 DJP alternative, compared#

DBC: Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund#

DBC also holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials. It tracks the DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return, while DJP tracks the Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return.

It charges 0.85% a year, about $85 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From October 2006 to October 2026, DBC returned about 2.8% a year and DJP returned about 0.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.91).

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

GSG: iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust#

GSG also holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials. It tracks the S&P GSCI Total Return Index, while DJP tracks the Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return.

It charges 0.75% a year, about $75 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From October 2006 to October 2026, GSG lost about 0.5% a year and DJP returned about 0.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.89).

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

GLDM: SPDR Gold MiniShares#

GLDM is a looser match. It holds gold bars kept in a vault, while DJP holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials.

It charges 0.1% a year, about $10 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From June 2018 to October 2026, GLDM returned about 15.3% a year and DJP returned about 9.8% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved in different ways (correlation 0.43).

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

SGOL: abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF#

SGOL is a looser match. It holds gold bars kept in a vault, while DJP holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials.

It charges 0.17% a year, about $17 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From September 2009 to October 2026, SGOL returned about 8.5% a year and DJP returned about 2.0% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved in different ways (correlation 0.43).

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

BAR: GraniteShares Gold Trust#

BAR is a looser match. It holds gold bars kept in a vault, while DJP holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials.

It charges 0.1749% a year, about $17.49 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From September 2017 to October 2026, BAR returned about 13.2% a year and DJP returned about 9.3% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved in different ways (correlation 0.43).

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

AAAU: Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF#

AAAU is a looser match. It holds gold bars kept in a vault, while DJP holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials.

It charges 0.18% a year, about $18 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From August 2018 to October 2026, AAAU returned about 16.6% a year and DJP returned about 10.8% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved in different ways (correlation 0.43).

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

IAU: iShares Gold Trust#

IAU is a looser match. It holds gold bars kept in a vault, while DJP holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials.

It charges 0.25% a year, about $25 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From October 2006 to October 2026, IAU returned about 9.9% a year and DJP returned about 0.4% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved in different ways (correlation 0.43).

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

GLD: SPDR Gold Shares#

GLD is a looser match. It holds gold bars kept in a vault, while DJP holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials.

It charges 0.4% a year, about $40 on $10,000, against $70 for DJP.

From October 2006 to October 2026, GLD returned about 9.7% a year and DJP returned about 0.4% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved in different ways (correlation 0.42).

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

DJP versions from other fund companies#

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

  • Invesco: DBC, Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (same kind of fund, 0.85% a year)
  • iShares (BlackRock): GSG, iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (same kind of fund, 0.75% a year)
  • SPDR (State Street): GLDM, SPDR Gold MiniShares (related fund, 0.1% a year)
  • abrdn (Aberdeen): SGOL, abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (related fund, 0.17% a year)
  • GraniteShares: BAR, GraniteShares Gold Trust (related fund, 0.1749% a year)
  • Goldman Sachs Asset Management: AAAU, Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (related fund, 0.18% 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 DJP and its alternatives#

  • What it tracks. A fund on the same index holds the same investments. 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, DJP costs about $70 a year. GLDM costs about $10.
  • 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.

Test DJP 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 DJP and DBC, 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 DJP. Then come funds that hold the same kind of investments 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 DJP 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 DJP only on days both traded. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.

Common questions#

What ETF is most similar to DJP?#

DBC is the closest. DBC also holds futures on oil, metals, grains and other raw materials. It tracks the DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index Excess Return, while DJP tracks the Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days.

Is there a cheaper alternative to DJP?#

Yes. GLDM charges 0.1% a year, SGOL charges 0.17% a year and BAR charges 0.1749% a year, against 0.7% for DJP. On $10,000 that is about $10 a year instead of $70.

Is DJP or DBC better?#

Neither is better for everyone. From October 2006 to October 2026, DJP returned about 0.4% a year and DBC returned about 2.8% a year. DJP charges 0.7% a year and DBC charges 0.85%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

What if I had put $10,000 in DJP 10 years ago?#

It would have grown to about $22,115 by October 16, 2026, with dividends reinvested. That is about 8.3% a year. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

Sources#