# TLT alternatives: 4 similar ETFs compared

> ETFs similar to TLT, closest first, with each fund's fee, what it tracks, and returns and worst drops on the same dates as TLT. Updated daily.

The ETFs most like TLT are VGLT, EDV and IEF. VGLT and EDV hold US government bonds that pay back in 20 years or more, like TLT. VGLT costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.15%.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- 4 funds can stand in for TLT: 2 of the same kind and 2 related funds.
- TLT charges 0.15% a year (about $15 on $10,000). The cheapest alternative here, VGLT, charges 0.03%.
- VGLT moved most like TLT: a daily correlation of 1.00 over about the last five years.
- Returns and drops for each pair use the same dates for both funds.

## TLT alternatives at a glance

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

| ETF | How close | Yearly fee | Fee on $10,000 | Tracks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **TLT** | This fund | 0.15% | $15 | ICE US Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index |
| [VGLT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vglt.md) | Same kind of fund | 0.03% | $3 | Bloomberg US Long Treasury Bond Index |
| [EDV](https://tactfolio.com/etf/edv.md) | Same kind of fund | 0.05% | $5 | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury STRIPS 20-30 Year Equal Par Bond Index |
| [IEF](https://tactfolio.com/etf/ief.md) | Related fund | 0.15% | $15 | ICE US Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index |
| [VGIT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vgit.md) | Related fund | 0.03% | $3 | Bloomberg US Treasury 3-10 Year Bond Index |

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

## How TLT and its alternatives did over the same dates

Each row measures the alternative and TLT 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 TLT | Per year | TLT per year | Worst drop | TLT worst drop | Since |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [VGLT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vglt.md) | 1.00 | 2.4% | 2.3% | −46.2% | −48.4% | January 2010 |
| [EDV](https://tactfolio.com/etf/edv.md) | 0.99 | 2.0% | 2.2% | −60.4% | −48.4% | January 2008 |
| [IEF](https://tactfolio.com/etf/ief.md) | 0.91 | 3.4% | 3.4% | −23.9% | −48.4% | July 2002 |
| [VGIT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vgit.md) | 0.84 | 2.0% | 2.0% | −16.1% | −48.4% | November 2009 |

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 TLT alternative, compared

### VGLT: Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF

VGLT also holds US government bonds that pay back in 20 years or more. It tracks the Bloomberg US Long Treasury Bond Index, while TLT tracks the ICE US Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $15 for TLT. It held 101 holdings, against 47 for TLT.

From January 2010 to October 2026, VGLT returned about 2.4% a year and TLT returned about 2.3% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

Read the [VGLT fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vglt.md) for its returns by year and worst drop.

### EDV: Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury ETF

EDV also holds US government bonds that pay back in 20 years or more. It tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury STRIPS 20-30 Year Equal Par Bond Index, while TLT tracks the ICE US Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index.

It charges 0.05% a year, about $5 on $10,000, against $15 for TLT. It held 80 holdings, against 47 for TLT.

From January 2008 to October 2026, EDV returned about 2.0% a year and TLT returned about 2.2% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.99).

Read the [EDV fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/edv.md) for its returns by year and worst drop.

### IEF: iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF

IEF is a looser match. It holds US government bonds that pay back in about 3 to 10 years, while TLT holds US government bonds that pay back in 20 years or more.

It charges 0.15% a year, about $15 on $10,000, against $15 for TLT. It held 17 holdings, against 47 for TLT.

From July 2002 to October 2026, IEF returned about 3.4% a year and TLT returned about 3.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.91).

Read [IEF vs TLT](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons/ief-vs-tlt.md) for the full side-by-side, or the [IEF fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/ief.md).

### VGIT: Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF

VGIT is a looser match. It holds US government bonds that pay back in about 3 to 10 years, while TLT holds US government bonds that pay back in 20 years or more.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $15 for TLT. It held 102 holdings, against 47 for TLT.

From November 2009 to October 2026, VGIT returned about 2.0% a year and TLT returned about 2.0% a year. Over about the last five years they often moved together, but not always (correlation 0.84).

Read the [VGIT fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vgit.md) for its returns by year and worst drop.

## TLT versions from other fund companies

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

- **Vanguard:** [VGLT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vglt.md), Vanguard Long-Term Treasury 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 TLT and its alternatives

- **What it tracks.** A fund on the same index holds the same bonds. 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, TLT costs about $15 a year. VGLT 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 TLT 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 VGLT, EDV or IEF, are less likely to.

Ask a tax professional before you rely on this. Read the IRS rules in [Publication 550](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p550).

## Test TLT 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](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add TLT and VGLT, 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 TLT. Then come funds that hold the same kind of bonds 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 TLT 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 TLT only on days both traded. Read [what a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [Portfolio rebalancing](https://tactfolio.com/learn/portfolio-rebalancing): What portfolio rebalancing is, why a 60/40 mix drifts, calendar vs threshold methods, and how taxes and costs fit in.
- [Risk parity](https://tactfolio.com/learn/risk-parity): Risk parity balances risk instead of dollars. See a simple stock and bond example, why funds use leverage, and what went wrong in 2022.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.
- [Backtesting](https://tactfolio.com/backtesting): Free backtesting software for stocks, ETFs, and crypto perps.

## Common questions

### What ETF is most similar to TLT?

VGLT is the closest. VGLT also holds US government bonds that pay back in 20 years or more. It tracks the Bloomberg US Long Treasury Bond Index, while TLT tracks the ICE US Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together.

### Is there a cheaper alternative to TLT?

Yes. VGLT charges 0.03% a year, VGIT charges 0.03% a year and EDV charges 0.05% a year, against 0.15% for TLT. On $10,000 that is about $3 a year instead of $15.

### Is TLT or VGLT better?

Neither is better for everyone. From January 2010 to October 2026, TLT returned about 2.3% a year and VGLT returned about 2.4% a year. TLT charges 0.15% a year and VGLT charges 0.03%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

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

It would have grown to about $8,104 by October 16, 2026, with dividends reinvested. That is about −2.1% a year. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

## Sources

- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239454/ishares-20-year-treasury-bond-etf)
- [Vanguard: Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vglt)
- [Vanguard: Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/edv)
- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239456/ishares-7-10-year-treasury-bond-etf)
- [Vanguard: Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vgit)
- [IRS Publication 550: wash sales](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p550)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.