Which returned more over the last year, GDX or GLD?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and GLD returned +19.1%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GDX or GLD?

GDX charges 0.51% a year and GLD charges 0.40%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Are GDX and GLD the same kind of fund?

No. GDX is a thematic ETF and GLD is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GDX vs GLD: how they differ

Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +19.1%, and GLD charges 0.40% against 0.51%.

VanEck Gold Miners ETF and SPDR Gold Shares.

GDX and GLD on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF	GLD SPDR Gold Shares
Where it sits	Thematic ETF	Core index fund
Issuer	VanEck	State Street
What it is	Miners and metals	Gold
Total return, 1 year	+40.2%	+19.1%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	+22.7 pts	+1.6 pts
Expense ratio	0.51%	0.40%
Holdings	59	not filed

GDX in plain words

By weight, 11% of GDX's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 58% of the fund across 59 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +40.2% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 22.7 pts. It sits 16.2% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.

GLD in plain words

GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GDX or GLD?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and GLD returned +19.1%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GDX or GLD?: GDX charges 0.51% a year and GLD charges 0.40%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Are GDX and GLD the same kind of fund?: No. GDX is a thematic ETF and GLD is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Other comparisons

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Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

GDX against GLD, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GDX against GLD, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GDX-GLD Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources