AAAU vs GLDM: Differences, Returns & Fees
AAAU and GLDM are both commodity funds, and over the year they finished level, −1.1% against −1.0%. Net assets on Oct 13, 2026: $2.7bn for Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF Shares and $31.0bn for SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust.
GLDM costs 0.08 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; GLDM is 11.6 times larger.
| AAAU | GLDM | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | 0.10% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 13, 2026 | $2.7bn | $31.0bn |
| Total return, 1 year | −1.1% | −1.0% |
| What it tracks | Gold | Gold |
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| Below its high | 24.0%, high on Jan 29, 2026 | |
AAAU and GLDM are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- Size. AAAU has $2.7bn in net assets and GLDM $31.0bn (net assets, as of Oct 13, 2026); GLDM is 11.5 times larger.
- What each follows (similar). Both follow Gold.
- One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 14, 2026 AAAU returned −1.1% and GLDM −1.0% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.1 points.
Data as of Oct 14, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.
Take this comparison to a client
The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.
Not advice. The brief uses the figures on this page, with the data date and a report id. Saved comparisons are listed on your saved page; privacy.
On the same fields
AAAU and GLDM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 14, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About AAAU
AAAU holds gold. Over the year to Oct 14, 2026 it returned −1.1% with distributions reinvested, against −1.3% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.0% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 14, 2026.
Its expense ratio is 0.18% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.
About GLDM
GLDM holds gold. Over the year to Oct 14, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against −1.3% for its benchmark, the price of gold.
Its expense ratio is 0.10% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, AAAU or GLDM?
- In the year to Oct 14, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AAAU returned −1.1% and GLDM −1.0%.
- Which is cheaper, AAAU or GLDM?
- GLDM is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, AAAU against GLDM, data as of Oct 14, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/aaau-vs-gldm
ETFIQ. (Oct 14, 2026). AAAU against GLDM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/aaau-vs-gldm
[AAAU against GLDM (ETFIQ, Oct 14, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/aaau-vs-gldm)
Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.