Are GLD and LYTE in the same category?

GLD is a commodity ETF and LYTE is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.

Which is cheaper, GLD or LYTE?

GLD is cheaper, by 0.25 percentage points a year. That is about $25 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

GLD vs LYTE: Differences, Returns & Fees

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GLD and LYTE are measured over different days, and GLD charges 0.40% to LYTE's 0.65%.

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Net assets: $135.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for SPDR Gold Shares, and $165m on Oct 28, 2026 for Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF.

GLD on its own →LYTE on its own →

At a glance

+2.5%

GLD total return, 1 year

−19.6%

LYTE total return, since launch, Aug 6, 2026

0.40%

GLD expense ratio

0.65%

LYTE expense ratio

Pair scorecard

GLD costs 0.25 points a year less; GLD is far larger, $135.8bn against $163m.

GLD vs LYTE: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GLD	LYTE
Return
Measure	GLD	LYTE
Total return, 1 year	+2.5%	not published
Drawdown
Measure	GLD	LYTE
Below its high	24.7%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Below its all-time high		28.5%, high on Aug 17, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	GLD	LYTE
What it tracks	Gold	Photonics and optics
Cost and size
Measure	GLD	LYTE
Expense ratio	0.40%	0.65%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$135.8bn	$163m
Holdings
Measure	GLD	LYTE
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Side by side

GLD SPDR Gold Shares LYTE Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF

Where it sits Commodity ETF Thematic ETF

Issuer State Street Roundhill

What it is Holds gold Photonics and optics

Total return, 1 year +2.5% −19.6% (since launch, Aug 6, 2026)

Its benchmark over the same days +2.7% (IAU) not measured

Gap to its benchmark −0.2 pts vs IAU not measured

Expense ratio 0.40% 0.65%

Net assets, GLD as of Oct 27, 2026 and LYTE as of Oct 28, 2026 $135.8bn $165m

GLD and LYTE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

GLD

Its expense ratio is 0.40% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

GLD holds gold. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.5% with distributions reinvested, against +2.7% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.7% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

LYTE

LYTE has no public holdings filing captured yet. Since it first traded on Aug 6, 2026 the fund returned −19.6% with distributions reinvested. It sits 28.5% below its all-time high of Aug 17, 2026.

Questions people ask

Are GLD and LYTE in the same category?: GLD is a commodity ETF and LYTE is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which is cheaper, GLD or LYTE?: GLD is cheaper, by 0.25 percentage points a year. That is about $25 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

GLD vs REMX GLD vs XBI GLD vs IBB AIRR vs GLD LYTE vs SLV LYTE vs USO IAU vs LYTE GLDM vs LYTE

Where to next

GLD on its own →LYTE on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

State Street website ↗

LYTE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

LYTE prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Roundhill page for LYTE ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, GLD against LYTE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gld-vs-lyte

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