- As of Nov 4, 2026, the median US ETF charges 0.55% a year, and 8.2% of 5,057 funds charge 0.10% or less.
In plain words
The expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund takes as a share of net assets. A 0.50% ratio means $5 a year per $1,000. It comes out of the fund a little each day, so you never see a bill.
The median is 0.55% across 5,057 funds: 8.2% charge 0.10% or less and 11.2% charge 1.00% or more. Plain index funds sit low; funds using borrowed money, options or futures sit high. A lower fee on a fund doing the same job is a real saving; a higher one may pay for a harder job.
Questions
- Is the lowest expense ratio always the right comparison?
Not on its own. Compare funds that do the same job. ETFIQ shows the fee beside the gap to the benchmark.
- Is the expense ratio the only cost of an ETF?
No. You also pay the gap between the bid and ask price, and any difference between price and value. See the trading cost pages.
- Where does ETFIQ get fees?
From the fund’s prospectus or the issuer’s page. Each fee has its source and date.