Gold ETFs: GLD is the Largest, But GLDM Provides Cheaper Gold Exposure Jake Lerch, The Motley Fool Sun, January 18, 2026 at 2:22 AM GMT+5:30 6 min read GC=F GLD Key Points GLDM offers a much lower expense ratio than GLD, making it a more cost-effective choice for gold exposure Both ETFs posted near-identical one-year returns and five-year drawdowns, tracking gold bullion closely GLD commands far higher assets under management and remains the largest gold-backed ETF in the market These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT:GLD) and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (NYSEMKT:GLDM) both track the price of gold bullion, but GLDM’s notably lower expense ratio and smaller fund size set it apart from the long-established, much larger GLD. Both SPDR Gold Shares and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust provide direct gold exposure for investors seeking to track the performance of the metal, minus fund expenses. This comparison looks at their differences in cost, scale, performance, and risk, to help clarify which may better fit a gold allocation.
