Find the Right Canadian ETF

Showing 63 of 63 ETFs

Holds four iShares ETFs covering global equities. Canada's most popular all-in-one ETF.

💡 Moderate foreign withholding tax — RRSP slightly more efficient than TFSA.

Annual cost on $10,000: $20/yr

Vanguard's equivalent to XEQT. Slightly more Canada-tilted. Both are excellent choices.

💡 Similar to XEQT. Moderate foreign withholding.

Annual cost on $10,000: $22/yr

Swap-based all-equity ETF. Lower MER, no distributions — most tax-efficient for non-registered accounts.

💡 No foreign withholding tax due to swap structure. Best choice for taxable accounts.

Annual cost on $10,000: $17/yr

80/20 growth portfolio. Good for investors 10+ years from retirement who want some bond buffer.

💡 Moderate.

Annual cost on $10,000: $20/yr

Vanguard's 80/20 growth portfolio. Very similar to XGRO — choose based on your brokerage.

💡 Moderate.

Annual cost on $10,000: $25/yr

Classic 60/40 balanced portfolio. Good for investors within 10 years of retirement.

💡 Moderate.

Annual cost on $10,000: $20/yr

Conservative 40/60 portfolio. Low volatility, lower expected returns. Approaching or in retirement.

💡 Low.

Annual cost on $10,000: $20/yr

Canada's most popular S&P 500 ETF. Returns include CAD/USD currency movement. Lowest MER in class.

💡 15% IRS withholding on US dividends in TFSA. RRSP eliminates this — hold VFV in RRSP when possible.

Annual cost on $10,000: $9/yr

Same as VFV but currency-hedged. You get the S&P 500 return without USD/CAD exchange rate movement.

💡 Same withholding issue as VFV. Hold in RRSP when possible.

Annual cost on $10,000: $9/yr

BMO's S&P 500 ETF. Identical exposure to VFV. Choose based on your brokerage's commission structure.

💡 Same as VFV. Hold in RRSP when possible.

Annual cost on $10,000: $9/yr

BMO's hedged S&P 500 ETF. Same exposure as ZSP with currency movement removed.

💡 Same as ZSP. Hold in RRSP when possible.

Annual cost on $10,000: $9/yr

iShares version of the S&P 500 ETF. Slightly higher MER than VFV/ZSP but negligible difference.

💡 Same withholding consideration. Prefer RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $10/yr

iShares CAD-hedged S&P 500. Removes currency exposure from US market returns.

💡 Same as XUS. Prefer RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $10/yr

Swap-based S&P 500 ETF. No distributions — all return is capital gain. Best S&P 500 choice for taxable accounts.

💡 No foreign withholding tax — the key advantage of swap structure.

Annual cost on $10,000: $10/yr

Tracks the NASDAQ-100 — the 100 largest non-financial US stocks including Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia.

💡 High US withholding in TFSA. Hold in RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $25/yr

CAD-hedged version of QQC. NASDAQ-100 exposure without currency fluctuation.

💡 High US withholding in TFSA. Hold in RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $25/yr

Swap-based NASDAQ-100. No distributions — best NASDAQ option for taxable accounts.

💡 No withholding tax. Best for non-registered accounts.

Annual cost on $10,000: $27/yr

BMO's NASDAQ-100 ETF. Higher MER than QQC — check if your brokerage makes QQC commission-free first.

💡 US withholding applies. Hold in RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $39/yr

Tracks the entire US stock market — over 3,500 companies, not just the top 500. Includes small and mid caps.

💡 US withholding in TFSA. Best held in RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $16/yr

Tracks the full US market at the lowest MER in this category. Less well-known but excellent value.

💡 US withholding in TFSA. Best in RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $7/yr

The broadest Canadian equity ETF — covers large, mid, and small cap TSX stocks. Extremely low cost.

💡 No foreign withholding. Canadian dividends receive dividend tax credit in non-registered.

Annual cost on $10,000: $5/yr

Canada's most established broad market ETF. Tracks over 200 TSX stocks. Highly liquid.

💡 No foreign withholding. Canadian dividends eligible for dividend tax credit.

Annual cost on $10,000: $6/yr

BMO's equivalent to XIC. Same exposure, same low cost. Choose based on your brokerage.

💡 No foreign withholding.

Annual cost on $10,000: $5/yr

Canada's oldest ETF (launched 1990). Tracks the 60 largest TSX companies. Extremely liquid.

💡 No foreign withholding.

Annual cost on $10,000: $18/yr

Holds Canada's 6 big banks in equal weight — TD, RBC, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, National Bank.

💡 No foreign withholding. Canadian dividend tax credit applies in non-registered.

Annual cost on $10,000: $28/yr

Swap-based Canadian banks ETF. No distributions — converts bank income to capital gains.

💡 No withholding. Capital gains treatment for non-registered.

Annual cost on $10,000: $28/yr

Europe, Japan, Australia, and other developed markets — everything except Canada and the US.

💡 Moderate. Foreign withholding on international dividends. RRSP preferred.

Annual cost on $10,000: $23/yr

Similar exposure to VIU — Europe, Asia, Far East developed markets. One of Canada's most liquid international ETFs.

💡 Moderate foreign withholding. RRSP preferred.

Annual cost on $10,000: $22/yr

China, India, Brazil, Taiwan, and other developing economies. Higher growth potential, higher volatility.

💡 High foreign withholding on emerging market dividends.

Annual cost on $10,000: $24/yr

iShares broad emerging markets ETF. Highly liquid. Similar exposure to VEE.

💡 High foreign withholding.

Annual cost on $10,000: $26/yr

BMO's emerging markets option. Similar to VEE and XEC.

💡 High foreign withholding.

Annual cost on $10,000: $27/yr

Concentrated exposure to Indian equities. Higher growth potential, higher risk and higher MER.

💡 High withholding on Indian dividends.

Annual cost on $10,000: $40/yr

Concentrated exposure to Chinese equities. Only for investors with specific China thesis.

💡 High withholding. Political and currency risk.

Annual cost on $10,000: $58/yr

Japan-specific equity ETF. Japan is the world's 3rd largest stock market — often underweighted in global ETFs.

💡 Japan withholding tax applies.

Annual cost on $10,000: $47/yr

Canada's most popular broad bond ETF. Government and corporate bonds of all maturities.

💡 Interest income — shelter in RRSP or TFSA to avoid annual tax.

Annual cost on $10,000: $9/yr

Vanguard's equivalent to ZAG. Essentially identical — choose based on your brokerage.

💡 Shelter from tax in registered accounts.

Annual cost on $10,000: $9/yr

iShares broad Canadian bond ETF. Slightly higher MER than ZAG/VAB — all three are equivalent in exposure.

💡 Shelter from tax in registered accounts.

Annual cost on $10,000: $10/yr

Short-duration Canadian bonds — less sensitive to interest rate changes. Lower yield, lower volatility.

💡 Shelter from tax in registered accounts.

Annual cost on $10,000: $10/yr

Swap-based broad bond ETF. No distributions — converts interest income to capital gains. Best bond ETF for taxable accounts.

💡 Swap structure eliminates annual interest income tax. Best for non-registered.

Annual cost on $10,000: $9/yr

High yield US corporate bonds. Higher income, higher default risk. Not for conservative investors.

💡 Hold in registered account to avoid US withholding and annual income tax.

Annual cost on $10,000: $65/yr

Earns near Bank of Canada overnight rate on cash holdings. Park emergency fund or waiting-to-invest cash here.

💡 Interest income — hold in TFSA or RRSP to avoid annual tax.

Annual cost on $10,000: $10/yr

Swap-based savings ETF — earns near overnight rate with no distributions. Best cash parking for taxable accounts.

💡 No annual interest income — all return is capital gain at disposition.

Annual cost on $10,000: $13/yr

Money market ETF earning near-overnight rate. Principal is very stable. Good alternative to a savings account.

💡 Interest income — hold in registered account.

Annual cost on $10,000: $14/yr

Short-term Canadian government treasury bills. Slightly higher yield than pure savings ETFs.

💡 Interest income — register if possible.

Annual cost on $10,000: $15/yr

High-quality Canadian dividend stocks screened for dividend sustainability. Monthly distributions.

💡 No foreign withholding. Eligible dividends receive dividend tax credit in non-registered.

Annual cost on $10,000: $11/yr

Canadian stocks with above-average dividend yields. Heavy in banks and energy. Good income ETF.

💡 No foreign withholding. Dividend tax credit in non-registered.

Annual cost on $10,000: $22/yr

Companies that have consistently grown their dividends for 5+ consecutive years.

💡 No foreign withholding. Dividend tax credit applies.

Annual cost on $10,000: $66/yr

Canadian Real Estate Investment Trusts — offices, retail, industrial, apartments. High distributions, interest-rate sensitive.

💡 REIT distributions taxed as ordinary income — hold in TFSA or RRSP to shelter.

Annual cost on $10,000: $61/yr

BMO's equal-weight REIT ETF. Holds each Canadian REIT equally — less concentration than XRE.

💡 REIT distributions taxed as income — hold in registered accounts.

Annual cost on $10,000: $61/yr

Vanguard's Canadian REIT ETF — lower MER than XRE/ZRE. Same general exposure.

💡 Hold in registered accounts.

Annual cost on $10,000: $38/yr

Holds Canadian bank stocks and sells covered call options to generate extra monthly income. Higher yield, lower upside.

💡 No foreign withholding. High monthly distribution.

Annual cost on $10,000: $72/yr

High monthly income via covered calls across multiple sectors. Uses 25% leverage — higher risk than standard ETFs.

💡 High distribution — shelter in TFSA. Leverage amplifies losses as well as income.

Annual cost on $10,000: $65/yr

Broad Canadian equity covered call strategy. Monthly income via option premium plus dividends.

💡 Monthly distributions — TFSA is ideal.

Annual cost on $10,000: $72/yr

Holds physical gold bullion, hedged to CAD. Pure gold price exposure without gold miner stock risk.

💡 No dividends — return is purely capital gain.

Annual cost on $10,000: $55/yr

Holds physical gold bullion in USD — your return includes both gold price AND USD/CAD movement.

💡 No dividends. Return is capital gain.

Annual cost on $10,000: $55/yr

Holds gold mining company stocks — NOT physical gold. Miners amplify gold price moves. Higher volatility than bullion ETFs.

💡 No significant withholding — largely Canadian miners.

Annual cost on $10,000: $61/yr

Physical silver bullion ETF hedged to CAD. More volatile than gold. Both industrial and precious metal demand.

💡 No dividends. Return is capital gain.

Annual cost on $10,000: $55/yr

Canadian oil and gas producers and pipelines. Concentrated sector bet — highly correlated to oil price.

💡 No foreign withholding — Canadian stocks only.

Annual cost on $10,000: $61/yr

Canadian banks, insurers, and financial services. Similar to ZEB but includes insurance companies too.

💡 No foreign withholding.

Annual cost on $10,000: $61/yr

Canadian tech stocks — Shopify is the dominant holding. Very concentrated — a Shopify bet with some diversification.

💡 No foreign withholding — Canadian stocks.

Annual cost on $10,000: $61/yr

US and global AI-related companies — Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet. Concentrated thematic bet on AI.

💡 US withholding applies. RRSP preferred.

Annual cost on $10,000: $60/yr

Canadian stocks historically less volatile than the TSX. Tends to fall less in downturns — but also rises less in rallies.

💡 No foreign withholding.

Annual cost on $10,000: $39/yr

US stocks with historically low volatility. Defensive US equity exposure — less tech-heavy than S&P 500.

💡 US withholding in TFSA. Best in RRSP.

Annual cost on $10,000: $35/yr