The Best Bond ETFs

Investors with goals in the three- to 10-year range—say, buying a new home, starting a business, or retiring within the next decade—likely do need them. So do those who are already retired. Bonds are also favored by investors who may not be comfortable with being 100% invested in stocks, no matter their time horizons.

Exchange-traded funds that focus on fixed-income securities can be an excellent way for investors to get exposure to bonds. Here are a few reasons:

• Many ETFs are transparent—most track indexes with very specific duration and credit-quality traits—and offer few surprises.
• The best ETFs are low-cost, which is even more important when investing in bonds than in stocks: Every extra point paid in expenses is one less point in return, and returns are typically tougher to come by with bonds than with stocks.
• ETFs are easy to buy and sell.

A good place to start your search for the best bond ETFs is with the

. ETFs that earn our highest rating of Gold are those that we think are most likely to outperform over a full market cycle.

Here’s our lists of the best bond ETFs among core and core-plus bond funds. The highly rated ETFs on this list would be fine choices to anchor the bond portion of an investor’s portfolio, assuming the goals for the money are more than five years away.

The Best Core Bond ETFs to Buy Now

These ETFs all land in the intermediate core bond Morningstar Category and earn our top Medalist Rating of Gold with 100% analyst coverage as of June 2026.

1. BNY Mellon Core Bond ETF BKAG
2. Fidelity Investment Grade Bond ETF FIGB
3. iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF AGG
4. iShares ESG U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF EAGG
5. JPMorgan BetaBuilders US Aggregate Bond ETF BBAG
6. Schwab US Aggregate Bond ETF SCHZ
7. State Street SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF SPAB
8. Vanguard Core Bond ETF VCRB
9. Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF BND

ETFs in Morningstar’s intermediate-term core bond category invest in a blend of US investment-grade bonds, including government, corporate, and securitized debt.

Although these funds are all in the same category, they practice different strategies; investors should look at the analyst reports for more details. If none of these ETFs fits the bill for you, you can find additional top-rated ETFs in The Best ETFs and How They Fit in Your Portfolio.

Best Core-Plus Bond ETFs for 2026

These ETFs all land in the intermediate core-plus bond category and earn our top Medalist Rating of Gold with 100% analyst coverage as of June 2026.

1. Allspring Core Plus ETF APLU
2. Eaton Vance Total Return Bond ETF EVTR
3. Fidelity Total Bond ETF FBND
4. Hartford Total Return Bond ETF HTRB
5. Invesco Total Return Bond ETF GTO
6. iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF IUSB
7. iShares Total Return Active ETF BRTR
8. JPMorgan Core Plus Bond ETF JCPB
9. Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF NCPB
10. PGIM Total Return Bond ETF PTRB
11. Pimco Active Bond ETF BOND
12. Vanguard Core-Plus Bond ETF VPLS

In addition to investing in investment-grade US bonds, the funds in Morningstar’s intermediate core-plus bond category have more flexibility to buy corporate high-yield bonds, bank loans, and emerging-market debt, too. Prospective investors can examine the funds’ analyst reports for more details.

How to Find More Top ETFs for the Long Term

ETFs are often equated with low-cost indexing. However, the ETF marketplace has grown increasingly complicated. Some ETFs track a very narrow part of the market or pursue specific themes. Some ETFs invest based on a particular factor or a combination of factors. And now, there are actively managed ETFs.

Use these Morningstar resources to help find the best ETFs for the long term:

• Learn about the types of ETFs, their costs, and how to invest in them by reading Morningstar’s Guide to ETF Investing.
• Find the highest-rated ETFs across all investment categories in The Best ETFs and How They Fit in Your Portfolio.
• Review Morningstar director of personal finance Christine Benz’s suggested ETF portfolios for those saving for or already in retirement, including Tax-Efficient Retirement-Saver Portfolios for ETF Investors, Tax-Sheltered Retirement-Saver Portfolios for ETF Investors, Tax-Sheltered ESG Retirement-Saver Portfolios for ETF Investors, Tax-Sheltered Retirement-Bucket Portfolios for ETF Investors, and Tax-Sheltered ESG Retirement-Bucket Portfolios for ETF Investors.
• Research ETFs based on your personal selection criteria by using our Morningstar Investor Screener. The tool, which is available to Morningstar Investor members, allows investors to screen ETFs based on various criteria, including asset class, Morningstar Category, Medalist Rating, and fee level.
• Visit Morningstar’s ETF page for the latest articles and videos from our ETF specialists.