ETFs Offer an Easier Way to Hold Physical Metal. Is Buying Gold or Silver the Better Bet in 2026?

Factual differences in volatility and metal focus define the comparison between SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT:GLD) and ABDRN Physical Silver Shares ETF (NYSEMKT:SIVR), which cater to distinct precious metal strategies.

Investors often turn to precious metals as hedges against inflation or currency devaluation. This analysis compares the primary vehicles for gold and silver exposure, examining how GLD and SIVR differ in costs, historical price volatility, and liquidity for those seeking to diversify beyond traditional equities and bonds.

Snapshot (cost & size)

Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from monthly returns over the available fund history (up to five years). The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

The abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF is the more affordable of the two, with an expense ratio of 0.30%. In contrast, SPDR Gold Shares charges 0.40%, representing a slightly higher cost for accessing the precious metals market.

Performance & risk comparison

What's inside

SPDR Gold Shares seeks to track the price of bullion by holding physical bars in secure vaults. Its portfolio is all gold. Launched in 2004, it provides a liquid way to trade gold without the logistical challenges of physical possession. The company behind it, State Street Corp. (NYSE:STT) designed it to lower the barrier to entry for gold ownership.

ABRDN Physical Silver Shares ETF mirrors this structure but concentrates on the silver market. Similar to the gold fund, it is all metal in the portfolio. The fund's singular focus on physical silver provides a direct correlation to spot prices. Launched in 2009, the fund issuer, Aberdeen Investments, manages this vehicle to simplify access to silver.

Which fund is the better buy?

Both gold and silver prices have been on a stunning rally the past two years. Gold has more than doubled over the past two years as investors have flocked to the yellow metal for its historic inflation-hedging characteristics. Silver has nearly tripled since the start of 2025, partly in tandem with gold and partly due to industrial demand from renewable energy applications.

Investors seeking exposure to the metal rally without the time and expense of buying physical commodities directly have two good choices with these gold and silver ETFs. Still, it is worth noting that while these are ETFs, holding physical gold or silver through them brings different tax implications. In the U.S., gains from these funds will be treated as collectibles, which typically means a higher tax rate than for stocks for most investors. If you hold them in a tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA, you should sidestep these taxes.

While gold has always been considered the big brother to silver in the commodity world, the long-term performance may be a bit surprising: silver has outperformed gold the past year, and the past three, five, and 10 years too. Much of that comes from the fact that silver has higher industrial demand than gold, especially in the booming renewable energy space.

Between these ETFs, SIVR has returned 12% in the 10-year time-frame, compared to 11.4% for GLD.

Whether you’re a believer in the historic rally in gold and silver will continue despite the recent retracement in the metals, or whether you just want some hedging instruments for your overall portfolio, the SIVR fund appears to be the best ETF to buy in 2026

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

Brendan Coffey has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.