GLD vs IAU

Portfolio characteristics

Net assets are dated Nov 9, 2026 for both funds (GLD $137.93B; IAU $60.99B). Figures an issuer page does not show are left out or marked Not captured, not estimated.

A physically backed trust has one holding, so there is no top-ten list. Each issuer publishes a bar list showing the bars held for the trust. Custodian and trustee are shown where the issuer page lists them, and gaps are marked Not captured.

What you actually own

All rows come from the issuer pages and are dated Sep 30, 2026 for both funds, so they compare like for like. NAV returns include fees; market price and benchmark returns are shown beside them. “Since inception” starts in different years (GLD 2004, IAU 2005). Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Growth of a hypothetical $10,000 · NAV total return, both to Sep 30, 2026

Both funds derived from issuer NAV total returns on matched dates (compounded). Fund expenses are already in NAV. Illustration, not a forecast.

Both trusts trade on NYSE Arca. Spreads on the issuer pages were 0.01% for GLD and 0.01% for IAU, and a spread of 0.01% is about $10 between the buy and sell price on $100,000. Larger trusts usually trade with tighter spreads, which matters more for frequent traders than for long-term holders.

State Street lists options as available on GLD. Use limit orders for large trades and avoid the first and last minutes of the session. See creation, redemption and trading for how NAV, premiums and spreads arise.

The expense ratio is taken from the trust by selling metal, not billed to you. Fees exclude the bid/ask spread, any premium or discount to NAV, brokerage commissions and taxes.

Custody, valuation and fee terms sit in each prospectus; read them before relying on this summary.

Both trusts hold allocated gold bullion bars and nothing else, so they follow the same gold price. What separates them is the fee, the share price, the custodian and how heavily each one trades.

A physically backed trust has no manager choosing securities. Its NAV follows the LBMA Gold Price PM, and the main reason it trails that price is the fee. That is why the tracking table above matters more than any single year of returns: a trust that trails its benchmark by about its fee is doing its job.

Start with what separates them: Both trusts hold allocated gold bullion bars and nothing else, so they follow the same gold price. What separates them is the fee, the share price, the custodian and how heavily each one trades.

• Step 1 · Metal: both hold gold, so this step is settled.
• Step 2 · Cost: GLD 0.40% vs IAU 0.25%, or $40 vs $25 a year per $10,000.
• Step 3 · Trading: if you trade often or use options, the larger trust usually has tighter spreads; if you buy and hold, the fee matters more.
• Step 4 · What you own: check whether you already hold gold through another fund with the Diversification Calculator.

Size the position against your whole portfolio. Precious metals pay no income and can fall for years, so they usually play a small, deliberate role.

GLD and IAU are U.S.-listed and trade in U.S. dollars, so buying them from a Canadian account usually involves converting Canadian dollars, which adds a cost on entry and exit. A move in the U.S. dollar also changes your return in Canadian dollars.

Neither trust pays dividends, so U.S. dividend withholding tax is not the main issue here. Tax on gains depends on the account type and your own situation. Confirm the rules for your account with a tax professional. This is general education, not tax advice.

In the United States, physically backed metal trusts are generally treated as owning the metal directly, and long-term gains on gold and silver are generally taxed as collectibles at a maximum federal rate of 28%, which is higher than the usual long-term rate on stocks. The rule applies to both GLD and IAU. Short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income.

For Canadian account types, see the Canadian section above. Confirm the rules for your account with a tax professional, and read how to build an ETF portfolio.

Investors comparing GLD and IAU often also look at the other physical metal trusts in this group: GLD, IAU, GLDM, SGOL, SLV and SIVR. See the other gold and silver ETFs comparisons, the futures-based commodity ETFs and the ETF research hub.

Is GLD or IAU better?

In the GLD vs IAU question, neither is better for everyone. GLD and IAU hold the same metal. Both trusts hold allocated gold bullion bars and nothing else, so they follow the same gold price. What separates them is the fee, the share price, the custodian and how heavily each one trades.

Expense ratios are 0.40% and 0.25%, which is $40 and $25 a year per $10,000. NAV total returns, annualized (both to Sep 30, 2026): 1 year 8.74% vs 8.90%; 3 years 30.16% vs 30.38%; 5 years 18.62% vs 18.80%; 10 years 11.74% vs 11.91%. Neither is better for everyone; the choice turns on cost, trading needs and what you already own.

GLD vs IAU, what are the expense ratios?

GLD charges 0.40% and IAU charges 0.25%, which is $40 and $25 a year per $10,000.

GLD vs IAU, how much do the funds overlap?

On GLD vs IAU, they overlap completely by metal. GLD and IAU both hold only gold bullion, so owning both repeats one position.

GLD vs IAU, what does each ETF hold?

GLD holds allocated gold bars valued at the LBMA Gold Price PM. IAU holds allocated gold bars valued at the LBMA Gold Price. Neither holds futures or mining stocks.

GLD vs IAU, which has performed better?

NAV total returns, annualized (both to Sep 30, 2026): 1 year 8.74% vs 8.90%; 3 years 30.16% vs 30.38%; 5 years 18.62% vs 18.80%; 10 years 11.74% vs 11.91%. With the same metal behind both, the gap is close to the fee difference. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

GLD vs IAU, how closely do they track the metal price?

Over 10 years to Sep 30, 2026, GLD trailed its benchmark by 0.44 percentage points a year and IAU by 0.27, against fees of 0.40% and 0.25%.

GLD vs IAU, can I own both?

On GLD vs IAU, you can, but it adds nothing, because both hold the same metal. One trust is enough for the exposure.

GLD vs IAU, do the funds pay dividends?

On GLD vs IAU, no. GLD and IAU hold bullion, which earns no income, so neither pays a dividend or has a yield.

GLD vs IAU, how are gains taxed?

On GLD vs IAU, in the United States, long-term gains on physically backed gold and silver trusts are generally taxed as collectibles at up to 28%. Rules differ by country and account, so confirm with a tax professional. This is general education, not tax advice.

GLD vs IAU, are they suitable for Canadian investors?

On GLD vs IAU, both are U.S.-listed and trade in U.S. dollars, so Canadians face currency conversion costs. Neither pays dividends, so dividend withholding is not the main issue. Treatment of gains differs across TFSA, RRSP and taxable accounts. This is general education, not tax advice.

Third-party sources

State Street GLD fund page · iShares IAU fund page.

Methodology and limits

• GLD figures come from the State Street fund page and IAU figures from the iShares fund page.
• Dates are shown beside each figure; the issuer documents are linked below.
• Ounces per share: GLD uses NAV divided by the LBMA Gold Price PM of $4,117.00, Nov 9, 2026; IAU uses issuer ounces in trust divided by shares outstanding, Nov 9, 2026.
• Overlap is stated by metal held, because a physically backed trust has a single holding.
• Tracking gap is the benchmark return minus the NAV return for the same period, both from the issuer page.
• Figures an issuer page does not show are marked Not captured, and nothing was filled from memory or from another fund.
• Growth of $10,000 is derived from annualized NAV total returns on matched dates; dollar values are approximate.

Pathways, not rankings or recommendations.