Best Thematic ETFs (2026)
Whether thematic funds are worth holding, and which ones rank best — 17 funds ranked on cost, yield, return, risk and ETFValuer's overall grade.
Every figure on this page is recalculated from market data each day, so the ranking reflects current conditions rather than whenever this page was written. Educational content — not financial advice.
Top Picks Right Now
- highest yield here at 6.89%
- lowest volatility at 17.6%
- largest and most liquid at $10.3B
Ranked by ETFValuer's overall score. Recalculated every day from live market data — these positions change as the underlying numbers move.
At a Glance
Each superlative is measured within this group of 17 funds, not across the whole market.
All 17 Funds Ranked
| Fund | Category | Cost | Yield | 1Y | 3Y | Volatility | Max DD | Sharpe | AUM | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 XTiShares Future Exponential Technologies ETF | Thematic | 0.46% | 6.89% | +22.0% | +86.5% | 17.6% | -22.1% | 0.97 | $4.0B | 68.6 | B |
| 2 AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF | Thematic | 0.68% | 0.15% | +23.7% | +140.5% | 29.3% | -26.4% | 0.64 | $10.3B | 63.4 | C |
| 3 IRBO*IRBO | Thematic | — | — | +56.9% | — | 35.8% | -32.4% | 1.45 | — | 58.9 | C |
| 4 WTAIWisdomTree Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Fund | Thematic | 0.45% | 1.44% | +25.9% | +135.1% | 40.7% | -31.8% | 0.51 | $679M | 58.5 | C |
| 5 FANFirst Trust Global Wind Energy ETF | Thematic | 0.60% | 1.39% | +10.7% | +64.8% | 20.6% | -24.1% | 0.28 | $199M | 45.9 | D |
| 6 ROBORobo Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF | Thematic | 0.95% | 0.39% | +10.6% | +64.9% | 27.0% | -27.9% | 0.21 | $2.0B | 43.4 | D |
| 7 ARKKARK Innovation ETF | Thematic | 0.75% | — | -3.9% | +139.1% | 37.3% | -39.6% | -0.24 | $7.9B | 42.6 | D |
| 8 ARKQARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF | Thematic | 0.75% | 0.27% | -2.1% | +141.0% | 34.6% | -30.8% | -0.21 | $1.9B | 42.5 | D |
| 9 ARKWARK Next Generation Technology ETF | Thematic | 0.76% | 1.52% | -6.6% | +209.9% | 33.9% | -36.2% | -0.34 | $2.0B | 40.3 | D |
| 10 BLOKAmplify Blockchain Technology ETF | Thematic | 0.70% | 0.15% | -18.9% | +182.2% | 40.8% | -35.6% | -0.59 | $1.1B | 38.0 | D |
| 11 DRIVGlobal X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles ETF | Thematic | 0.68% | 0.75% | +3.1% | +47.5% | 29.4% | -30.8% | -0.06 | $361M | 37.3 | D |
| 12 ARKFARK Blockchain & Fintech Innovation ETF | Thematic | 0.75% | 0.10% | -16.9% | +156.2% | 34.5% | -38.5% | -0.64 | $831M | 36.8 | D |
| 13 BOTZGlobal X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF | Thematic | 0.68% | 0.53% | -9.9% | +47.9% | 26.4% | -29.0% | -0.57 | $3.3B | 35.5 | D |
| 14 QCLNFirst Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index Fund | Thematic | 0.59% | 0.23% | -3.4% | +30.0% | 41.0% | -42.9% | -0.21 | $551M | 33.0 | F |
| 15 TANInvesco Solar ETF | Thematic | 0.70% | — | -10.6% | -0.1% | 38.0% | -51.8% | -0.41 | $900M | 28.5 | F |
| 16 MSOSAdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF | Thematic | 0.78% | — | -11.9% | -22.9% | 98.1% | -81.7% | -0.17 | $896M | 27.5 | F |
| 17 PBWInvesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF | Thematic | 0.63% | 2.72% | -21.0% | +6.0% | 42.7% | -55.0% | -0.61 | $336M | 25.9 | F |
* Marked funds have under three years of trading history. Their 3-year return is unavailable, and their max drawdown covers a shorter window than the rest of the table — a shallow figure there reflects a short life, not proven resilience. Max DD is the deepest peak-to-trough fall over the measurement window. Sharpe ratio measures return per unit of volatility — higher is better. Every figure is recalculated daily.
What Makes a Good Fund Here
Thematic funds launch after a theme is already popular, which is structurally the worst time to buy one. They carry high fees, high concentration and high turnover, and the research on them is consistently unflattering — treat the ranking below as a comparison within a difficult category rather than an endorsement of it.
The ETFValuer score blends trailing return, risk-adjusted return, expense ratio, maximum drawdown, fund size and volatility, each percentile-ranked against the full tracked universe, into a single 0-100 figure graded A+ to F. It is a systematic summary of past data, not a forecast — read it alongside the individual columns rather than instead of them.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Full metric-by-metric breakdowns for the closest calls in this group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best thematic ETF?
XT ranks highest of the 17 thematic funds tracked, with a score of 68.6 (B). Thematic funds are volatile and narrowly focused, so a top ranking here reflects recent performance in a small peer group.
Are thematic ETFs a good investment?
The evidence is not encouraging. Thematic funds typically launch after a theme has already run, charge well above index-fund fees, and studies have repeatedly found that investors' actual returns in them lag the funds' own reported returns because money arrives near peaks. Most investors are better served by a broad fund.
Compare any of these funds directly
Side-by-side metrics, holdings overlap and return correlation for any pair.