5 Best Silver ETFs to Buy in Q1 2025

Silver will always come a lacklustre second to gold when we compare prices for both metals in the physical market. However, a lesser known fact is that silver ETFs often outperform gold ETFs in the stock market. This beginners’ guide features the best silver ETFs to consider for your portfolio.

What are the top silver ETFs to buy?

Our analysts have selected five of the best ETFs to buy for this year as displayed in the table below. Continue scrolling further to learn more about each.

1. abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF (NYSEARCA: SIVR)

• Current price: $27.67
• AUM: $1.31 billion
• Annual expense ratio: 0.30%
• YTD performance: 21.52%
• Annual dividend yield: N/A

abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF is a fund that seeks to track the performance of the price of the silver bullion. The fund’s shares are issued by the Aberdeen Standard Silver ETF Trust and therefore SIVR reflects the price of silver bullion less the trust’s operational expenses. The fund currently holds 46,749 bars worth over 1.3 billion USD. 

The fund’s custodian is well-established and reputed investment bank, JP Morgan and the silver is stored in JP Morgan’s secured vault in London, United Kingdom.

Investors must note that investing in physical silver entails costly and complex procedures involving assay, transportation, warehousing, and insurance.

While SIVR shares don’t precisely mirror a direct investment in silver, they offer an alternative, enabling investors to participate in the silver market via the securities market.

2. iShares Silver Trust ETF (NYSEARCA: SLV)

• Current price: $26.45
• AUM: $12.63 billion
• Annual expense ratio: 0.50%
• YTD performance: 21.44%
• Annual dividend yield: N/A

The iShares Silver Trust ETF stands out as the largest silver ETF by assets under management, offering unparalleled liquidity in the market. Launched in 2006, SLV is designed to track the daily performance of silver bullion prices, providing investors with a direct yet convenient method to gain exposure to physical silver.

Unlike actively managed funds, SLV adheres to a passive investment strategy, aiming to mirror silver price movements without attempting to generate additional profit through other activities.

SLV’s substantial size and liquidity make it a preferred choice for investors looking to hedge against inflation and diversify their portfolios. The fund holds a significant amount of silver in secure vaults, with over 437 million troy ounces stored across locations in London and New York.

3. Sprott Physical Silver Trust (NYSEARCA: PSLV)

• Current price: $9.86
• AUM: $5.19 billion
• Annual expense ratio: 0.60%
• YTD performance: 22.03%
• Annual dividend yield: N/A

Sprott Physical Silver Trust is a closed-end fund managed by Sprott Asset Management LP, specializing in physical silver bullion. PSLV holds London Good Delivery silver bars, ensuring investors own a tangible asset.

PSLV also provides the flexibility of redeeming shares for physical silver, a rarity in the ETF market. This redeemable feature appeals to investors seeking the option to convert their investments into actual silver bullion.

The fund’s assets are securely stored at the Royal Canadian Mint, emphasizing trustworthy and transparent storage solutions, which is a crucial factor for those wary of custodial risks.

The trust offers potential tax advantages over traditional silver ETFs. As a closed-end fund, PSLV might provide favorable tax treatments on gains, appealing to tax-sensitive investors. Additionally, the fund’s liquidity and ease of trading on major exchanges make it an attractive choice for those looking to add silver exposure without the complexities of direct ownership.

4. ProShares Ultra Silver ETF (NYSEARCA: AGQ)

• Current price: $36.69
• AUM: $560.77 million
• Annual expense ratio: 0.95%
• YTD performance: 35.04%
• Annual dividend yield: N/A

ProShares Ultra Silver ETF offers a leveraged exposure to silver, aiming to achieve twice the daily performance of the Bloomberg Silver Subindex. This ETF is particularly attractive to investors seeking amplified returns from short-term price movements in the silver market.

Unlike traditional silver ETFs, AGQ uses derivatives such as futures contracts to accomplish its 2x leverage objective. AGQ is managed by ProShare Capital Management LLC and co-managed by ProFund Advisors LLC and ProShare Advisors LLC.

This structured approach allows AGQ to dynamically adjust its exposure to financial instruments, offering an aggressive yet systematic strategy for capitalizing on silver’s price fluctuations. However, this leverage comes with increased risk, making it suitable for experienced investors comfortable with volatility.

5. ProShares UltraShort Silver ETF (NYSEARCA: ZSL)

• Current price: $11.46
• AUM: $77.22 million
• Annual expense ratio: 1.32%
• YTD performance: –37.17%
• Annual dividend yield: N/A

ProShares UltraShort Silver ETF offers a unique approach to investing in the decline in silver prices by seeking to deliver twice the inverse of the daily performance of the Bloomberg Silver Subindex.  

Unlike traditional ETFs that hold physical silver or its derivatives, ZSL employs a strategy using swaps and futures contracts to achieve its inverse leveraged objective.

This ETF’s strategy involves significant risk and is designed for short-term trading rather than long-term holding. The fund’s performance can be highly volatile and is best suited for experienced investors who are comfortable with daily rebalancing and the potential for substantial losses.

The daily resetting of leverage means that holding ZSL for longer periods can result in performance deviations from the expected -2x target. Despite its niche focus, ZSL provides a valuable tool for hedging against downside movements in silver or for speculative trading strategies.

Its high expense ratio of 1.32% reflects the complexities of managing leveraged inverse positions. As a result, ZSL appeals to investors with a strong understanding of market dynamics and a specific need for a tactical approach to the silver market.

Where to buy the best silver ETFs

Register with an online broker to invest in silver ETFs. ETFs are like individual stocks, you can buy or sell them as you wish. The table below features our preference of the best brokers that offer silver ETFs.

4.6

eToro

Min. Deposit $100

Fees 1%

No. assets 3600+

Demo account Yes

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eToro review

eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.

4.4

Public

Min. Deposit $20

Fees 1-2%

No. assets 9000+

Demo account No

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Public.com review

Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849) through a software licensing agreement between Apex Crypto LLC and Public Crypto LLC. Crypto trading on Public platforms is served by Public Crypto LLC and offered through APEX Crypto. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved before trading.

Best Silver ETFs

Min. Deposit n/a

Fees -

No. assets n/a

Demo account -

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What is a silver ETF?

In its most traditional format, it is an exchange traded fund that holds physical silver in trust by the fund manager or custodian. When you invest in a silver ETF that holds physical silver, each share is representative of a particular quantity of silver. 

Other types of silver ETFs include: ETFs that hold financial instruments engaged with the performance of the price of silver as well as ETFs that hold shares in companies that operate in the silver mining industry. There are many ways of investing in silver and silver ETFs can offer as direct or indirect an investment as you prefer.

Are silver ETFs a good investment?

In a nutshell: yes. The type of silver ETF you opt for is dependent on your budget and consequent risk appetite. For instance, ETFs that hold physical silver offer investors more affordable exposure to the precious metal than investing in it directly. These ETFs are not suited for long-term investors but can prove to be a hedge against inflation in periods of market uncertainty. 

Whereas, investors with higher risk appetite seeking a short-term return should opt for ETFs that hold financial instruments dealing with the performance of the price of silver. Then there are silver ETFs that hold shares in companies that operate in the silver mining industry. These offer new investors ancillary, less risky access to the market. 

Therefore, different types of silver ETFs correspond to different levels of risk depending on their holdings and the nature of those holdings and you must do your own due diligence to decide on the best investment for your portfolio. You can use the links below to stay on top of the industry and best place your investment in silver ETFs.

Methodology: How we choose the best silver ETFs

At Invezz, we are dedicated to helping investors make informed decisions by providing authoritative, accessible, and engaging advice and recommendations. Our curated section of the best Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) is carefully selected by our team of experienced market analysts and reviewed by a sub-editor. This methodology outlines the rigorous process we follow to ensure our ETF recommendations are up-to-date, reliable, and insightful.

• Analyst research & recommendations: Our seasoned market analysts use their in-depth sector knowledge to identify ETFs with strong potential, ensuring they meet high standards of performance, liquidity, and market potential.
• ETF evaluation: We evaluate ETFs based on their underlying assets, historical performance, expense ratios, and tracking accuracy, alongside macroeconomic factors and sector trends.
• Fund performance reports: We assess ETFs through the latest performance reports, analyzing key metrics like returns, volatility, expense ratios, and assets under management (AUM).
• Sector analysis and external recommendations: Our detailed sector analysis, combined with recommendations from reputable sources like Barron’s and Zacks, provides an additional layer of validation for our selections.
• Quarterly review & refresh: We update our curated ETF list quarterly, re-evaluating each ETF based on the latest reports, industry developments, and market conditions to ensure our recommendations reflect the most current information available.