PPLT carries a higher expense ratio and is much smaller in assets under management than GLD.
Over the past year, PPLT’s total return more than doubled GLD’s, but with a much steeper five-year drawdown.
Both funds provide direct exposure to physical metals but track different commodities and risk profiles.
SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT:GLD) and abrdn Physical Platinum Shares ETF (NYSEMKT:PPLT) differ most in their metal focus, with PPLT charging a higher fee, showing greater five-year risk, and offering less liquidity due to its smaller assets under management.
GLD and PPLT both offer investors a straightforward way to access precious metals, but each tracks a different underlying commodity: gold for GLD and platinum for PPLT. This comparison looks at cost, recent performance, risk, and portfolio makeup to help clarify which may appeal depending on personal risk tolerance and commodity preference.
Metric | GLD | PPLT |
|---|---|---|
Issuer | SPDR | Aberdeen Investments |
Expense ratio | 0.40% | 0.60% |
1-yr return (as of 2026-01-22) | 77.5% | 185.8% |
Beta | 0.51 | 0.35 |
AUM | $153.7 billion | $2.0 billion |
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.
PPLT comes with a higher annual fee than GLD, making the gold ETF more affordable for long-term holders. Yield is not a consideration for either fund, as both are designed purely for price exposure to their respective metals.
Metric | GLD | PPLT |
|---|---|---|
Max drawdown (5 y) | -21.03% | -35.73% |
Growth of $1,000 over 5 years | $2,396 | $2,133 |
PPLT is designed for investors seeking direct platinum exposure with minimal credit risk. The fund has existed for 16 years, offering a simple way to invest in platinum without physical delivery or futures contracts. Sector breakdown is not reported, and there are no details on top holdings, but like GLD, PPLT is structured to track the price of a single metal rather than a diversified basket. Its relatively small assets under management may affect trading liquidity for larger investors.
GLD, by contrast, provides 100% exposure to the basic materials sector via physical gold holdings. While details on its top holdings are not disclosed, GLD is the oldest and largest US-listed gold ETF, which contributes to its deep liquidity and broad acceptance among institutional and retail investors. Neither fund comes with leverage, currency hedge, or other quirks, keeping their strategies straightforward.