Best AI & Technology ETFs
Published by Radif Partners · Updated
IntermediateCompare ETFs focused on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and the broader technology sector. High-growth potential with higher volatility.
This guide reviews 44 AI & Technology ETFs funds available in Europe. They track 37 different indices, which is the first thing to check: two funds filed under the same theme do not necessarily hold the same securities, and a one-year performance gap is often explained by that rather than by how the fund is run. Their ongoing charges start at 0.09% for an average of 0.44%, and 23 of them pay their dividends out while the rest reinvest them. 20 are domiciled in US, which sets the withholding tax the fund suffers on the dividends it receives. The oldest, XLK, launched in 1998, giving 28 years of history, enough to see how it behaved in a fall. The order on this page does not follow past performance: over the horizons published it says more about the index tracked than about how the fund is run, and it does not repeat. What counts are the fees, the assets and the tracking quality, the figures that are known in advance.
Updated 2025-05
Artificial intelligence and the technology sector are experiencing exceptional growth, driven by the rise of generative AI, cloud computing, semiconductors and the digital transformation of businesses. Companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, TSMC and ASML are at the heart of this revolution that is reshaping entire swathes of the global economy.
AI & technology ETFs let you gain exposure to this theme without picking individual stocks. They typically group companies involved in semiconductors, software, cloud computing, robotics and artificial intelligence. Depending on the underlying index, concentration can vary significantly: some ETFs are highly focused (pure-play AI), while others cover the broader tech sector (Nasdaq-100, MSCI World IT).
A word of caution: tech ETFs are inherently more volatile than broad market indices. In 2022, the Nasdaq-100 fell over 30%, before rebounding more than 50% in 2023. This comparison helps you navigate the range of technology ETFs available in Europe, analysing fees, composition and historical performance of each fund.
0.44%
+20.2%
1121.9B
44
QQQ, Nasdaq-100
Invesco QQQ Trust
Simulated from available data points. Past returns do not guarantee future results.
Best Performance
Largest Funds
How to choose an AI & technology ETF
The first criterion is the underlying index. The Nasdaq-100 is the most well-known: it groups the 100 largest non-financial stocks listed on Nasdaq, with heavy dominance from GAFAM and semiconductor companies. For a more targeted AI exposure, indices like the MSCI ACWI IMI Robotics & AI or the Solactive Global Artificial Intelligence focus specifically on companies whose core business is AI.
Fees vary considerably in this category. A standard Nasdaq-100 ETF (Invesco, iShares, Amundi) charges a TER of 0.20-0.33%, while a thematic AI ETF can reach 0.35-0.50%. This premium is justified if the stock selection closely matches your investment conviction.
Check the fund's concentration: some tech ETFs allocate over 40% of their weight to the top 5 holdings (Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, etc.). This concentration amplifies gains in rising markets but increases risk during downturns. For French investors, several Nasdaq-100 ETFs are PEA-eligible through synthetic replication, a meaningful tax advantage.
Full Comparison
| # | Name | TER | AUM | Replication | Distribution | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMHVanEck MarketVector US Listed Semiconductor 10% Capped | 0.35% | 7.8B | physical | accumulating | +156.1% | – | +35.3% | |
| 2 | SOXLDirexion ICE Semiconductor 3x Leveraged | 0.76% | 24.0B | synthetic | distributing | +117.1% | +77.9% | +16.3% | |
| 3 | SEMIL&G ROBO Global Semiconductor | 0.34% | 6.6B | physical | accumulating | +76.8% | +42.5% | +22.7% | |
| 4 | SOXXiShares ICE Semiconductor | 0.35% | 48.4B | physical | distributing | +66.8% | +47.9% | +26.2% | |
| 5 | ISPYiShares STOXX Global Digital Security Select | 0.40% | 1.2B | physical | accumulating | +42.9% | +29.7% | +12.1% | |
| 6 | WCBRWisdomTree WisdomTree Team8 Cybersecurity | 0.45% | 591M | physical | accumulating | +36.5% | +31.8% | +8.5% | |
| 7 | HACKETFMG Prime Cyber Defense | 0.60% | 3.3B | physical | distributing | +32.6% | +31.6% | +12.2% | |
| 8 | CYBRiShares STOXX Global Digital Security Select | 0.40% | 143M | physical | accumulating | +30.1% | +27.6% | +8.4% | |
| 9 | PANXAmundi Nasdaq-100 | 0.23% | 477M | synthetic | accumulating | +27.8% | +29.0% | +17.2% | |
| 10 | QDVEiShares S&P 500 Information Technology Sector EUR Hedged | 0.20% | 20.6B | physical | accumulating | +27.8% | +32.9% | +21.9% | |
| 11 | CIBRFirst Trust Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity | 0.60% | 17.3B | physical | distributing | +27.5% | +30.2% | +13.1% | |
| 12 | RBOTiShares iSTOXX FactSet Automation & Robotics | 0.40% | 5.8B | physical | accumulating | +27.0% | +27.5% | +9.3% | |
| 13 | XLKSPDR Technology Select Sector | 0.09% | 127.3B | physical | distributing | +25.0% | +30.8% | +18.3% | |
| 14 | WITSiShares MSCI World Information Technology | 0.25% | 1.3B | physical | distributing | +23.6% | – | – | |
| 15 | TQQQProShares NASDAQ-100 3x Leveraged | 0.86% | 37.9B | synthetic | distributing | +23.4% | +58.8% | +14.1% | |
| 16 | LOCKiShares STOXX Global Digital Security | 0.40% | 2.4B | physical | accumulating | +23.0% | +26.7% | +9.8% | |
| 17 | VGTVanguard MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 | 0.10% | 177.9B | physical | distributing | +22.8% | +32.4% | +17.4% | |
| 18 | XNASXtrackers Nasdaq-100 | 0.20% | 2.8B | physical | accumulating | +22.3% | +25.5% | +15.3% | |
| 19 | QLDProShares NASDAQ-100 2x Leveraged | 0.95% | 15.1B | synthetic | distributing | +21.9% | +44.8% | +17.2% | |
| 20 | IUITiShares S&P 500 Information Technology Sector | 0.15% | 20.6B | physical | accumulating | +21.7% | +35.4% | +21.0% | |
| 21 | PUSTAmundi Solactive US Large & Mid Cap Technology | 0.30% | 1.3B | synthetic | accumulating | +20.6% | +25.1% | +15.1% | |
| 22 | XDWFXtrackers MSCI World Information Technology | 0.25% | 1.5B | physical | accumulating | +18.4% | +25.0% | +12.9% | |
| 23 | CSNDXiShares Nasdaq-100 | 0.33% | 14.5B | physical | accumulating | +18.2% | +27.8% | +14.4% | |
| 24 | EQQQInvesco Nasdaq-100 | 0.30% | 11.8B | physical | distributing | +17.8% | +23.5% | +14.7% | |
| 25 | CLOUGlobal X Indxx Global Cloud Computing | 0.68% | 375M | physical | distributing | +17.1% | +15.8% | -2.3% | |
| 26 | XAIXXtrackers Nasdaq Global Artificial Intelligence and Big Data | 0.35% | 9.4B | physical | accumulating | +16.5% | +35.1% | +20.1% | |
| 27 | WCLDWisdomTree BVP Nasdaq Emerging Cloud | 0.45% | 282M | physical | distributing | +16.0% | +13.8% | -8.0% | |
| 28 | QQQInvesco Nasdaq-100 | 0.20% | 498.9B | physical | distributing | +15.0% | +26.0% | +13.7% | |
| 29 | SKYYFirst Trust ISE Cloud Computing | 0.60% | 3.3B | physical | distributing | +14.4% | +29.2% | +6.7% | |
| 30 | UNICiShares STOXX Global Metaverse | 0.50% | 584M | physical | accumulating | +5.4% | – | – | |
| 31 | EXXTiShares TecDAX | 0.51% | 6.4B | physical | distributing | +3.7% | +24.9% | +14.8% | |
| 32 | DGTLiShares iSTOXX FactSet Digitalisation | 0.40% | 768M | physical | accumulating | +3.3% | +20.9% | +1.7% | |
| 33 | VOXVanguard MSCI US Investable Market Communication Services 25/50 | 0.10% | 6.3B | physical | distributing | +1.0% | +21.2% | +6.0% | |
| 34 | XDWCXtrackers MSCI World Communication Services | 0.25% | 333M | physical | accumulating | +0.1% | +11.6% | +3.8% | |
| 35 | XLCSPDR Communication Services Select Sector | 0.09% | 22.5B | physical | distributing | -4.5% | +18.4% | +6.5% | |
| 36 | BCHNInvesco CoinShares Blockchain Global Equity | 0.65% | 1.1B | physical | accumulating | -5.7% | +41.8% | +6.6% | |
| 37 | EXV8iShares STOXX Europe 600 Technology | 0.46% | 753M | physical | distributing | -7.2% | +12.5% | +5.3% | |
| 38 | ARKKARK Invest ARK Innovation (Active) | 0.75% | 7.9B | physical | accumulating | -8.6% | +31.4% | -7.1% | |
| 39 | BOTZGlobal X Indxx Global Robotics & AI Thematic | 0.68% | 3.3B | physical | distributing | -12.5% | +12.7% | -2.3% | |
| 40 | PSQProShares NASDAQ-100 -1x Inverse | 0.95% | 594M | synthetic | distributing | -14.4% | -22.3% | -14.9% | |
| 41 | HEROGlobal X Solactive Video Games & Esports | 0.50% | 62M | physical | distributing | -15.9% | +15.4% | -1.5% | |
| 42 | KWEBKraneShares CSI Overseas China Internet | 0.68% | 4.5B | physical | distributing | -39.8% | -1.6% | -14.3% | |
| 43 | SQQQProShares NASDAQ-100 -3x Inverse | 0.86% | 2.1B | synthetic | distributing | -44.3% | -58.0% | -47.0% | |
| 44 | PNRJAmundi Nasdaq-100 | 0.23% | 1.5B | synthetic | accumulating | – | – | – |
Key takeaways
- 1The Nasdaq-100 offers the most liquid and cheapest tech exposure, with TERs starting from 0.20%.
- 2Thematic AI ETFs (Xtrackers AI & Big Data, L&G Artificial Intelligence) are more concentrated and expensive, but precisely target the artificial intelligence sector.
- 3Tech ETF volatility is 1.5 to 2 times that of an MSCI World ETF, limit the allocation to 10-20% of your total portfolio.
- 4Nvidia, Microsoft and TSMC appear in virtually all ETFs in this category, creating overlap risk if you already hold an S&P 500 or MSCI World ETF.
- 5Several Nasdaq-100 ETFs are PEA-eligible (Amundi, Lyxor) with a TER of 0.22-0.30%.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a Nasdaq-100 ETF and an AI ETF?
Are technology ETFs too risky for beginners?
Should I invest in AI now or wait for a correction?
What’s the difference between a Nasdaq-100 ETF and a pure AI ETF?
Are tech ETFs suitable for a DCA strategy?
How do AI ETFs select companies?
Data sourced from fund factsheets. Last updated 2025-05.