ETF Screener

ETF Screener Guide

Choosing the right exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can feel overwhelming. With thousands of funds covering different asset classes, sectors, strategies, and cost structures, even experienced investors can struggle to narrow the field. An ETF screener exists to solve that problem.

An ETF screener helps investors reduce a large universe of ETFs into a focused list that fits a specific investment goal. Rather than researching funds one at a time, a screener allows you to compare ETFs side by side using consistent data—making it easier to spot differences in cost, exposure, size, and performance.

ETF screeners are especially useful because ETFs vary in ways that aren’t always obvious at a glance. Two funds tracking similar markets may differ meaningfully in expense ratio, liquidity, dividend yield, or portfolio construction. A screener brings those details together so investors can evaluate tradeoffs more clearly.

Used properly, an ETF screener doesn’t tell you what to buy. Instead, it helps you identify candidates worth deeper research—whether you’re building a diversified core portfolio, looking for income-producing ETFs, or targeting a specific asset class or theme.

How to Use the MarketBeat ETF Screener

MarketBeat’s ETF Screener is designed to help investors filter and compare ETFs efficiently using fund-specific data. The screener is available to All Access users and supports saving, exporting, and reusing custom screens.

At the top of the screener interface, you’ll see options to open saved screeners, save your current setup, and switch to full-screen view—useful when comparing many funds at once.

1. Customize filters and columns

The Customize Screener section is the main control center. This is where you decide which ETFs appear in your results and what information you see.

From here, you can reset your screen, open the Add Filters & Columns menu, and adjust how results are displayed before reviewing them.

Click Add Filters & Columns to choose ETF-specific filters and columns. ETF screening options are grouped into categories, making it easier to focus on fund structure and costs first, then layer in income or trading data.

Common ETF filters and columns include:

• Asset class and category
• Fund assets under management (AUM)
• Net expense ratio
• Discount or premium to NAV
• Issuer and fund structure details

You can also add columns from other categories—such as dividend yield or volume—if income or liquidity is part of your evaluation.

2. Set criteria, result size, and sorting

Once filters and columns are selected, you can configure them directly on the main screener page.

Here, you can:

• Set minimum or maximum values (such as expense ratio or fund size)
• Narrow results by asset class or ETF category
• Include dividend yield if you’re comparing income-focused ETFs
• Limit the number of results to keep comparisons manageable
• Choose how results are sorted by default (for example, fund AUM or expense ratio)

As you make adjustments, results update automatically. This allows you to refine your screen in real time until the list reflects the type of ETFs you want to analyze further.

3. Review, compare, and export results

The results table displays ETFs that match your criteria, along with the columns you selected—such as asset class, category, fund size, expense ratio, yield, and trading activity.

You can sort columns to compare funds from different angles or export the results to Excel if you want to continue your analysis outside the platform, save candidates, or track changes over time.