Gold and have emerged as popular options for retail investors looking to gain exposure to precious metals without directly buying physical gold or silver. However, the recent sharp movements in precious metal prices have also made returns across more volatile.
Data for August 2026 shows that the ETFs leading the monthly return charts were not necessarily the same funds that topped the one-year performance tables. This highlights why investors should look beyond short-term returns when evaluating precious metal ETFs.
Which gold ETFs led in August 2026?
| Gold ETFs | August 2026 return |
| Zerodha Gold ETF | 8.86% |
| UTI Gold ETF | 8.85% |
| Quantum Gold ETF | 8.84% |
| Kotak Gold ETF | 8.83% |
| ABSL Gold ETF | 8.82% |
Source: Value Research, Direct Plans
Zerodha Gold ETF delivered the highest return in August 2026 at 8.86%, narrowly followed by UTI Gold ETF at 8.85% and Quantum Gold ETF at 8.84%.
The difference between the top five was extremely narrow, with just 0.04 percentage points separating the highest and fifth-highest return.
Which gold ETFs led in the last 1 year?
| Gold ETFs | 1-year return |
| UTI Gold ETF | 51.15% |
| LIC MF Gold ETF | 50.81% |
| Quantum Gold ETF | 50.76% |
| Invesco India Gold ETF | 50.68% |
| ABSL Gold ETF | 50.24% |
Source: Value Research, Direct Plans, Returns as on 31 August 2026
The one-year leaderboard looks different. UTI Gold ETF topped the list with a return of 51.15%, followed by LIC MF Gold ETF at 50.81% and Quantum Gold ETF at 50.76%.
However, only two of the top five gold ETFs in August, Quantum Gold ETF and ABSL Gold ETF, also feature among the top five performers over the last one year.
This shows how short-term rankings can differ from longer-term performance.
Which silver ETFs led in August 2026?
| Silver ETFs | August 2026 return |
| DSP Silver ETF | 8.59% |
| Zerodha Silver ETF | 8.54% |
| ICICI Pru Silver ETF | 8.53% |
| Kotak Silver ETF | 8.51% |
| ABSL Silver ETF | 8.50% |
Source: Value Research, Direct Plans
Silver ETFs also posted strong returns in August. DSP Silver ETF led the category with an 8.59% return, followed by Zerodha Silver ETF at 8.54%.
The gap between the top and bottom fund was just 0.09 percentage points.
Which silver ETFs led in the last 1 year?
| Silver ETFs | 1-year return |
| SBI Silver ETF | 98.10% |
| Tata Silver ETF | 98.08% |
| Axis Silver ETF | 98.03% |
| ICICI Pru Silver ETF | 98.02% |
| DSP Silver ETF | 97.92% |
Source: Value Research, Direct Plans, Returns as on 31 August 2026
The one-year performance table is led by SBI Silver ETF, which delivered a staggering 98.10% return.
Tata Silver ETF and Axis Silver ETF followed closely at 98.08% and 98.03%, respectively.
Here too, only two of the top five silver ETFs in August—ICICI Pru Silver ETF and DSP Silver ETF appear in the one-year top five funds.
How did the top gold and silver ETF returns compare?
The performance gap between the top-performing gold and silver ETFs was significant over the last 1 year. UTI Gold ETF gave 51.15% returns, while SBI Silver ETF gave 98.10%. This means the silver ETF gave nearly twice the return of gold.
However, the picture was much closer in August 2026. Zerodha Gold ETF gave 8.86% returns, compared with 8.59% for the top-performing DSP Silver ETF.
This means gold led silver among the top performers during the month, although the difference was only 0.27 percentage points.
Disclaimer: This is purely for educational/informational purposes and should not be taken as any sort of investment advice. Always consult a SEBI-registered advisor before making any investment decisions.