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GRID vs ZAP

First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index Fund

GRIDBNasdaq

Global X U.S. Electrification ETF

ZAPBNasdaq

Overlap

Expense ratio

ZAP −0.06pt a year

GRID0.56%ZAP0.50%

Avg volume · 30D

GRID 4.8×the volume

GRID587KZAP122K

GRID vs ZAP Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

+5.6%GRID+4.9%ZAP

Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. GRID +5.6%. ZAP +4.9%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−5%10%15%20%25%Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
GRID 0.56%
ZAP 0.50%, better
Fund size
GRID $11.1B
ZAP $450M
1Y total return
GRID +5.6%, better
ZAP +4.9%
Yield (12M)
GRID 0.94%
ZAP 1.88%, better
Holdings
GRID 130
ZAP 47
Avg volume (30D)
GRID 587K sh, better
ZAP 122K sh
NAV per share
GRID $164.65
ZAP $31.56
52W range

ETF.net Grade

GRID: Cost 46, Risk 53, Mission not scored, Tradability 79, Holdings 47, Durability 95. ZAP: Cost 61, Risk 71, Mission not scored, Tradability 75, Holdings 67, Durability 76.
Pillar letters and Scores for GRID, ZAP, with each pillar’s weight
PillarGRIDZAP
Cost30% weightC46B61Higher
Mission25% weightNot scoredNot scored
Risk15% weightC53A71Higher
Tradability15% weightA79HigherA75
Holdings10% weightC47B67Higher
Durability5% weightA95HigherA76

Rank among Grid & Electrification funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. GRID and ZAP are both graded against the same 10 Grid & Electrification funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Grid & Electrification⁠

Category · 10 funds
See all 10 ›

ZAP ranks 1st and GRID 3rd of 10 funds in the Grid & Electrification Category.

  1. Rank 1BZAPGlobal X U.S. Electrification ETFScore 67
  2. Rank 2BELFYALPS Electrification Infrastructure ETFScore 66
  3. Rank 3BGRIDFirst Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index FundScore 57
  4. Rank 4CGASZCorgi Natural Gas Power & Turbines ETFScore 53

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

GRIDBFirst Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index Fund

ZAPBGlobal X U.S. Electrification ETF

In short

GRID GRID was buying transformers, smart meters and switchgear back in 2009, when "electrification" was a niche word. Roughly 100 global grid names, with the index reserving 80% of its weight for pure-play grid companies and 20% for diversified multinationals.

ZAP Most electrification funds buy the picks and shovels. ZAP also buys the power company: a US-focused index spanning conventional generation and delivery, alternative power, and grid hardware, priced at the low end of its peer group.

Stated mandate

GRID The Fund is an exchange-traded equity fund seeking results that generally correspond to the price and yield of the Nasdaq Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index before fees and expenses.

ZAP The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Global X U.S. Electrification Index. It invests at least 80% of net assets in securities of that index, including common stocks and ADRs.

Why people hold it

  • GRID The original grid fund. It has tracked Clean Edge's smart grid index since 2009, through a full cycle of clean-energy booms and busts, while most of its peer group launched recently.cleanedge.com
  • At 0.56% it undercuts the 0.75% median for its grid and electrification cohort, though newer rivals ELFY and ZAP come in at 0.50%.
  • The 80/20 split keeps the theme honest: pure-play grid firms carry most of the weight, with diversified multinationals filling the rest rather than swamping it.cleanedge.com
  • A multi-billion-dollar fund that trades actively and distributes quarterly, real staying power in a category where most competitors are still building a track record.
  • ZAP 0.50% expense ratio, tied for cheapest in its electrification cohort and comfortably under the 0.75% cohort median.
  • Three lanes in one basket: conventional electricity generation, transmission and distribution; alternative power; and grid and smart-grid technology. Pays quarterly.globalxetfs.com
  • Revenue screens keep the theme tight: grid and alternative names need 50%+ of revenue from the theme, conventional utilities 75% to get in.globalxetfs.com
  • Deliberately domestic. The index sticks to US-listed electrification names, while a peer like GRID tracks a global smart-grid benchmark.sec.govsec.gov 2

Worth knowing

  • GRID About 100 stocks in one theme tied to utility and industrial capex. When grid spending cools, the portfolio has nowhere else to be.ftportfolios.com
  • Global by design, so non-US market moves and currency swings ride along with the grid story.ftportfolios.com
  • Clean Edge decides what counts as a grid company. Membership resets semiannually with quarterly rebalances, so the lineup can shift under you.cleanedge.comnasdaq.com
  • ZAP Launched December 2024, so the track record is short and there is little history to judge it against.
  • About 40 holdings, and the prospectus says the fund concentrates its investments. Moves in power and grid names land with full force.sec.gov
  • Self-indexed: Global X owns the index its own fund tracks, and an affiliate administers it. Common in thematics, still worth knowing.sec.gov

Full GRID profile⁠

Full ZAP profile⁠

GRID vs ZAP Holdings

As of
How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

GRID vs ZAP Cost

Overpaying GRID vs ZAP

$1,109

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • GRID 0.56%

    $11,088

  • ZAP 0.50%

    $9,979

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • GRID 0.56%
  • ZAP 0.50%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2.5K$5K$7.5K$10K$12.5K051015202530GRID $11,088ZAP $9,979

Year by year

YearGRIDZAPOverpaying
10$1,006$900$106
20$3,855$3,460$395
30$11,088$9,979$1,109

Expense ratio

  • 0.56%GRID
  • 0.50%ZAP, cheaper
  • Middle half of Grid & Electrification funds
  • Median 0.53%

ZAP 4th cheapest of 10 funds

GRID 6th cheapest of 10 funds

GRID vs ZAP Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
GRID 0.94%
ZAP 1.88%, better
Payout (12M)
GRID $1.55
ZAP $0.59
Last payment
GRID $0.35
ZAP $0.15
Ex-dividend
GRID Sep 24, 2026
ZAP Oct 5, 2026
Paid on
GRID Sep 30, 2026
ZAP Oct 8, 2026
Frequency
GRID Quarterly
ZAP Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

GRIDQuarterly · 38 paymentsAll GRID payments⁠
One bar per payment. 38 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Jun 22, 2017 $0.39; Sep 21, 2017 $0.06; Dec 21, 2017 $0.09; Mar 22, 2018 $0.06; Jun 21, 2018 $0.31; Sep 14, 2018 $0.12; Dec 18, 2018 $0.0075; Mar 21, 2019 $0.11; Jun 14, 2019 $0.26; Sep 25, 2019 $0.24; Dec 13, 2019 $0.08; Mar 26, 2020 $0.06; Jun 25, 2020 $0.15; Sep 24, 2020 $0.20; Dec 24, 2020 $0.15; Mar 25, 2021 $0.05; Jun 24, 2021 $0.34; Sep 23, 2021 $0.22; Dec 23, 2021 $0.04; Mar 25, 2022 $0.13; Jun 24, 2022 $0.43; Sep 23, 2022 $0.27; Dec 23, 2022 $0.27; Mar 24, 2023 $0.08; Jun 27, 2023 $0.70; Sep 22, 2023 $0.16; Dec 22, 2023 $0.35; Mar 21, 2024 $0.10; Jun 27, 2024 $0.64; Sep 26, 2024 $0.25; Dec 13, 2024 $0.27; Mar 27, 2025 $0.14; Jun 26, 2025 $0.83; Sep 25, 2025 $0.24; Dec 12, 2025 $0.34; Mar 26, 2026 $0.10; Jun 25, 2026 $0.76; Sep 24, 2026 $0.35. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.502017202020232026YTD
ZAPQuarterly · 8 paymentsAll ZAP payments⁠
One bar per payment. 8 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Dec 30, 2024 $0.00067; Apr 3, 2025 $0.14; Jul 3, 2025 $0.14; Oct 3, 2025 $0.10; Dec 30, 2025 $0.15; Apr 6, 2026 $0.13; Jul 6, 2026 $0.17; Oct 5, 2026 $0.15. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.502017202020232026YTD

GRID vs ZAP Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
GRID 19.9%ZAP 15.2%since Jan 2025
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
GRID 1.01ZAP 0.87since Jan 2025
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
GRID −29.6%ZAP −13.0%since Dec 2024
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
GRID 1.34ZAP 0.55

GRID and ZAP in the news

All news⁠

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