Skip to content

Best Monthly Dividend ETFs

84 funds in our universe match this category. Sort the table by any column - default sort is trailing 12-month yield, highest first.

Most U.S. dividend-paying stocks distribute quarterly, so a "monthly dividend ETF" is usually a fund that either (a) actively smooths quarterly stock dividends into a monthly schedule, (b) holds bonds, which commonly pay monthly coupon-style interest, or (c) runs an options-income strategy (like a covered call fund) that generates and distributes premium every month regardless of the underlying holdings' native payout schedule.

That distinction matters for what you're actually buying. A monthly-paying bond ETF (like an aggregate bond or Treasury fund) is providing monthly income from fixed-income coupons with bond-market risk and duration exposure. A monthly-paying covered call ETF (like JEPI or JEPQ) is providing monthly income from options premium on an equity portfolio, with equity market risk and upside-capping. Two funds can both say "monthly dividend" and mean very different things about what's actually generating the check.

The practical reason people seek out monthly payers is cash flow matching - a monthly paycheck-style deposit is easier to budget against than a quarterly lump sum, especially for anyone using distributions to cover recurring monthly bills. If that is your goal, filter the table below by yield and grade, but also open each fund's profile to see its category (bond, covered-call, dividend-growth, etc.) so you understand what is actually driving the payment before you rely on it.

Which ETFs pay monthly dividends?

Three groups dominate this list, and they behave very differently despite sharing a payment schedule. Bond and fixed-income funds pay monthly because coupon interest arrives continuously and is easy to pool - this is the oldest and most conventional route to a monthly check. Options-income and covered-call funds pay monthly because they generate premium continuously; this group carries the highest yields on the page and equity-market risk. A third, smaller group holds ordinary dividend equities and deliberately smooths their quarterly payments into a monthly schedule.

The practical implication: filter this table by category as well as by yield. A 3% monthly payer holding Treasuries and a 12% monthly payer running an options overlay are not competing products, and comparing them on yield alone will lead you to the wrong one. Each row links to a profile that names the category and strategy driving the payout.

Monthly income vs. total return

Paying monthly costs a fund nothing in itself - the schedule is an administrative choice, not a drag on performance. What does matter is what the fund gives up to produce a high monthly number. Options-income funds trade away part of their upside for premium, so in a strong bull market they will trail an uncapped index fund on total return even while paying you more cash along the way.

That trade is worth making when the income is doing a job: covering recurring bills, replacing a paycheck, or letting you avoid selling shares in a down market. It is a worse trade if you are simply reinvesting everything, since you are paying a structural cost - and often a tax cost - for cash flow you did not need. Decide which case you are in before you sort by yield.

Ticker Name Grade TTM Yield Exp. Ratio AUM
BAGY Amplify Bitcoin Max Income Covered Call ETF D 51.34% 0.750% $11.0M
MAXI Simplify Bitcoin Strategy PLUS Income ETF D 42.93% 0.710% $42.0M
BITO ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF D 41.37% 0.950% $246.0M
BTCI NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF D 39.55% 0.680% $200.0M
BITY Amplify Bitcoin 2% Monthly Option Income ETF D 33.95% 0.650% $15.0M
EGGY NestYield Dynamic Income ETF B 33.43% 0.990% $108.0M
KLIP KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF D 28.09% 0.500% $400.0M
XBCI NEOS Boosted Bitcoin High Income ETF C 25.68% 0.680% $4.0M
SVOL Simplify Volatility Premium ETF B 21.23% 1.040% $900.0M
SPYT Defiance S&P 500 Target Income ETF B 20.78% 0.990% $200.0M
XLEI State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF B 19.26% 0.240% $12.0M
XLKI State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF B 19.12% 0.240% $5.0M
KQQQ Kurv Technology Titans Select ETF B 16.01% 0.750% $101.0M
TDAQ TappAlpha Innovation 100 Growth & Daily Income ETF C 15.50% 0.990% $110.0M
QUSA VistaShares Target 15 USA Quality Income ETF C 15.39% 0.850% $17.0M
OMAH VistaShares Target 15 Berkshire Select Income ETF B 15.34% 0.850% $675.0M
QQQI NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF A 15.31% 0.680% $2.00B
IWMI NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF A 14.93% 0.680% $300.0M
ACKY VistaShares Target 15 ACKtivist Distribution ETF C 14.36% 0.850% $55.0M
KGLD Kurv Gold Enhanced Income ETF A 14.32% 0.750% $89.0M
IAUI NEOS Gold High Income ETF B 14.03% 0.680% $367.0M
TSPY TappAlpha S&P 500 Growth & Daily Income ETF B 13.99% 0.990% $225.0M
SPYI NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF B 12.85% 0.680% $3.20B
YYY Amplify High Income ETF C 12.66% 0.540% $694.0M
XQQI NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF C 12.10% 0.680% $14.0M
DRKY VistaShares Target 15 DRUKMacro Distribution ETF C 11.97% 0.850% $20.0M
IYRI NEOS Real Estate High Income ETF B 11.81% 0.680% $203.0M
HCOW Amplify COWS Covered Call ETF B 11.13% 0.550% $14.0M
JEPQ JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium ETF B 10.93% 0.350% $22.00B
QDVO Amplify Dividend Income ETF C 10.73% 0.590% $80.0M
QYLD Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF B 10.65% 0.600% $7.30B
RYLD Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF B 10.42% 0.600% $1.40B
NIHI NEOS MSCI EAFE High Income ETF D 10.07% 0.680% $89.0M
GPIQ Goldman Sachs Nasdaq 100 Core Premium Income ETF A 10.03% 0.290% $2.50B
SIOO VistaShares Target 15 S&P 100 Distribution ETF C 9.96% 0.850% $5.0M
XSPI NEOS Boosted S&P 500 High Income ETF C 9.69% 0.680% $9.0M
XYLD Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF C 9.65% 0.600% $2.60B
SOXY YieldMax Target 12 Semiconductor Option Income ETF B 9.62% 0.990% $27.0M
QQQH NEOS Nasdaq-100 Hedged Equity Income ETF C 9.02% 0.680% $150.0M
HYBI NEOS High Yield Corporate Bond High Income ETF C 9.00% 0.580% $200.0M
KHPI Kensington Hedged Premium Income ETF B 8.90% 0.850% $327.0M
FTHI First Trust BuyWrite Income ETF B 8.77% 0.850% $2.00B
TYLG Global X Information Technology Covered Call & Growth ETF B 8.11% 0.650% $12.5M
GPIX Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Core Premium Income ETF B 8.10% 0.290% $301.0M
KNG FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF C 8.09% 0.750% $3.60B
JEPI JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF C 7.94% 0.350% $37.00B
BALI iShares US Large Cap Premium Income Active ETF C 7.68% 0.330% $788.0M
SPYH NEOS S&P 500 Hedged Equity Income ETF B 7.59% 0.680% $150.0M
KBWY Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF B 7.45% 0.350% $300.0M
SRLN SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF C 7.29% 0.700% $2.00B
HNDL Strategy Shares Nasdaq 7HANDL Index ETF D 6.99% 0.720% $500.0M
TLTI NEOS 20+ Year Treasury Bond High Income ETF D 6.98% 0.580% $100.0M
USHY iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF C 6.93% 0.080% $12.00B
MDIV First Trust Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index ETF C 6.70% 0.680% $300.0M
JNK SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF C 6.62% 0.400% $6.00B
SPFF Global X SuperIncome Preferred ETF D 6.60% 0.580% $300.0M
PFXF VanEck Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF C 6.55% 0.470% $1.20B
PFFD Global X US Preferred ETF C 6.51% 0.230% $2.50B
BNDI NEOS Core Plus Bond Income ETF C 6.39% 0.580% $300.0M
DIVO Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend ETF C 6.19% 0.550% $3.40B
FPE First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF D 6.02% 0.850% $7.00B
PGX Invesco Preferred ETF C 5.93% 0.520% $4.00B
HYG iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond ETF D 5.89% 0.480% $14.00B
BUYW Main BuyWrite ETF C 5.87% 0.790% $1.10B
BKLN Invesco Senior Loan ETF D 5.86% 0.650% $4.00B
IDVO Amplify International Dividend Income ETF B 5.65% 0.550% $350.0M
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF D 5.44% 0.460% $13.00B
CSHI NEOS Enhanced Income Cash Alternative ETF C 5.26% 0.580% $800.0M
ISPY ProShares S&P 500 High Income ETF C 5.04% 0.500% $121.0M
SCHP Schwab US TIPS ETF C 5.00% 0.030% $15.18B
TIP iShares TIPS Bond ETF B 4.95% 0.190% $16.00B
VCIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF C 4.89% 0.040% $45.00B
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF D 4.74% 0.150% $60.00B
LQD iShares iBoxx Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF C 4.67% 0.140% $35.00B
QDPL Pacer Metaurus US Large Cap Dividend Multiplier 400 ETF C 4.49% 0.600% $1.50B
ROCQ JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Yield ETF N/A 4.35% 0.350% $380.0M
SPHD Invesco S&P 500 High Div Low Volatility ETF C 4.17% 0.300% $3.00B
AGG iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF D 4.05% 0.030% $115.00B
BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF D 4.03% 0.030% $130.00B
PEY Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF A 3.77% 0.540% $1.00B
QSIX Pacer Metaurus Nasdaq 100 Dividend Multiplier 600 ETF C 3.67% 0.600% $18.0M
ROCY JPMorgan Equity Premium Yield ETF N/A 2.83% 0.350% $250.0M
COWS Amplify Cash Flow Dividend Leaders ETF B 1.40% 0.290% $33.0M
DGRW WisdomTree US Quality Dividend Growth Fund A 1.25% 0.280% $12.00B

YTF grades are research-only, not financial advice. Yield, expense ratio, and AUM are point-in-time snapshots - open a fund's profile for current data and full dividend history.

How we built this list

  • Distribution frequency is recorded as monthly in our fund data, verified against the issuer's stated schedule.
  • The fund is currently active and trading on a U.S. exchange.
  • Every category is included rather than only high-yield funds, so bond, covered-call, and equity-income monthly payers appear side by side and can be compared honestly.
  • Ranked by trailing 12-month yield by default; sort by grade or expense ratio to surface funds that trade some yield for durability.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best monthly dividend ETF?

There is no single best fund - it depends on whether you want equity income (covered-call funds like JEPI/JEPQ), bond income (aggregate or Treasury bond funds), or dividend-growth equity income. Compare yield, expense ratio, and YTF grade for funds matching the category you actually want, using the table on this page.

Why do some ETFs pay monthly and others pay quarterly?

It comes down to the fund's underlying holdings and mandate. Bond funds commonly distribute monthly because bond coupon income is easy to pool and pay out on a monthly cycle. Covered-call and option-income funds distribute monthly (or even weekly) because they generate premium income continuously. Most traditional dividend-growth equity funds pay quarterly because that mirrors how the underlying companies pay their dividends.

Are monthly dividend ETFs riskier than quarterly ones?

Payment frequency itself is not a risk factor - a monthly-paying Treasury bond ETF is not inherently riskier than a quarterly-paying one. Risk comes from what the fund actually holds (stocks vs. bonds), its strategy (options overlay vs. plain equity), and its volatility, not from how often it cuts a check.

How much do I need invested to live off monthly dividends?

It depends entirely on your expenses and the yield you can sustain without eroding principal. As arithmetic: covering $3,000 a month at a 4% sustainable yield takes roughly $900,000, while the same $3,000 at an 8% yield takes roughly $450,000 - but the higher-yield route usually means options-income funds with more payout variability and more NAV risk, so the smaller number is not straightforwardly better. Model your own figure against real expenses rather than a headline yield.

Related reading

Building a 40/30/30 income portfolio → How to combine monthly payers across categories instead of chasing a single high yield. DRIP and income ETFs → Whether to reinvest monthly distributions or take them as cash. What is income investing? → The broader framework these monthly payers fit into.

More ETF lists

Best Covered Call ETFs → Best Weekly Dividend ETFs → Best Dividend Growth ETFs (Including Dividend Aristocrats) →

Disclaimer

Numbers on this site are for research and educational use only - not individualized investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell securities. ETFs involve risk including possible loss of principal. Past yield and performance do not predict future results. Yield to Freedom (YTF) grades are illustrative and subjective; verify all data independently.