10 Best Low-Cost Index Funds to Buy in 2026 | The Motley Fool

Many investors prefer index funds in ETF (exchange-traded fund) form over mutual funds. They're easier to trade, require a lower initial investment, and often have lower expense ratios.

In this article, we'll discuss how to choose low-cost index funds that are right for you. We'll also share 10 of our favorite low-cost index funds to get your search started.

Let's take a deeper dive into these low-cost index funds:

Matt Frankel, CFP has positions in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Small-Cap ETF and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Interactive Brokers Group, Microsoft, Nvidia, Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Small-Cap ETF, Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, and iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF. The Motley Fool recommends BorgWarner and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $43.75 calls on Interactive Brokers Group and short January 2027 $46.25 calls on Interactive Brokers Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.