Robotics vs. AI ETFs by the Numbers: Assets, Fees and Holdings

By Adam Patti, Chief Executive Officer, VistaShares | Published November 13, 2026

Robotics ETFs and AI ETFs are often grouped together, and some of the same companies appear in both. In the numbers they are quite different. AI funds are more than three times as numerous, hold more than four times the assets and lean heavily on large U.S. companies. Robotics funds are smaller and hold far more companies outside the S&P 500. This page compares the two with dated figures.

Figure	Robotics ETFs	AI ETFs
Funds tracked by ETFIQ (Nov 12, 2026)	11	36
Combined net assets (Nov 12, 2026)	$7.4 billion	$33.5 billion
Largest single fund, net assets	$3.0 billion (Jul 31 to Nov 11, 2026)	$11.9 billion (Nov 11 to 12, 2026)
Fee range, lowest to highest	0.35% to 0.99% (Jul 31 to Nov 11, 2026)	0.35% to 1.32% (Nov 11 to 12, 2026)
Typical fund’s weight in S&P 500 stocks (Nov 12, 2026)	28%, 30th highest of 54 themes	59%, 5th highest of 54 themes
Different companies among the funds’ ten largest holdings (holdings Jun 30 to Nov 12, 2026)	82, across the 10 funds ETFIQ can read	198, across the 33 funds ETFIQ can read
Net flows, month to Nov 11, 2026	$44 million out, 3 of 11 funds counted	$290 million out, 14 of 36 funds counted
Net flows, week to Nov 11, 2026	$43.7 million out, 3 of 11 funds counted	$211 million out, 14 of 36 funds counted

Sources: ETFIQ robotics ETFs and ETFIQ AI ETFs, data as of Nov 12, 2026, holdings filed Jun 30 to Nov 12, 2026, flows as of Nov 11, 2026. Dates on the largest fund and fee range are the dates of the fund data behind them. Flows count only funds with daily share data.

What separates a robotics ETF from an AI ETF?

ETFIQ defines robotics ETFs as funds that hold the makers of industrial robots and factory automation, and the parts and software inside them. Some funds in the group also hold drone and autonomous vehicle makers. AI ETFs hold the companies building and selling artificial intelligence: chipmakers, model builders and the software companies running on them.

The two themes meet where AI moves into the physical world, in robots that see, plan and act. Our articles on physical AI, what an AI ETF is and robotics vs. industrial automation ETFs cover the overlap and the differences.

How many funds are there, and how large?

ETFIQ tracked 11 robotics ETFs holding a combined $7.4 billion and 36 AI ETFs holding $33.5 billion as of November 12, 2026. The largest AI fund held $11.9 billion; the largest robotics fund held $3.0 billion. In both themes the three largest funds hold most of the money, and the rest are small.

Both are part of a larger thematic market. ETFIQ counted 428 thematic ETFs across 55 themes on November 12, 2026, and Morningstar counted 332 U.S. thematic funds holding $180 billion at the end of September 2025.¹

How do fees compare?

Robotics ETF fees ran from 0.35% to 0.99%, and AI ETF fees from 0.35% to 1.32%. The low end is the same. The AI range is wider because more strategies are sold under the AI label, from index funds to actively managed portfolios and narrow sub-themes.

A fee range shows how much choice exists, not what a given fund costs. The expense ratio in each fund’s prospectus is the figure that applies.

How much do these funds overlap with the S&P 500?

This is where the two themes differ most. The typical AI ETF carried 59% of its weight in S&P 500 stocks, the 5th highest of the 54 themes with holdings on file. The typical robotics ETF carried 28%, the 30th highest. Many robotics leaders are listed outside the U.S. or are too small for the index, so a robotics fund adds more that a broad U.S. index fund does not already hold.

A high overlap is not good or bad in itself. It means much of an AI fund’s weight sits in large companies an S&P 500 fund already owns, so an investor holding both may be more concentrated than the fund names suggest. Our guide to ETF portfolio overlap explains how to check.

How many companies do they hold?

Across their ten largest holdings, the 33 AI ETFs ETFIQ can read named 198 different companies, by holdings dated June 30 to November 12, 2026. The 10 robotics ETFs it can read named 82. Per fund, robotics funds name more distinct companies, because their portfolios differ more from one another. In AI funds, a small group of very large companies appears again and again near the top.

Where has money been flowing?

Both themes lost money in the month to November 11, 2026. AI ETFs had a net outflow of $290 million across the 14 of 36 funds with daily data, and robotics ETFs an outflow of $44 million across 3 of 11 funds. Because so few robotics funds publish daily share data, its figure is a small sample. The full ranking of themes by flows is on ETFIQ’s theme flows page.

How should investors use these numbers?

Read the holdings, not the name: two funds with the same theme in their names can hold very different companies.

Check overlap with what you own: an AI fund may add less to an S&P 500 holding than its name suggests; a robotics fund may add more.

Date every figure: theme counts, assets and flows change daily. Our guide on how to evaluate a thematic ETF lists what else to check. More thematic articles are in the Thematic ETF Guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many robotics ETFs are there?

ETFIQ tracked 11 U.S. listed robotics ETFs on November 12, 2026, holding a combined $7.4 billion.

How many AI ETFs are there?

ETFIQ tracked 36 U.S. listed AI ETFs on November 12, 2026, holding a combined $33.5 billion.

Do robotics and AI ETFs hold the same companies?

Some. A few large chip and technology companies appear in both, but robotics funds also hold makers of industrial robots, factory automation equipment and robot components.

Which has more overlap with the S&P 500?

AI ETFs. The typical AI fund carried 59% of its weight in S&P 500 stocks, against 28% for the typical robotics fund, as of November 12, 2026.

Which costs more?

Fees start at 0.35% in both themes. The highest AI fund fee, 1.32%, is above the highest robotics fund fee, 0.99%.

Are humanoid robot ETFs part of the robotics group?

ETFIQ tracks humanoid robotics ETFs as a separate theme. Our article on humanoid robots explains the technology.

Adam Patti, Chief Executive Officer of VistaShares, is also the founder of ETFIQ. ETFIQ does not accept payment from ETF issuers, and its figures are calculated from public filings and market data.

Cite this page: Adam Patti, "Robotics vs. AI ETFs by the Numbers: Assets, Fees and Holdings," VistaShares, updated November 13, 2026, https://www.vistashares.com/robotics-vs-ai-etfs-by-the-numbers/. Plain-text version.

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