Silver ETF Investment Map: Full Analysis of 10 Products, Choose Wisely to Profit

Silver performed remarkably in the first half of 2025, breaking through $37 per ounce for the first time in history (the highest since 2011), driven mainly by geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in U.S. trade policies. However, this precious metal has long been suppressed by gold prices, and it finally has a chance to turn around.

Investors looking to invest in silver face a question: How to buy most cost-effectively?

Directly Holding Silver vs Mining Company Stocks

Silver investment mainly divides into two paths:

Route 1: ETF Holding Physical Silver (Tracks Silver Prices)

• iShares Silver Trust (SLV): the largest in scale, $17.1 billion, 5-year annualized return of 18.99%
• Sprott Physical Silver Trust (PSLV): $7.1 billion, convertible to physical silver bars, 5-year annualized return of 11.67%
• ProShares Ultra Silver (AGQ): 2x leverage, suitable for aggressive traders, annualized return of 19.98%

Route 2: Silver Mining Company Stock ETF (bet on the company's stock price increase)

• Global X Silver Miners (SIL): $1.97 billion, 5-year annualized 11.75%
• iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners (SLVP): Lowest fee of 0.39%, annualized 16.2% over 5 years.
• Amplify Junior Silver ETF (SILJ): Focuses on small-cap mining companies, with an annualized return of 3.99% (higher risk)

Which one should beginners choose?

Want to steadily gain from silver appreciation: choose SLV or PSLV, large scale and good liquidity.

Want to speculate on leveraged returns in mining companies: choose Global X or iShares mining ETFs, which have low fees and good historical returns.

Want to take aggressive action: AGQ leveraged product monthly operations, but daily risk monitoring is required.

Key Data Comparison: The average fee rate for physical silver ETFs is 0.3-0.95%, while the fee rate for mining company ETFs is 0.39-0.89%. The latter has a slightly higher stock risk premium but also offers greater growth potential.