The Best Technology ETFs on the ASX in 2026 — From Nasdaq Core to Cybersecurity, Semis and Robotics

This guide sorts the universe into four buckets so you can pick the right tool for the job:

• Nasdaq core (NDQ, HNDQ, U100, FANG, FHNG) — the default US tech-and-growth exposure

• Global tech sector (TECH, VTEK, VTKH) — pure tech, no Tesla or Amazon

• Australian / regional (ATEC, ASIA) — local software and Asian tech tigers

• Sub-themes (SEMI, HACK, BUGG, CLDD, DRIV, MOON) — concentrated, high-conviction bets

The headline numbers as at May 2026: SEMI +151.7% over 1 year (the AI infrastructure trade), ASIA +105.4% (Chinese tech re-rate), HNDQ +40.2% vs NDQ +27.2% (the AUD/USD hedging gap), and ATEC −28.8% (Australian tech rolled over with WiseTech and Pro Medicus). Cheapest fee in each bucket: U100 at 0.18% for Nasdaq-100, VTEK at 0.23% for global tech, BUGG at 0.47% for cybersecurity.

Before you add a tech ETF on top of VGS or IVV, check what you already own — those two are already 25-30% technology. Compare any pair side-by-side using the ReviewETF compare tool.

Technology is the only sector that has reliably out-compounded the broader market for the last 15 years — and it's the single biggest reason a fund like VGS or IVV has done so well. The "Magnificent Seven" alone now make up roughly a third of the S&P 500.

But "tech ETFs" is not one thing. There's a vast difference between owning the Nasdaq-100, owning ten US disruptors equally weighted, owning a basket of semiconductor manufacturers, or owning ASX-listed software stocks. Each pulls a different lever — and each behaves very differently in a drawdown.

This guide breaks the ASX tech ETF universe into the four buckets that actually matter, with the May 2026 data on every fund. Run any pair through the ReviewETF compare tool to see them side-by-side, and browse the full list on the Technology ETFs category page.

The four buckets of ASX tech ETFs

Most investors approach tech with one fund. That can work — but only if you actually know what's inside it. Here's how the 25+ tech ETFs on the ASX break down:

1. Nasdaq core — broad US tech-and-growth exposure. The default starting point. NDQ, HNDQ, U100, FANG, FHNG.

2. Global / US tech sector — pure tech (no Tesla, no Amazon). TECH, VTEK, VTKH, WWWW.

3. Australian / regional tech — local software and platform names. ATEC, ASIA.

4. Sub-themes — semiconductors, cybersecurity, AI/robotics, cloud, EVs, gaming, space. SEMI, HACK, BUGG, CLDD, DRIV, MOON, RBTZ.

Each bucket has its own use case. Mixing them carelessly creates massive overlap — for example, NDQ, TECH and SEMI all hold Nvidia, Microsoft, and Broadcom near the top. Owning all three doesn't diversify — it triple-counts.

Bucket 1 — Nasdaq core: the default tech exposure

The Nasdaq-100 holds the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq. It's not a "pure" tech index — it includes Amazon, Tesla, Costco and PepsiCo — but it's roughly 60% technology and is the cleanest single-trade proxy for US innovation.

NDQ — BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF is the heavyweight at $8.96B AUM with a 0.48% MER, delivering +27.18% over the past year and +21.36% p.a. over 10 years. It distributes semi-annually with a yield around 0.8%. It's AUD-unhedged, so returns depend on both the Nasdaq and the AUD/USD exchange rate.

HNDQ is the currency-hedged version at 0.51% MER, $973M AUM, and it returned +40.22% over the past year — a huge gap versus NDQ caused by the AUD rallying from ~$0.62 to ~$0.70 against the USD over the past 12 months. That spread is exactly what hedging is designed to capture. Long-term, the two converge.

FANG — Global X FANG+ ETF takes a sharper bet — just 10 equally-weighted US disruptors at a 0.35% MER (cheaper than NDQ). AUM is $1.76B and the 3-year return of +121.7% has been one of the strongest on the ASX. It's concentrated by design. If those 10 names keep dominating, FANG wins. If leadership broadens, NDQ wins. The hedged version is FHNG at 0.38%.

U100 — Global X US 100 ETF is the cheapest Nasdaq-100 option at 0.18% MER — undercutting NDQ by 30 basis points. It's smaller ($101M AUM) and newer (Aug 2023), but for new money this is now the cheapest way to access the same index. Run NDQ vs U100 through the compare tool to see the fee impact compounding.

Other Nasdaq-flavoured options include ITEK (top 30 only), JNDQ (next-gen 100 — mid-cap Nasdaq), QNDQ (equal-weight), QMAX (Nasdaq + covered calls for income), and the geared/inverse plays GNDQ, LNAS and SNAS.

Bucket 2 — Global tech sector (no Tesla, no Amazon)

If you want pure technology — the way GICS defines it — Nasdaq exposure is too broad. These funds strip out consumer discretionary and communications names and leave just software, hardware, IT services and semiconductors.

TECH — Global X Morningstar Global Technology ETF holds roughly 35 global tech names selected for moat and profitability. $340M AUM at 0.45% MER, returning +10.31% over 1 year and +44.15% over 3 years. More concentrated than NDQ but with stricter screens.

VTEK — Vanguard Global Technology Index ETF launched in March 2026 and tracks the MSCI World Technology Index — a much broader basket. 0.23% MER makes it the cheapest global tech option, with a hedged version VTKH at 0.26%. Too new to have meaningful returns, but worth watching for new money.

The key distinction: TECH is actively curated for quality. VTEK is a broad cap-weighted index. Both will look similar in good years and behave very differently in style rotations.

Bucket 3 — Australian and regional tech

ATEC — BetaShares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF tracks the S&P/ASX All Technology Index — the local tech basket dominated by WiseTech, Xero, Pro Medicus, REA Group and SEEK. $575M AUM, 0.48% MER. The 1-year return of −28.84% is a reminder that ASX tech is concentrated and volatile — when WiseTech and Pro Medicus have a bad year, ATEC has a bad year. Long-term 5-year return is still positive at +7.85%, but materially below NDQ.

ASIA — BetaShares Asia Technology Tigers ETF holds the 50 largest Asian technology and e-commerce names — Tencent, Alibaba, Samsung, TSMC, Meituan. $1.52B AUM, 0.67% MER. After several lost years, ASIA has roared back with a +105.36% 1-year return as Chinese tech re-rated alongside the AI build-out. It's a high-volatility, high-conviction satellite holding — not core.

For the broader Asia/EM context, see the Asia & China ETFs guide.

Bucket 4 — Sub-themes: where you pick the lever

This is where most investors get into trouble. Sub-theme ETFs are powerful but volatile, and they only make sense as deliberate satellites alongside core exposure. Here are the credible ones on the ASX:

Semiconductors

SEMI — Global X Semiconductor ETF is the standout. $1.01B AUM, 0.45% MER, +151.73% over 1 year and +269.69% over 3 years — the single best-performing tech sub-theme ETF on the ASX. Holds the global chip supply chain: Nvidia, TSMC, ASML, Broadcom, AMD. It is also the most concentrated and most cyclical — chip stocks can fall 40-60% in a downcycle. The right way to think about SEMI: it's a leveraged bet on AI infrastructure spending.

Cybersecurity

HACK — BetaShares Global Cybersecurity ETF was the first and remains the largest at $1.46B AUM, 0.67% MER. Holds Palo Alto, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, Cisco. Returned +5.62% over 1 year — a quiet year for cyber.

BUGG — Global X Cybersecurity ETF is the cheaper alternative at 0.47% MER (30% lower than HACK). It's still small at $27M AUM but tracks a similar basket. For long-term holds, the fee gap matters — over 20 years, 20 basis points on a $50K position compounds to thousands of dollars.

AI and robotics

The AI exposure inside NDQ, SEMI and TECH is already substantial. For a more direct play, RBTZ — Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF holds the pure-play robotics and automation names. For a much deeper breakdown including AI infrastructure plays on uranium, copper and grid, see The AI Boom Goes Beyond NDQ and How to Invest in the AI Boom.

Cloud, EVs, gaming, space

CLDD — Cloud Computing ETF — $39M AUM, 0.67% MER. Cloud as a theme has matured into the core NDQ basket, which is why CLDD has lagged (−8.53% 1Y).

DRIV — Electric Vehicles & Future Mobility ETF — $18.85M AUM, 0.67% MER. +35.78% 1Y as EV adoption accelerated.

MOON — Global X Space Tech ETF — launched June 2026. Brand new, no track record yet. Holds satellite, launch, and aerospace names.

How to actually build tech exposure

Tech is already heavily represented in any global index ETF. Before adding a tech-specific fund, check what you already own:

• VGS is roughly 25% tech.

• IVV is roughly 30% tech (and another 10% communications, mostly Alphabet and Meta).

• BGBL mirrors VGS.

Adding NDQ on top of VGS adds concentration in the same names — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia and Alphabet appear in both. That isn't necessarily wrong, but it's not diversification. See the ETF concentration problem for the full overlap data.

The cleaner uses of dedicated tech ETFs:

• Hedging the AUD/USD risk on existing US tech exposure → swap NDQ for HNDQ

• A tilt toward a specific theme the index underweights → SEMI for chips, HACK/BUGG for cyber, ASIA for Asian tech

• Lower-fee alternatives for new money → U100 over NDQ, VTEK over TECH, BUGG over HACK

For methodology on how each underlying index actually picks its holdings, see the index behind the ETF.

The bottom line

The best technology ETF depends on what job you're hiring it to do:

• Core US tech exposure — NDQ (or U100 for the cheapest option, HNDQ if you want to hedge the AUD)

• Concentrated disruptor bet — FANG

• Pure global tech sector — TECH or VTEK

• Asian tech tilt — ASIA

• Australian tech — ATEC (acknowledging the volatility)

• AI infrastructure — SEMI

• Cybersecurity — BUGG (cheaper) or HACK (larger, more liquid)

Compare any two or three side-by-side on the ReviewETF compare tool — that's where you'll see the fee gap, return spread, and holdings overlap clearly. And before adding any sub-theme, run your existing core holdings through the same tool to see whether you already own the underlying names through your global index ETF.

For the bigger-picture view of what theme ETFs have actually delivered, see Every Theme ETF on the ASX.