Are commodity etf-s a serious alternative to commodity futures? I used to trade commodity futures, but had to stop a couple of years ago. Now I have the possibility to try again but with much smaller portfolio. So i cannot handle the same amount of risk. Only thing i could think of is betting on the commodity price movements using commodity etf-s. any info on the following would be appreciated: 1. do etf-s require 25k+ account for frequent trades? 2. how is the liquidity on uncommon commodities like softs, meats and grains? 3. is there a site where i can see volume for above mentioned etf-s? 4. spread and costs? (using interactivebrokers) 5. divergence from underlying commodity price movement? (average period of holding the position would be 3-10 days) as i said, any info or links to info would be much appreciated!