Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
AJAN vs SPY: how they differ
AJAN and SPY are measured over different days, and SPY charges 0.09% against 0.79%.
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jan 2028 and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.
| AJAN Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jan 2028 | SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Buffer ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Innovator | State Street |
| What it is | Defined outcome, 100% on SPY | S&P 500, book from IVV |
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +17.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | not published | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | not available | 0.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.09% |
| Holdings | not filed | 504 |
AJAN in plain words
From its price on Sep 12, 2026, the fund can gain about 9.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.8% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 476 days remained on Sep 12, 2026. On Dec 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
SPY in plain words
SPY is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 504 positions, with the top ten at 36.4%.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, AJAN or SPY?
- AJAN charges 0.79% a year and SPY charges 0.09%, so SPY is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are AJAN and SPY the same kind of fund?
- No. AJAN is a buffer ETF and SPY is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, AJAN against SPY, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/AJAN-SPY Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources