Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
AAPR vs SPYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, AAPR returned +6.6% to SPYM's +13.7%, and SPYM charges 0.02% to AAPR's 0.79%.
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Net assets: $71m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2028, and $185.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF.
Pair scorecard
SPYM costs 0.77 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.1 points; SPYM is far larger, $185.0bn against $71m.
| Measure | AAPR | SPYM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +6.6% | +13.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 15.7% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 4.4% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | S&P 500 Index |
| The outcome period | ||
| Buffer left, in index points | 100.0% of 100.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 520 | |
| Period ends | Mar 31, 2028 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.02% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $71m | $185.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 38.1% | |
Side by side
AAPR and SPYM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.7% for the period on Oct 28, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 10.8% as the period runs out.
The fund's price can fall 4.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.7% 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. 520 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Mar 31, 2028 the period ends and a new cap is set.
SPYM
SPYM tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.02% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 506 positions, with the top ten at 38.1%.
Questions people ask
- Are AAPR and SPYM in the same category?
- AAPR is a buffer ETF and SPYM is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, AAPR or SPYM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AAPR returned +6.6% and SPYM +13.7%.
- Which is cheaper, AAPR or SPYM?
- SPYM is cheaper, by 0.77 percentage points a year. That is about $77 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
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ETFIQ, AAPR against SPYM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/aapr-vs-spym
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). AAPR against SPYM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/aapr-vs-spym
[AAPR against SPYM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/aapr-vs-spym)
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