Are DLFE and VOO in the same category?

DLFE is a buffer ETF and VOO is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.

Which is cheaper, DLFE or VOO?

VOO is cheaper, by 0.82 percentage points a year. That is about $82 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Across categories

DLFE vs VOO: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share on X Download as PDF

DLFE and VOO are measured over different days, and VOO charges 0.03% to DLFE's 0.85%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DLFE and VOO

Net assets: $68m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Dual Directional Buffer ETF - February, and $1.0tn on Oct 31, 2026 for Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.

DLFE on its own →VOO on its own →

At a glance

+8.4%

DLFE total return, since launch, Feb 23, 2026

+14.8%

VOO total return, 1 year

0.85%

DLFE expense ratio

0.03%

VOO expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VOO costs 0.82 points a year less.

DLFE vs VOO: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	DLFE	VOO
Return
Measure	DLFE	VOO
Total return, 1 year	not published	+14.8%
Drawdown
Measure	DLFE	VOO
Index fall to the buffer	10.1%
Fund price fall to the buffer	8.0%
Benchmark
Measure	DLFE	VOO
What it tracks	SPY	S&P 500 Index
The outcome period
Measure	DLFE	VOO
Room to the cap	3.5%
Buffer left, in index points	10.0% of 10.0%
Days left in the period	107
Period ends	Feb 19, 2027
Cost and size
Measure	DLFE	VOO
Expense ratio	0.85%	0.03%
Net assets, DLFE as of Nov 3, 2026 and VOO as of Oct 31, 2026	$68m	$1.0tn
Holdings
Measure	DLFE	VOO
Holdings in common	not published
In the S&P 500, by weight		100%
Holdings dated		Sep 30, 2026
Top ten holdings, share of the fund		39.1%

Method

Side by side

DLFE FT Vest U.S. Equity Dual Directional Buffer ETF - February VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

Where it sits Buffer ETF Stock ETF

Issuer First Trust Vanguard

What it is Defined outcome, 10% on SPY Tracks the S&P 500

Total return, 1 year +8.4% (since launch, Feb 23, 2026) +14.8%

Its benchmark over the same days +12.4% (SPY) (since launch, Feb 23, 2026) +14.8% (IVV)

Gap to its benchmark −4.0 pts vs SPY (since launch, Feb 23, 2026) 0.0 pts vs IVV

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.03%

Holdings not read by ETFIQ 505

Net assets, DLFE as of Nov 3, 2026 and VOO as of Oct 31, 2026 $68m $1.0tn

DLFE and VOO on the fields both publish, as of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

DLFE

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.5% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 8.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 107 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Feb 19, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

VOO

VOO tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 it returned +14.8% with distributions reinvested, against +14.8% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 505 positions, with the top ten at 39.1%.

Questions people ask

Are DLFE and VOO in the same category?: DLFE is a buffer ETF and VOO is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which is cheaper, DLFE or VOO?: VOO is cheaper, by 0.82 percentage points a year. That is about $82 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DLFE vs IVV DLFE vs SPY DLFE vs SPYM FAPR vs VOO FFEB vs VOO FJUL vs VOO PJAN vs VOO FSEP vs VOO

Where to next

State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →DLFE on its own →VOO on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →VOO dividend history →VOO holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DLFE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

First Trust page for DLFE ↗

VOO filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VOO prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VOO ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, DLFE against VOO, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dlfe-vs-voo

Open data →

Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.