Are EALT and SPY in the same category?

EALT is a buffer ETF and SPY 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, EALT or SPY?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EALT returned +4.5% and SPY +13.6%.

Which is cheaper, EALT or SPY?

SPY is cheaper, by 0.60 percentage points a year. That is about $60 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EALT vs SPY: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EALT returned +4.5% to SPY's +13.6%, and SPY charges 0.09% to EALT's 0.69%.

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Net assets: $188m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator U.S. Equity 5 to 15 Buffer ETF - Quarterly, and $814.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.

EALT on its own →SPY on its own →

At a glance

+4.5%

EALT total return, 1 year

+13.6%

SPY total return, 1 year

0.69%

EALT expense ratio

0.09%

SPY expense ratio

Pair scorecard

SPY costs 0.60 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.1 points; SPY is far larger, $814.8bn against $188m.

EALT vs SPY: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EALT	SPY
Return
Measure	EALT	SPY
Total return, 1 year	+4.5%	+13.6%
Drawdown
Measure	EALT	SPY
Index fall to the buffer	6.1%
Fund price fall to the buffer	6.0%
Benchmark
Measure	EALT	SPY
What it tracks	SPY	S&P 500 Index
The outcome period
Measure	EALT	SPY
Room to the cap	5.8%
Buffer left, in index points	10.0% of 10.0%
Days left in the period	64
Period ends	Dec 31, 2026
Cost and size
Measure	EALT	SPY
Expense ratio	0.69%	0.09%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$188m	$814.8bn
Holdings
Measure	EALT	SPY
Holdings in common	not published
In the S&P 500, by weight		100%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund		38.1%

Method

Side by side

EALT Innovator U.S. Equity 5 to 15 Buffer ETF - Quarterly SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

Where it sits Buffer ETF Stock ETF

Issuer Innovator State Street

What it is Defined outcome, 5% to 15% on SPY Tracks the S&P 500

Total return, 1 year +4.5% +13.6%

Its benchmark over the same days +12.4% (SPY) +13.7% (VOO)

Gap to its benchmark −7.9 pts vs SPY −0.1 pts vs VOO

Expense ratio 0.69% 0.09%

Holdings not read by ETFIQ 504

Net assets, EALT as of Oct 28, 2026 and SPY as of Oct 27, 2026 $188m $814.8bn

EALT and SPY on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

EALT

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 6.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 6.1% 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. 64 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

SPY

SPY tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.6% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% 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 504 positions, with the top ten at 38.1%.

Questions people ask

Are EALT and SPY in the same category?: EALT is a buffer ETF and SPY 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, EALT or SPY?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EALT returned +4.5% and SPY +13.6%.
Which is cheaper, EALT or SPY?: SPY is cheaper, by 0.60 percentage points a year. That is about $60 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EALT vs IVV EALT vs VOO EALT vs SPYM SPY vs UJUN SPY vs ZJUL FEBW vs SPY SPY vs XDEC SPY vs UFEB

Where to next

EALT on its own →SPY on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →SPY dividend history →SPY holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

EALT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for EALT ↗

SPY filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

State Street website ↗

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

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, EALT against SPY, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ealt-vs-spy

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