Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GAUG vs IVV: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GAUG returned +8.9% to IVV's +13.7%, and IVV charges 0.03% to GAUG's 0.85%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $418m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August and $885.1bn for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF.
Pair scorecard
IVV costs 0.82 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.8 points; IVV is far larger, $885.1bn against $418m.
| Measure | GAUG | IVV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +8.9% | +13.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.9% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 1.8% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | S&P 500 |
| The outcome period | ||
| Room to the cap | 11.8% | |
| Buffer left, in index points | 15.0% of 15.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 296 | |
| Period ends | Aug 20, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $418m | $885.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 100% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 38.1% | |
Side by side
GAUG and IVV on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GAUG
From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 296 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Aug 20, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
IVV
IVV tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the S&P 500. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% 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 505 positions, with the top ten at 38.1%.
Questions people ask
- Are GAUG and IVV in the same category?
- GAUG is a buffer ETF and IVV 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, GAUG or IVV?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GAUG returned +8.9% and IVV +13.7%.
- Which is cheaper, GAUG or IVV?
- IVV 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.
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ETFIQ, GAUG against IVV, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gaug-vs-ivv
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GAUG against IVV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gaug-vs-ivv
[GAUG against IVV (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gaug-vs-ivv)
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