Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IBUF vs VEA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IBUF returned +10.1% to VEA's +17.1%, and VEA charges 0.03% to IBUF's 0.85%.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about IBUF and VEA
Net assets: $121m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator International Developed 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly, and $231.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF.
Pair scorecard
VEA costs 0.82 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.0 points.
| Measure | IBUF | VEA |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +10.1% | +17.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Index fall to the buffer | 0.0% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 0.4% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | EFA | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index |
| The outcome period | ||
| Room to the cap | 3.7% | |
| Buffer left, in index points | 9.8% of 10.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 64 | |
| Period ends | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, IBUF as of Oct 28, 2026 and VEA as of Sep 30, 2026 | $121m | $231.6bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 13.6% | |
Side by side
IBUF and VEA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IBUF
From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, EFA can fall 0.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.8% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's EFA level. 64 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
VEA
VEA tracks an index of Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3,906 positions, with the top ten at 13.6%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are IBUF and VEA in the same category?
- IBUF is a buffer ETF and VEA 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, IBUF or VEA?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBUF returned +10.1% and VEA +17.1%.
- Which is cheaper, IBUF or VEA?
- VEA 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.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, IBUF against VEA, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ibuf-vs-vea
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IBUF against VEA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ibuf-vs-vea
[IBUF against VEA (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ibuf-vs-vea)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.