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Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Across categories

MAXJ vs SPY: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, MAXJ returned +6.1% to SPY's +13.6%, and SPY charges 0.09% to MAXJ's 0.50%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $164m for iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Jun ETF and $814.8bn for SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.

MAXJ on its own →SPY on its own →
At a glance
+6.1%
MAXJ total return, 1 year
+13.6%
SPY total return, 1 year
0.50%
MAXJ expense ratio
0.09%
SPY expense ratio

Pair scorecard

SPY costs 0.41 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.5 points; SPY is far larger, $814.8bn against $164m.

MAXJ vs SPY: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureMAXJSPY
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.1%+13.6%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer3.6%
Fund price fall to the buffer2.3%
Benchmark
What it tracksIVVS&P 500 Index
The outcome period
Room to the cap6.1%
Buffer left, in index points99.5% of 99.5%
Days left in the period246
Period endsJun 30, 2027
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.50%0.09%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$164m$814.8bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
Top ten holdings, share of the fund38.1%

Method

Side by side

MAXJ iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Jun ETF SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Where it sits Buffer ETF Stock ETF
Issuer iShares State Street
What it is Defined outcome, 0% to 100% on IVV Tracks the S&P 500
Total return, 1 year +6.1% +13.6%
Its benchmark over the same days +12.4% (IVV) +13.7% (VOO)
Gap to its benchmark −6.3 pts vs IVV −0.1 pts vs VOO
Expense ratio 0.50% 0.09%
Holdings not read by ETFIQ 504
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $164m $814.8bn

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

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About each fund
MAXJ

From its price on Oct 27, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, IVV can fall 3.6% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 99.5% of the 99.5% buffer still sits below today's IVV level. 246 days remained on Oct 27, 2026. On Jun 30, 2027 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 MAXJ and SPY in the same category?
MAXJ 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, MAXJ or SPY?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, MAXJ returned +6.1% and SPY +13.6%.
Which is cheaper, MAXJ or SPY?
SPY is cheaper, by 0.41 percentage points a year. That is about $41 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
MAXJ vs VOOMAXJ vs SPYMIVV vs MAXJSPY vs TENJSPY vs TENMSMAX vs SPYMMAX vs SPYSPY vs TEND
Where to next
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF →MAXJ on its own →SPY on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →MAXJ dividend history →SPY dividend history →SPY holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
MAXJ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
iShares page for MAXJ ↗
SPY filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
State Street website ↗

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

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

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