Are OCTI and VEA the same kind of fund?

OCTI is a buffer ETF and VEA is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each holds.

Which is cheaper, OCTI or VEA?

VEA is cheaper, by 0.76 percentage points a year. On $10,000 held for a year that difference is about $76. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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OCTI vs VEA: how they differ

OCTI and VEA are measured over different days, and VEA charges 0.03% to OCTI's 0.79%. AllianzIM International Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Oct and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF.

On the same fields

OCTI

AllianzIM International Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Oct

VEA

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF

Where it sits Buffer ETF Core fund

Issuer AllianzIM Vanguard

What it is Defined outcome, 15% on EFA Tracks an index of Developed markets ex US

Total return, 1 year not published +21.0%

S&P 500 over the same days not published +15.7%

Gap to the S&P 500 not available +5.3 pts

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.03%

Holdings not filed 3913

Net assets $5m $238.1bn

OCTI and VEA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

OCTI in plain words

This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in EFA. The fund's price can fall 0.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, EFA can fall 0.0% 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 EFA level. 365 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

VEA in plain words

VEA tracks an index of Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 30, 2026 it returned +21.0% with distributions reinvested, against +15.7% for the S&P 500 and +23.8% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Aug 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3913 positions, with the top ten at 13.0%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Sep 30, 2026.

Questions people ask

Are OCTI and VEA the same kind of fund?: OCTI is a buffer ETF and VEA is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each holds.
Which is cheaper, OCTI or VEA?: VEA is cheaper, by 0.76 percentage points a year. On $10,000 held for a year that difference is about $76. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EFA vs OCTI IEFA vs OCTI VEA vs VOX VEA vs VPL VEA vs VPU VEA vs VT VEA vs VTEB VEA vs VTI

iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF →OCTI on its own →VEA on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

OCTI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗AllianzIM page for OCTI ↗VEA filings on SEC EDGAR ↗VEA prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗Vanguard page for VEA ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, OCTI against VEA, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/octi-vs-vea

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.