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Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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QBUF vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, QBUF returned +5.3% to QQQ's +15.2%, and QQQ charges 0.18% to QBUF's 0.79%.

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Net assets: $203m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator Nasdaq-100 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly, and $483.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1.

QBUF on its own →QQQ on its own →
At a glance
+5.3%
QBUF total return, 1 year
+15.2%
QQQ total return, 1 year
0.79%
QBUF expense ratio
0.18%
QQQ expense ratio

Pair scorecard

QQQ costs 0.61 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.9 points; QQQ is far larger, $483.0bn against $202m.

QBUF vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureQBUFQQQ
Return
Total return, 1 year+5.3%+15.2%
Drawdown
Below its high4.5%, high on Oct 6, 2026
Benchmark
What it tracksQQQNasdaq-100 Index
The outcome period
Room to the cap5.0%
Buffer left, in index points8.0% of 10.0%
Days left in the period64
Period endsDec 31, 2026
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.18%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$202m$483.0bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
In the S&P 500, by weight96%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund46.7%

Method

Side by side

QBUF Innovator Nasdaq-100 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Where it sits Buffer ETF Stock ETF
Issuer Innovator Invesco
What it is Defined outcome, 10% on QQQ Tracks the Nasdaq-100
Total return, 1 year +5.3% +15.2%
Its benchmark over the same days +14.6% (QQQ) +15.2% (QQQM)
Gap to its benchmark −9.3 pts vs QQQ 0.0 pts vs QQQM
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.18%
Holdings not read by ETFIQ 103
Net assets, QBUF as of Oct 28, 2026 and QQQ as of Oct 27, 2026 $203m $483.0bn

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

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About each fund
QBUF

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.0% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 8.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 64 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QQQ

QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +15.2% with distributions reinvested, against +15.2% for its benchmark, the Nasdaq-100 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 96% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 103 positions, with the top ten at 46.7%. It sat 4.5% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Are QBUF and QQQ in the same category?
QBUF is a buffer ETF and QQQ 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, QBUF or QQQ?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QBUF returned +5.3% and QQQ +15.2%.
Which is cheaper, QBUF or QQQ?
QQQ is cheaper, by 0.61 percentage points a year. That is about $61 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
QBUF vs QQQMNAPR vs QQQNJUN vs QQQNNOV vs QQQQMMY vs QQQNJUL vs QQQNOCT vs QQQQCAP vs QQQ
Where to next
QBUF on its own →QQQ on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →QQQ dividend history →QQQ holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
QBUF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
Innovator page for QBUF ↗
QQQ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
QQQ prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗
Invesco page for QQQ ↗

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

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ETFIQ, QBUF against QQQ, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qbuf-vs-qqq

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