Which has more room to gain, AOCT or DDTO?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, AOCT can gain about 20.0% before its cap and DDTO about 14.1%, so AOCT has more room left this period.

Which resets first, AOCT or DDTO?

AOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2028 and DDTO on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, AOCT or DDTO?

AOCT and DDTO both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

AOCT vs DDTO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 AOCT can fall 1.1% before its buffer engages and DDTO 0.7%, and DDTO resets 366 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $69m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028 and $38m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Oct.

AOCT on its own →DDTO on its own →

At a glance

1.1%

AOCT can fall this far before its buffer

0.7%

DDTO can fall this far before its buffer

20.0%

AOCT can still gain

14.1%

DDTO can still gain

AOCT Full floor

AOCT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +1.0%; buffer Floor; cap +21.3%; Full floor. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DDTO Between buffer and cap

DDTO: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.6%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 5.5 points; AOCT is 1.8 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

AOCT vs DDTO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	AOCT	DDTO
Return
Measure	AOCT	DDTO
Total return, 1 year	+6.5%	+12.0%
Drawdown
Measure	AOCT	DDTO
Index fall to the buffer	0.5%
Benchmark
Measure	AOCT	DDTO
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Cost and size
Measure	AOCT	DDTO
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$69m	$38m
Holdings
Measure	AOCT	DDTO
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: AOCT vs DDTO: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	AOCT	DDTO	AOCT	DDTO
3 months	+1.7%	+2.0%	+2.1 pts	+2.4 pts
6 months	+3.2%	+5.3%	−1.2 pts	+0.8 pts
1 year	+6.5%	+12.0%	−7.1 pts	−1.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: AOCT Oct 2024 · DDTO Oct 2025	+12.6%	+12.0%	−22.3 pts	−2.7 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

AOCT Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2028 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 21.3%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2028 DDTO Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Oct · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 100% 10%

Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2028 Sep 30, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027

Days left 696 330

Starting cap +21.3% +14.8%

Can still gain 20.0% 14.1%

Fall before buffer 1.1% 0.7%

Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 10.0% of 10.0%

Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%

Fund return this period +1.0% +0.6%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets $69m $38m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. AOCT is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDTO is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

They do not reset together. DDTO has 330 days of its period left and AOCT has 696, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

DDTO resets first, on Sep 30, 2027, 330 days from now; AOCT runs to Sep 30, 2028, 696 days. AOCT can still gain 20.0% before its cap, DDTO 14.1%. A fall from here reaches AOCT’s buffer after 1.1% and DDTO’s after 0.7%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund

AOCT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 20.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.1% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 696 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2028 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDTO

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, AOCT or DDTO?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, AOCT can gain about 20.0% before its cap and DDTO about 14.1%, so AOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, AOCT or DDTO?: AOCT ends its outcome period on Sep 30, 2028 and DDTO on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, AOCT or DDTO?: AOCT and DDTO both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

AOCT vs SEPM AOCT vs CPST AOCT vs CPSO AOCT vs QBSV DDTO vs PBOC DDTO vs OCTU DDTO vs XBOC DDTO vs APOC

Where to next

SPY →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →AOCT on its own →DDTO on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

Innovator page for AOCT ↗

DDTO filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for DDTO ↗

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

How this is computed

ETFIQ calculates every number from each issuer’s published outcome-period terms. Buffer ETFs hold options on an index, not shares, so there is no holdings overlap to report.

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

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ETFIQ, AOCT against DDTO, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/aoct-vs-ddto

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.