{"url":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/arlu-vs-ddfa","section":"compare","title":"ARLU vs DDFA: Cap, Buffer & Days Left | ETFIQ","description":"As of Oct 21, 2026 ARLU can fall 12.9% and DDFA 8.8% before its buffer engages, on SPY. Both end their outcome period on Mar 31, 2027.","as_of":"Oct 21, 2026","structured_data":[{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Which resets first, ARLU or DDFA?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"ARLU ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and DDFA on Mar 31, 2027. New terms are set the day after each."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Which is cheaper, ARLU or DDFA?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"ARLU charges 0.74% a year and DDFA charges 0.79%, so ARLU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"ETFIQ","item":"https://etfiq.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Buffer ETFs","item":"https://etfiq.com/buffer/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Compare ETFs","item":"https://etfiq.com/compare/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"ARLU vs DDFA","item":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/arlu-vs-ddfa"}]},{"@type":"WebPage","name":"ARLU vs DDFA: Cap, Buffer & Days Left","description":"As of Oct 21, 2026 ARLU can fall 12.9% and DDFA 8.8% before its buffer engages, on SPY. Both end their outcome period on Mar 31, 2027.","url":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/arlu-vs-ddfa","dateModified":"2026-10-21","abstract":"As of Oct 21, 2026 ARLU can fall 12.9% before its buffer engages and DDFA 8.8%.","publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#website"},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".verdict",".faq"]}},{"@type":"Dataset","name":"ETFIQ comparison of ARLU and DDFA","description":"As of Oct 21, 2026 ARLU can fall 12.9% and DDFA 8.8% before its buffer engages, on SPY. Both end their outcome period on Mar 31, 2027.","dateModified":"2026-10-21","creator":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org"},"isAccessibleForFree":true,"url":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/arlu-vs-ddfa","license":"https://etfiq.com/license/","publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org"},"inLanguage":"en","creativeWorkStatus":"Published","distribution":[{"@type":"DataDownload","encodingFormat":"application/json","contentUrl":"https://etfiq.com/data/funds.json"}],"variableMeasured":["Remaining cap","Fall before the buffer engages","Protection left in index points","Starting buffer","Outcome period","Reference index return","Fund return","Days remaining","Expense ratio"],"keywords":["exchange-traded funds","ETF","Buffer ETFs","fund data","SEC filings"]}],"characters":6011,"truncated":true,"content":"ETFIQ / Buffer ETFs / Compare ETFs / ARLU vs DDFA \n ETFIQ etfiq.com \u00b7 independent ETF data \n\n Data as of Oct 21, 2026 .\n\n ARLU vs DDFA: Cap, Buffer & Days Left\n\n As of Oct 21, 2026 ARLU can fall 12.9% before its buffer engages and DDFA 8.8%.\n Copy this for sharing \n \n ARLU costs 0.05 points a year less.\n ARLU and DDFA at a glance. As of Oct 21, 2026. Source: ETFIQ. ARLU DDFA \n Expense ratio 0.74% 0.79% \n Net assets $56m $57m \n Total return, 1 year +9.1% not published \n What it tracks SPY SPY \n Holdings in common not published \n \n Net assets on Oct 21, 2026: $56m for AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffe","source":"ETFIQ, independent ETF data. Recomputed nightly from public filings and prices.","publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org","name":"ETFIQ","url":"https://etfiq.com"},"license":"https://etfiq.com/license/","license_text":"Figures ETFIQ computes are free to use with attribution: ETFIQ (etfiq.com). Issuer data stays under its owner's terms.","citation":"ETFIQ, ARLU against DDFA, data as of Oct 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/arlu-vs-ddfa","a":{"ticker":"ARLU","name":"AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Apr","issuer":"AllianzIM","desk":"buffer","as_of":"2026-10-21","verdict":"Since Apr 1, 2026, ARLU returned 13.9%, against 18.9% for SPY. It can fall 12.9% before its buffer.","url":"https://etfiq.com/funds/arlu","key_facts":[{"label":"Can still gain from today\u2019s fund price","value":"uncapped","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Fall before the buffer from today\u2019s fund price","value":"12.9%","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Protection left, index points","value":"15.0%","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Days to reset","value":"161","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Net assets","value":"$56m","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":"issuer page, as of Oct 21, 2026"},{"label":"Expense ratio","value":"0.74%","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":"issuer page, Oct 21, 2026"}]},"b":{"ticker":"DDFA","name":"Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Apr","issuer":"Innovator","desk":"buffer","as_of":"2026-10-21","verdict":"Since Mar 31, 2026, DDFA returned 9.2%, against 18.9% for SPY. It can gain 3.4% more before its cap.","url":"https://etfiq.com/funds/ddfa","key_facts":[{"label":"Can still gain from today\u2019s fund price","value":"3.4%","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Fall before the buffer from today\u2019s fund price","value":"8.8%","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Protection left, index points","value":"15.0%","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Days to reset","value":"161","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":null},{"label":"Net assets","value":"$57m","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":"issuer page, as of Oct 21, 2026"},{"label":"Expense ratio","value":"0.79%","as_of":"2026-10-21","source":"issuer page, Oct 21, 2026"}]},"overlap_pct":null,"overlap_note":"ETFIQ does not publish a holdings overlap for this pair. Either the funds are not compared on holdings, or one book is incomplete.","full_text_at":"https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/arlu-vs-ddfa"}