Which has more room to gain, BAUG or DDFG?

From their prices on Oct 13, 2026, BAUG can gain about 14.0% before its cap and DDFG about 8.3%, so BAUG has more room left this period.

Which resets first, BAUG or DDFG?

BAUG ends its outcome period on Jul 31, 2027 and DDFG on Jul 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, BAUG or DDFG?

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

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BAUG vs DDFG: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 13, 2026 BAUG can fall 3.2% before its buffer engages and DDFG 2.8%. Net assets on Oct 12, 2026: $274m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Aug and $87m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Aug.

Both cost 0.79% a year; BAUG is 3.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BAUG vs DDFG: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	BAUG	DDFG
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026	$274m	$87m
Total return, 1 year	+15.8%	not published
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Holdings in common	not published
Index fall to the buffer	3.9%

3.2%

BAUG can fall this far before its buffer

2.8%

DDFG can fall this far before its buffer

14.0%

BAUG can still gain

8.3%

DDFG can still gain

BAUGBetween buffer and cap

BAUG: reference +4.0% since period start, fund +3.1%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.8%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

DDFGBetween buffer and cap

DDFG: reference +4.1% since period start, fund +2.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.4%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 13, 2026.

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

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

Where each one stands today

BAUG resets first, on Jul 31, 2027, 291 days from now; DDFG runs to Jul 31, 2027, 291 days. BAUG can still gain 14.0% before its cap, DDFG 8.3%. A fall from here reaches BAUG’s buffer after 3.2% and DDFG’s after 2.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Performance, window by window

Performance, window by window: BAUG vs DDFG: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	BAUG	DDFG	BAUG	DDFG
3 months	+4.0%	not published	+0.1 pts	not published
6 months	+10.3%	not published	−3.2 pts	not published
1 year	+15.8%	not published	−3.3 pts	not published
3 years	+68.4%	not published	−11.9 pts	not published
Since launch Not the same days: BAUG Aug 2019 · DDFG Aug 2026	+124.1%	+2.0%	−39.8 pts	−0.7 pts

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

On the same fields

BAUG

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Aug · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.8%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027

DDFG

Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Aug · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 11.4%, over a period ending Jul 31, 2027

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 9% 15%

Outcome period Jul 31, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 Jul 31, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027

Days left 291 291

Starting cap +17.8% +11.4%

Can still gain 14.0% 8.3%

Fall before buffer 3.2% 2.8%

Protection left, index points 9.0% of 9.0% 15.0% of 15.0%

Index return this period +4.0% +4.1%

Fund return this period +3.1% +2.7%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026 $274m $87m

As of Oct 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

About BAUG

From its price on Oct 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 3.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 3.9% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 291 days remained on Oct 13, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

About DDFG

From its price on Oct 13, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.3% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BAUG or DDFG?: From their prices on Oct 13, 2026, BAUG can gain about 14.0% before its cap and DDFG about 8.3%, so BAUG has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BAUG or DDFG?: BAUG ends its outcome period on Jul 31, 2027 and DDFG on Jul 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BAUG or DDFG?: BAUG and DDFG both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BAUG vs FJUL BAUG vs CPSJ BAUG vs CPSA BAUG vs ZAUG DDFG vs DJUL DDFG vs PAUG DDFG vs FJUL DDFG vs HAUG

SPY →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →BAUG on its own →DDFG on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

BAUG and DDFG filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Innovator page for BAUG ↗Innovator page for DDFG ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

ETFIQ calculates every figure 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 figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, BAUG against DDFG, data as of Oct 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/baug-vs-ddfg

Open data

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