Which has more room to gain, BDEC or DDFD?

From their prices on Oct 9, 2026, BDEC can gain about 3.6% before its cap and DDFD about 0.9%, so BDEC has more room left this period.

Which resets first, BDEC or DDFD?

BDEC ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and DDFD on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, BDEC or DDFD?

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

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BDEC vs DDFD: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 9, 2026 BDEC can fall 11.8% before its buffer engages and DDFD 8.0%. Net assets on Oct 9, 2026: $216m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Dec and $96m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Dec.

Both cost 0.79% a year; BDEC is 2.3 times larger.

	BDEC	DDFD
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$216m	$96m
Total return, 1 year	+15.2%	not published
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Holdings in common	not published
Index fall to the buffer	12.2%

11.8%

BDEC can fall this far before its buffer

8.0%

DDFD can fall this far before its buffer

3.6%

BDEC can still gain

0.9%

DDFD can still gain

BDECBetween buffer and cap

BDEC: reference +13.9% since period start, fund +12.6%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.4%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

DDFDAt its cap

DDFD: reference +13.9% since period start, fund +7.8%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.6%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

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

DDFD is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

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

Where each one stands today

BDEC resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 52 days from now; DDFD runs to Nov 30, 2026, 52 days. BDEC can still gain 3.6% before its cap, DDFD 0.9%. A fall from here reaches BDEC’s buffer after 11.8% and DDFD’s after 8.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Performance, window by window

	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	BDEC	DDFD	BDEC	DDFD
3 months	+3.5%	+1.8%	+0.4 pts	−1.3 pts
6 months	+11.9%	+5.7%	−2.7 pts	−8.8 pts
1 year	+15.2%	not published	−0.8 pts	not published
3 years	+56.4%	not published	−22.7 pts	not published

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

On the same fields

BDEC

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.4%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026

DDFD

Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Dec · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 9.6%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 9% 15%

Outcome period Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026

Days left 52 52

Starting cap +17.4% +9.6%

Can still gain 3.6% 0.9%

Fall before buffer 11.8% 8.0%

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

Index return this period +13.9% +13.9%

Fund return this period +12.6% +7.8%

State today Open At cap

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets $216m $96m

As of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

BDEC in plain words

From its price on Oct 9, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.6% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 11.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 12.2% 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. 52 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDFD in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +9.6% for the period on Oct 9, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.9% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.0% 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, BDEC or DDFD?: From their prices on Oct 9, 2026, BDEC can gain about 3.6% before its cap and DDFD about 0.9%, so BDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BDEC or DDFD?: BDEC ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and DDFD on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BDEC or DDFD?: BDEC and DDFD both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BDEC vs ZDEK BDEC vs DECT BDEC vs CPSD BDEC vs DECW DDFD vs DECW DDFD vs UDEC DDFD vs GNOV DDFD vs DECT

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

Where these figures came from

BDEC and DDFD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Innovator page for BDEC ↗Innovator page for DDFD ↗

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 page

ETFIQ, BDEC against DDFD, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bdec-vs-ddfd

Open data

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