Which has more room to gain, BMAR or DDFM?

From their prices on Oct 9, 2026, BMAR can gain about 5.6% before its cap and DDFM about 2.8%, so BMAR has more room left this period.

Which resets first, BMAR or DDFM?

BMAR ends its outcome period on Feb 28, 2027 and DDFM on Feb 28, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, BMAR or DDFM?

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

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BMAR vs DDFM: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

As of Oct 9, 2026 BMAR can fall 9.8% before its buffer engages and DDFM 6.4%. Net assets on Oct 9, 2026: $206m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Mar and $44m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Mar.

Both cost 0.79% a year; BMAR is 4.7 times larger.

	BMAR	DDFM
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$206m	$44m
Total return, 1 year	+15.5%	not published
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Holdings in common	not published
Index fall to the buffer	11.9%

9.8%

BMAR can fall this far before its buffer

6.4%

DDFM can fall this far before its buffer

5.6%

BMAR can still gain

2.8%

DDFM can still gain

BMARBetween buffer and cap

BMAR: reference +13.5% since period start, fund +10.3%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.0%; Between buffer and cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

DDFMAt its cap

DDFM: reference +13.5% since period start, fund +6.3%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +9.8%; At its cap. Figures to Oct 9, 2026.

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

DDFM 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

BMAR resets first, on Feb 28, 2027, 142 days from now; DDFM runs to Feb 28, 2027, 142 days. BMAR can still gain 5.6% before its cap, DDFM 2.8%. A fall from here reaches BMAR’s buffer after 9.8% and DDFM’s after 6.4%. 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	BMAR	DDFM	BMAR	DDFM
3 months	+3.1%	+1.8%	0.0 pts	−1.3 pts
6 months	+10.3%	+5.4%	−4.3 pts	−9.2 pts
1 year	+15.5%	not published	−0.5 pts	not published
3 years	+62.5%	not published	−16.6 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

BMAR

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Mar · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.0%, over a period ending Feb 28, 2027

DDFM

Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Mar · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 9.8%, over a period ending Feb 28, 2027

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 9% 15%

Outcome period Feb 28, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 Feb 28, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027

Days left 142 142

Starting cap +17.0% +9.8%

Can still gain 5.6% 2.8%

Fall before buffer 9.8% 6.4%

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

Index return this period +13.5% +13.5%

Fund return this period +10.3% +6.3%

State today Open At cap

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets $206m $44m

As of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

BMAR in plain words

From its price on Oct 9, 2026, the fund can gain about 5.6% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 9.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.9% 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. 142 days remained on Oct 9, 2026. On Feb 28, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDFM in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +9.8% 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 2.8% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 6.4% 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, BMAR or DDFM?: From their prices on Oct 9, 2026, BMAR can gain about 5.6% before its cap and DDFM about 2.8%, so BMAR has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BMAR or DDFM?: BMAR ends its outcome period on Feb 28, 2027 and DDFM on Feb 28, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BMAR or DDFM?: BMAR and DDFM both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BMAR vs CPSR BMAR vs DLFE BMAR vs MARW BMAR vs ZMAR DDFM vs UMAR DDFM vs GFEB DDFM vs ZMAR DDFM vs DFEB

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

Where these figures came from

BMAR and DDFM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Innovator page for BMAR ↗Innovator page for DDFM ↗

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, BMAR against DDFM, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bmar-vs-ddfm

Open data

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