Which has more room to gain, BNOV or DDFN?

From their prices on Oct 2, 2026, BNOV can gain about 4.2% before its cap and DDFN about 0.6%, so BNOV has more room left this period.

Which resets first, BNOV or DDFN?

BNOV ends its outcome period on Oct 31, 2026 and DDFN on Oct 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, BNOV or DDFN?

BNOV charges 0.79% a year and DDFN charges 0.79%, so BNOV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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BNOV vs DDFN: which one stands where?

As of Oct 2, 2026 BNOV can fall 11.5% before its buffer engages and DDFN 8.6%. Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Nov and Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Nov.

BNOV is 3.2 times larger.

	BNOV	DDFN
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$199m	$62m
Total return, 1 year	+13.4%	not published
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Holdings in common	not published

11.5%

BNOV can fall this far before its buffer

8.6%

DDFN can fall this far before its buffer

4.2%

BNOV can still gain

0.6%

DDFN can still gain

BNOVBetween buffer and cap

BNOV: reference +12.8% since period start, fund +12.1%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +17.6%; Between buffer and cap.

DDFNAt its cap

DDFN: reference +12.8% since period start, fund +8.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +10.0%; At its cap.

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

DDFN 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

BNOV resets first, on Oct 31, 2026, 29 days from now; DDFN runs to Oct 31, 2026, 29 days. BNOV can still gain 4.2% before its cap, DDFN 0.6%. A fall from here reaches BNOV’s buffer after 11.5% and DDFN’s after 8.6%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.

Performance, window by window

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	BNOV	DDFN	BNOV	DDFN
3 months	+3.5%	+2.5%	−0.1 pts	−1.1 pts
6 months	+14.1%	+7.7%	−3.8 pts	−10.2 pts
1 year	+13.4%	not published	−2.8 pts	not published
3 years	+53.1%	not published	−36.2 pts	not published

BNOV and DDFN over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

BNOV

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Nov · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.6%, over a period ending Oct 31, 2026

DDFN

Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Nov · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 10.0%, over a period ending Oct 31, 2026

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 9% 15%

Outcome period Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 31, 2026 Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 31, 2026

Days left 29 29

Starting cap +17.6% +10.0%

Can still gain 4.2% 0.6%

Fall before buffer 11.5% 8.6%

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

Index return this period +12.8% +12.8%

Fund return this period +12.1% +8.5%

State today Open At cap

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets $199m $62m

BNOV and DDFN on the same fields, as of Oct 2, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

BNOV in plain words

From its price on Oct 2, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 11.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.4% 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. 29 days remained on Oct 2, 2026. On Oct 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDFN in plain words

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +10.0% for the period on Oct 2, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 8.6% 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, BNOV or DDFN?: From their prices on Oct 2, 2026, BNOV can gain about 4.2% before its cap and DDFN about 0.6%, so BNOV has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BNOV or DDFN?: BNOV ends its outcome period on Oct 31, 2026 and DDFN on Oct 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BNOV or DDFN?: BNOV charges 0.79% a year and DDFN charges 0.79%, so BNOV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BNOV vs CPSN BNOV vs OCTM BNOV vs PBNV BNOV vs PMNV DDFN vs DDTN DDFN vs DHDG DDFN vs GOCT DDFN vs NOVP

SPY →BNOV on its own →DDFN on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

BNOV and DDFN filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Innovator page for BNOV ↗Innovator page for DDFN ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, BNOV against DDFN, data as of Oct 2, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bnov-vs-ddfn

Open data

Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.