Which has more room to gain, BSEP or DDTS?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, BSEP can gain about 19.0% before its cap and DDTS about 13.7%, so BSEP has more room left this period.

Which resets first, BSEP or DDTS?

BSEP ends its outcome period on Aug 31, 2027 and DDTS on Aug 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, BSEP or DDTS?

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

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

BSEP vs DDTS: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DDTS can fall 0.9% before its buffer engages and BSEP 0.6%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $462m for Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Sep and $33m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Sep.

BSEP on its own →DDTS on its own →

At a glance

0.6%

BSEP can fall this far before its buffer

0.9%

DDTS can fall this far before its buffer

19.0%

BSEP can still gain

13.7%

DDTS can still gain

BSEP Buffer working

BSEP: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +19.8%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

DDTS Buffer working

DDTS: reference −0.1% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 2.0 points; BSEP is 14.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BSEP vs DDTS: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	BSEP	DDTS
Return
Measure	BSEP	DDTS
Total return, 1 year	+12.1%	+10.1%
Drawdown
Measure	BSEP	DDTS
Index fall to the buffer	0.0%
Benchmark
Measure	BSEP	DDTS
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Cost and size
Measure	BSEP	DDTS
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$462m	$33m
Holdings
Measure	BSEP	DDTS
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: BSEP vs DDTS: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	BSEP	DDTS	BSEP	DDTS
3 months	+1.3%	+1.0%	+1.7 pts	+1.4 pts
6 months	+5.0%	+3.9%	+0.5 pts	−0.6 pts
1 year	+12.1%	+10.1%	−1.5 pts	−3.4 pts
3 years	+59.6%	–	−16.8 pts	–
Since launchNot the same days: BSEP Sep 2019 · DDTS Sep 2025	+125.0%	+12.7%	−38.7 pts	−7.1 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

BSEP Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Sep · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 19.8%, over a period ending Aug 31, 2027 DDTS Innovator Equity Dual Directional 10 Buffer ETF - Sep · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.7%, over a period ending Aug 31, 2027

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 9% 10%

Outcome period Aug 31, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027 Aug 31, 2026 to Aug 31, 2027

Days left 300 300

Starting cap +19.8% +14.7%

Can still gain 19.0% 13.7%

Fall before buffer 0.6% 0.9%

Protection left, index points 8.9% of 9.0% 9.9% of 10.0%

Index return this period −0.1% −0.1%

Fund return this period +0.5% +0.7%

State today Buffer working Buffer working

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets $462m $33m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. DDTS is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. BSEP 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

BSEP resets first, on Aug 31, 2027, 300 days from now; DDTS runs to Aug 31, 2027, 300 days. BSEP can still gain 19.0% before its cap, DDTS 13.7%. A fall from here reaches BSEP’s buffer after 0.6% and DDTS’s after 0.9%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund

BSEP

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 19.0% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 8.9% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 300 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Aug 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

DDTS

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 13.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.9% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 9.9% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, BSEP or DDTS?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, BSEP can gain about 19.0% before its cap and DDTS about 13.7%, so BSEP has more room left this period.
Which resets first, BSEP or DDTS?: BSEP ends its outcome period on Aug 31, 2027 and DDTS on Aug 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, BSEP or DDTS?: BSEP and DDTS both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BSEP vs XAUG BSEP vs DLAG BSEP vs DDFS BSEP vs PMSE DDTS vs DAUG DDTS vs GAUG DDTS vs ZSEP DDTS vs USEP

Where to next

SPY →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →BSEP on its own →DDTS on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

BSEP and DDTS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for BSEP ↗

Innovator page for DDTS ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

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

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, BSEP against DDTS, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bsep-vs-ddts

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