Which has more room to gain, DDNQ or QBUF?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDNQ can gain about 8.6% before its cap and QBUF about 6.7%, so DDNQ has more room left this period.

Which resets first, DDNQ or QBUF?

DDNQ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and QBUF on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, DDNQ or QBUF?

DDNQ and QBUF 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

DDNQ vs QBUF: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share on X Download as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 DDNQ can fall 0.0% before its buffer engages and QBUF 0.0%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DDNQ and QBUF

Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $27m for Innovator Growth-100 Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly and $199m for Innovator Nasdaq-100 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly.

DDNQ on its own →QBUF on its own →

At a glance

0.0%

DDNQ can fall this far before its buffer

0.0%

QBUF can fall this far before its buffer

8.6%

DDNQ can still gain

6.7%

QBUF can still gain

DDNQ Buffer exhausted

DDNQ: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −2.8%; buffer 0 to −5; cap +5.7%; Buffer exhausted. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QBUF Buffer working

QBUF: reference −6.5% since period start, fund −1.9%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +4.7%; Buffer working. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; QBUF is 7.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDNQ vs QBUF: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DDNQ	QBUF
Return
Measure	DDNQ	QBUF
Total return, 1 year	not published	+4.0%
Benchmark
Measure	DDNQ	QBUF
What it tracks	QQQ	QQQ
Cost and size
Measure	DDNQ	QBUF
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.79%
Net assets	$27m	$199m
Holdings
Measure	DDNQ	QBUF
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Risk and return

Jan 9, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 · 42 weekly returns

DDNQ QBUF

Return

Total return edge QBUF +1.2% +2.0%

Price return edge QBUF +1.2% +2.0%

Risk

Max drawdown edge QBUF −4.5% −3.3%

Reading

From Jan 2026 to Oct 2026, QBUF returned more: +2.0% to +1.2%. QBUF fell less at its worst: −3.3% to −4.5%.

Full scorecard

3 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: DDNQ vs QBUF: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DDNQ	QBUF	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+1.2%	+2.0%	QBUF	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Price return	+1.2%	+2.0%	QBUF	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Max drawdown	−4.5%	−3.3%	QBUF	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 42 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: DDNQ vs QBUF: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	DDNQ	QBUF	DDNQ	QBUF
3 months	−2.3%	−1.8%	+1.3 pts	+1.8 pts
6 months	−1.5%	−0.8%	−0.9 pts	−0.2 pts
1 year	–	+4.0%	–	−7.7 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDNQ Jan 2026 · QBUF Jul 2024	+2.8%	+21.4%	−10.0 pts	−22.2 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

DDNQ Innovator Growth-100 Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly · Absorbs the first 5% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 5.7%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 QBUF Innovator Nasdaq-100 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 4.7%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index QQQ QQQ

Buffer 5% 10%

Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 Sep 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026

Days left 57 57

Starting cap +5.7% +4.7%

Can still gain 8.6% 6.7%

Fall before buffer 0.0% 0.0%

Protection left, index points 0.0% of 5.0% 3.5% of 10.0%

Index return this period −6.5% −6.5%

Fund return this period −2.8% −1.9%

State today Buffer exhausted Buffer working

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%

Net assets $27m $199m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

DDNQ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; QBUF runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. DDNQ can still gain 8.6% before its cap, QBUF 6.7%. A fall from here reaches DDNQ’s buffer after 0.0% and QBUF’s after 0.0%. Both track QQQ, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Client brief

No client brief for this pair: ETFIQ prints no one-year total return for DDNQ.

Alert

About each fund

DDNQ

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.6% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 0.0% of the 5.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QBUF

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.7% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 3.5% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDNQ or QBUF?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDNQ can gain about 8.6% before its cap and QBUF about 6.7%, so DDNQ has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDNQ or QBUF?: DDNQ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and QBUF on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDNQ or QBUF?: DDNQ and QBUF both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DDNQ vs QBQV DDNQ vs NOCT DDNQ vs NJAN DDNQ vs QDEC QBUF vs PQOC QBUF vs DQSE QBUF vs NOCT QBUF vs QDEC

Where to next

QQQ →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →DDNQ on its own →QBUF on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DDNQ and QBUF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for DDNQ ↗

Innovator page for QBUF ↗

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, DDNQ against QBUF, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddnq-vs-qbuf

Open data →

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