Which has more room to gain, DDSQ or ZALT?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDSQ can gain about 2.6% before its cap and ZALT about 2.8%, so ZALT has more room left this period.

Which resets first, DDSQ or ZALT?

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

Which is cheaper, DDSQ or ZALT?

DDSQ charges 0.79% a year and ZALT charges 0.69%, so ZALT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

DDSQ vs ZALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 DDSQ can fall 0.9% before its buffer engages and ZALT 0.8%.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $114m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly and $845m for Innovator U.S. Equity 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly.

DDSQ on its own →ZALT on its own →

At a glance

0.9%

DDSQ can fall this far before its buffer

0.8%

ZALT can fall this far before its buffer

2.6%

DDSQ can still gain

2.8%

ZALT can still gain

DDSQ Between buffer and cap

DDSQ: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.8%; buffer 0 to −5; cap +3.5%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

ZALT Between buffer and cap

ZALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +3.6%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

ZALT costs 0.10 points a year less; ZALT is 7.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DDSQ vs ZALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DDSQ	ZALT
Return
Measure	DDSQ	ZALT
Total return, 1 year	not published	+8.1%
Drawdown
Measure	DDSQ	ZALT
Index fall to the buffer	0.5%
Benchmark
Measure	DDSQ	ZALT
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Cost and size
Measure	DDSQ	ZALT
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.69%
Net assets	$114m	$845m
Holdings
Measure	DDSQ	ZALT
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DDSQ vs ZALT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	DDSQ	ZALT	DDSQ	ZALT
3 months	+1.0%	+1.2%	+1.4 pts	+1.6 pts
6 months	+4.0%	+3.6%	−0.5 pts	−0.9 pts
1 year	–	+8.1%	–	−5.4 pts
3 years	–	+34.2%	–	−42.2 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DDSQ Jan 2026 · ZALT Oct 2023	+12.9%	+35.9%	+0.7 pts	−43.6 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

DDSQ Innovator Equity Dual Directional 5 Buffer ETF - Quarterly · Absorbs the first 5% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 3.5%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 ZALT Innovator U.S. Equity 10 Buffer ETF - Quarterly · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 3.6%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026

Issuer Innovator Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

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 +3.5% +3.6%

Can still gain 2.6% 2.8%

Fall before buffer 0.9% 0.8%

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

Index return this period +0.5% +0.5%

Fund return this period +0.8% +0.7%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.69%

Net assets $114m $845m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

DDSQ resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; ZALT runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. DDSQ can still gain 2.6% before its cap, ZALT 2.8%. A fall from here reaches DDSQ’s buffer after 0.9% and ZALT’s after 0.8%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund

DDSQ

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.6% 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. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 5.0% of the 5.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

ZALT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.8% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DDSQ or ZALT?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DDSQ can gain about 2.6% before its cap and ZALT about 2.8%, so ZALT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, DDSQ or ZALT?: DDSQ ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and ZALT on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DDSQ or ZALT?: DDSQ charges 0.79% a year and ZALT charges 0.69%, so ZALT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DDSQ vs POCT DDSQ vs FDEC DDSQ vs PJAN DDSQ vs FSEP ZALT vs OCTT ZALT vs SEPM ZALT vs DDTO ZALT vs GSEP

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

DDSQ and ZALT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

Innovator page for DDSQ ↗

Innovator page for ZALT ↗

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, DDSQ against ZALT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddsq-vs-zalt

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