Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Buffer ETFs

EALT vs TOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

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As of Nov 4, 2026 EALT can fall 5.6% before its buffer engages and TOCT 5.5%, and EALT resets 273 days sooner.

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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $189m for Innovator U.S. Equity 5 to 15 Buffer ETF - Quarterly and $14m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2027.

At a glance
5.6%
EALT can fall this far before its buffer
5.5%
TOCT can fall this far before its buffer
6.4%
EALT can still gain
6.6%
TOCT can still gain
EALT Between buffer and cap
Between buffer and capEALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −15; cap +7.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.10 pts of buffer−15.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% period start+7.0% capfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+6.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%Between buffer and capEALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −15; cap +7.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.−15.0% floor−5.0% buffer start0% start+7.0% cap10 pts of bufferfirst 5 pts are yours to lose+0.5% gain captured+6.5% more to the capTODAY · SPY +0.5%

EALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −15; cap +7.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

EALT: reference +0.5% since period start, fund +0.5%; buffer −5 to −15; cap +7.0%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
TOCT At its cap
At its capTOCT: reference +15.1% since period start, fund +4.9%; buffer Floor; cap +12.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+12.8% gain capturedfull floor0% period start+12.8% capTODAY · SPY +15.1%At its capTOCT: reference +15.1% since period start, fund +4.9%; buffer Floor; cap +12.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+12.8%full floor0% start+12.8% capTODAY · SPY +15.1%

TOCT: reference +15.1% since period start, fund +4.9%; buffer Floor; cap +12.8%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

EALT costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.9 points; EALT is 13.5 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

EALT vs TOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureEALTTOCT
Return
Total return, 1 year+5.0%+4.1%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer5.5%13.1%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.69%0.79%
Net assets$189m$14m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: EALT vs TOCT: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowEALTTOCTEALTTOCT
3 months0.0%+0.7%+0.4 pts+1.1 pts
6 months+3.9%+1.9%−0.6 pts−2.6 pts
1 year+5.0%+4.1%−8.6 pts−9.4 pts
3 years+40.9%–−35.5 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: EALT Oct 2023 · TOCT Oct 2025+43.3%+4.1%−36.1 pts−10.7 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

EALT Innovator U.S. Equity 5 to 15 Buffer ETF - Quarterly · Absorbs losses from 5.0% to 15.0% on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026 TOCT Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Oct 2027 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 12.8%, over a period ending Sep 30, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 5% to 15% 100%
Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 Sep 30, 2025 to Sep 30, 2027
Days left 57 330
Starting cap +7.0% +12.8%
Can still gain 6.4% 6.6%
Fall before buffer 5.6% 5.5%
Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 100.0% of 100.0%
Index return this period +0.5% +15.1%
Fund return this period +0.5% +4.9%
State today Open At cap
Expense ratio 0.69% 0.79%
Net assets $189m $14m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

TOCT is already at its cap, so more rise in the index adds nothing to it before the period ends.

They do not reset together. EALT has 57 days of its period left and TOCT has 330, so the two are not the same bet on the same months.

Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.

Where each one stands today

EALT resets first, on Dec 31, 2026, 57 days from now; TOCT runs to Sep 30, 2027, 330 days. EALT can still gain 6.4% before its cap, TOCT 6.6%. A fall from here reaches EALT’s buffer after 5.6% and TOCT’s after 5.5%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

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About each fund
EALT

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 6.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 5.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 5.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% 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.

TOCT

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +12.8% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 6.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 5.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 13.1% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 330 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, EALT or TOCT?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, EALT can gain about 6.4% before its cap and TOCT about 6.6%, so TOCT has more room left this period.
Which resets first, EALT or TOCT?
EALT ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and TOCT on Sep 30, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, EALT or TOCT?
EALT charges 0.69% a year and TOCT charges 0.79%, so EALT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Sources and dates

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.

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ETFIQ, EALT against TOCT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ealt-vs-toct

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