Data as of .
FAUG vs GAUG: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 FAUG can fall 1.8% before its buffer engages and GAUG 1.6%.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: GAUG scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Both are First Trust funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
FAUG resets first, on Aug 20, 2027, 333 days from now; GAUG runs to Aug 20, 2027, 333 days. FAUG can still gain 15.2% before its cap, GAUG 12.1%. A fall from here reaches FAUG’s buffer after 1.8% and GAUG’s after 1.6%. 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
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAUG | GAUG | FAUG | GAUG | |
| 3 months | +2.2% | +1.7% | 0.0 pts | −0.5 pts |
| 6 months | +11.5% | +9.0% | −6.5 pts | −9.0 pts |
| 1 year | +11.4% | +9.3% | −5.2 pts | −7.3 pts |
| 3 years | +50.0% | +39.6% | −28.4 pts | −38.8 pts |
| FAUG FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - August Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.2%, over a period ending Aug 20, 2027 | GAUG FT Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - August Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 13.8%, over a period ending Aug 20, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | First Trust |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 10% | 15% |
| Outcome period | Aug 24, 2026 to Aug 20, 2027 | Aug 24, 2026 to Aug 20, 2027 |
| Days left | 333 | 333 |
| Starting cap | +17.2% | +13.8% |
| Can still gain | 15.2% | 12.1% |
| Fall before buffer | 1.8% | 1.6% |
| Protection left, index points | 10.0% of 10.0% | 15.0% of 15.0% |
| Index return this period | +1.1% | +1.1% |
| Fund return this period | +1.0% | +0.7% |
| State today | Open | Open |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.85% |
| Net assets | $1.3bn | $416m |
FAUG in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 15.2% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.0% 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. 333 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Aug 20, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
GAUG in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 12.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.6% 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, FAUG or GAUG?
- From their prices on Sep 21, 2026, FAUG can gain about 15.2% before its cap and GAUG about 12.1%, so FAUG has more room left this period.
- Which resets first, FAUG or GAUG?
- FAUG ends its outcome period on Aug 20, 2027 and GAUG on Aug 20, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, FAUG or GAUG?
- FAUG charges 0.85% a year and GAUG charges 0.85%, so FAUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, FAUG against GAUG, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/faug-vs-gaug Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.