Which has more room to gain, QBUF or QQBF?

From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, QBUF can gain about 4.7% before its cap and QQBF about 2.3%, so QBUF has more room left this period.

Which resets first, QBUF or QQBF?

QBUF ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and QQBF on Dec 18, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, QBUF or QQBF?

QBUF charges 0.79% a year and QQBF charges 0.90%, so QBUF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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QBUF vs QQBF: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 QQBF can fall 0.9% before its buffer engages and QBUF 0.0%, and QQBF resets 13 days sooner. Innovator Nasdaq-100® 10 Buffer ETF™ - Quarterly and FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Quarterly 15 Buffer ETF.

0.0%

QBUF can fall this far before its buffer

0.9%

QQBF can fall this far before its buffer

4.7%

QBUF can still gain

2.3%

QQBF can still gain

QBUFBetween buffer and cap

QBUF: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +4.7%; Between buffer and cap.

QQBFBetween buffer and cap

QQBF: reference +2.5% since period start, fund +0.7%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +3.3%; Between buffer and cap.

ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · QQBF scores higherIf the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?

QBUF 34.3

QQBF 83.8

0.2, the lowest in this set99.8, the highest

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 →

Where each one stands today

QQBF resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 79 days from now; QBUF runs to Dec 31, 2026, 92 days. QBUF can still gain 4.7% before its cap, QQBF 2.3%. A fall from here reaches QBUF’s buffer after 0.0% and QQBF’s after 0.9%. Both track QQQ, 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

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	QBUF	QQBF	QBUF	QQBF
3 months	+0.8%	not published	−1.3 pts	not published
6 months	+5.1%	not published	−21.8 pts	not published
1 year	+7.5%	not published	−16.3 pts	not published

QBUF and QQBF over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

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

QQBF

FT Vest Nasdaq-100® Quarterly 15 Buffer ETF · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on QQQ and caps the gain at 3.3%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026

Issuer Innovator First Trust

Reference index QQQ QQQ

Buffer 10% 15%

Outcome period Sep 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 Sep 21, 2026 to Dec 18, 2026

Days left 92 79

Starting cap +4.7% +3.3%

Can still gain 4.7% 2.3%

Fall before buffer 0.0% 0.9%

Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 15.0% of 15.0%

Index return this period 0.0% +2.5%

Fund return this period 0.0% +0.7%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.90%

Net assets $187m $1m

QBUF and QQBF on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

QBUF in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.7% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 92 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QQBF in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.3% 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 figure. In index terms, QQQ can fall 2.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 79 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, QBUF or QQBF?: From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, QBUF can gain about 4.7% before its cap and QQBF about 2.3%, so QBUF has more room left this period.
Which resets first, QBUF or QQBF?: QBUF ends its outcome period on Dec 31, 2026 and QQBF on Dec 18, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, QBUF or QQBF?: QBUF charges 0.79% a year and QQBF charges 0.90%, so QBUF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

QBUF vs NJAN QBUF vs NOCT QBUF vs PQOC QBUF vs QBQF QQBF vs QBQV QQBF vs NJAN QQBF vs PQJA QQBF vs QBQF

QQQ →QBUF on its own →QQBF on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

QBUF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗Innovator page for QBUF ↗First Trust page for QQBF ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, QBUF against QQBF, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/qbuf-vs-qqbf

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.