Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

vsOpen in the appCompare their flowsaskIQ about these two fundsAsk the committee about these two funds
Buffer ETFs

TAPR vs XBAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 TAPR can fall 11.5% before its buffer engages and XBAP 10.0%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about TAPR and XBAP

Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $11m for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2027 and $129m for Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Apr.

At a glance
11.5%
TAPR can fall this far before its buffer
10.0%
XBAP can fall this far before its buffer
2.3%
TAPR can still gain
3.6%
XBAP can still gain
TAPR At its cap
At its capTAPR: reference +37.0% since period start, fund +11.3%; buffer Floor; cap +15.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneath+15.3% gainedfull floor0% period start+15.3% capTODAY · SPY +37.0%At its capTAPR: reference +37.0% since period start, fund +11.3%; buffer Floor; cap +15.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.full floor beneathfull floor0% start+15.3% cap+15.3% gain capturedTODAY · SPY +37.0%

TAPR: reference +37.0% since period start, fund +11.3%; buffer Floor; cap +15.3%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XBAP At its cap
At its capXBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.9 pts+15% gain captured−9.0% floor0% period start+15.0% capTODAY · SPY +17.9%At its capXBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.+15%−9.0% floor0% start+15.0% cap9 pts of bufferTODAY · SPY +17.9%

XBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XBAP: reference +17.9% since period start, fund +10.5%; buffer 0 to −9; cap +15.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.79% a year; their one-year returns differ by 8.7 points; XBAP is 11.7 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

TAPR vs XBAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
MeasureTAPRXBAP
Return
Total return, 1 year+5.2%+13.9%
Drawdown
Index fall to the buffer27.0%15.2%
Benchmark
What it tracksSPYSPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.79%0.79%
Net assets$11m$129m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: TAPR vs XBAP: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Total returnGap to the reference's price return
WindowTAPRXBAPTAPRXBAP
3 months+1.2%+1.7%+1.5 pts+2.1 pts
6 months+2.6%+4.8%−1.9 pts+0.3 pts
1 year+5.2%+13.9%−8.3 pts+0.3 pts
3 years–+47.5%–−28.9 pts
Since launchNot the same days: TAPR Apr 2025 · XBAP Apr 2021+11.0%+69.5%−25.7 pts−21.9 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

TAPR Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Apr 2027 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.3%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027 XBAP Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - Apr · Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.0%, over a period ending Mar 31, 2027
Reference index SPY SPY
Buffer 100% 9%
Outcome period Mar 31, 2025 to Mar 31, 2027 Mar 31, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027
Days left 147 147
Starting cap +15.3% +15.0%
Can still gain 2.3% 3.6%
Fall before buffer 11.5% 10.0%
Protection left, index points 100.0% of 100.0% 9.0% of 9.0%
Index return this period +37.0% +17.9%
Fund return this period +11.3% +10.5%
State today At cap At cap
Expense ratio 0.79% 0.79%
Net assets $11m $129m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

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

Where each one stands today

TAPR resets first, on Mar 31, 2027, 147 days from now; XBAP runs to Mar 31, 2027, 147 days. TAPR can still gain 2.3% before its cap, XBAP 3.6%. A fall from here reaches TAPR’s buffer after 11.5% and XBAP’s after 10.0%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

TAPR and XBAP flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
TAPR

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.3% 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 2.3% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 11.5% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 27.0% 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. 147 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Mar 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

XBAP

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.0% 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 3.6% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 10.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 15.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, TAPR or XBAP?
From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, TAPR can gain about 2.3% before its cap and XBAP about 3.6%, so XBAP has more room left this period.
Which resets first, TAPR or XBAP?
TAPR ends its outcome period on Mar 31, 2027 and XBAP on Mar 31, 2027. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, TAPR or XBAP?
TAPR and XBAP both charge 0.79% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, TAPR against XBAP, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/tapr-vs-xbap

Open data →

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