Which paid more, ACEI or SBAR?

Over the year to Nov 12, 2026, ACEI paid 12.3% of its starting price in cash and SBAR paid 11.8%, so ACEI paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.

Which returned more once distributions are counted, ACEI or SBAR?

With every distribution reinvested, ACEI returned +5.4% and SBAR +7.5% over the year to Nov 12, 2026.

Which is cheaper, ACEI or SBAR?

ACEI charges 0.79% a year and SBAR charges 0.77%, so SBAR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 12, 2026.

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ACEI vs SBAR: Dividend Yield & Total Return

Return, fees and overlap, side by side.

Return gap

+2.1 pts

1 year to Nov 12, 2026: SBAR ahead, total return

Fee gap

0.02 pts

A year: ACEI 0.79%, SBAR 0.77%, per filings dated Feb 27, 2026 and Oct 28, 2026

Overlap

–

No book read for both funds

Net flow

–

Needs daily flows for both funds

Pair scorecard

SBAR costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.1 points; SBAR is 7.9 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

ACEI vs SBAR: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	ACEI	SBAR
Paid and earned
Measure	ACEI	SBAR
Total return, 1 year	+5.4%	+7.5%
Price change, 1 year	fell 7.3%	fell 4.8%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	77% of the Nov 2, 2026 payment	77% of the Oct 27, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	ACEI	SBAR
Benchmark	S&P 500, measured through SPY	not published
Cost and size
Measure	ACEI	SBAR
Expense ratio	0.79%	0.77%
Net assets, as of Nov 11, 2026	$56m	$441m
Holdings
Measure	ACEI	SBAR
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Key numbers

12.3%

ACEI cash paid, 1 year

11.8%

SBAR cash paid, 1 year

+5.4%

ACEI total return, 1 year

+7.5%

SBAR total return, 1 year

ACEI · 1 year to Nov 12, 2026 6.6 pts behind SPY

ACEI

+5.4%

SPY

+12.0%

6.6 pts behind SPY

ACEI over 1 year: paid 12.3%, price −7.3%, total +5.4%, SPY +12.0%, −6.6 pts. Data to Nov 12, 2026.

SPY

+12.0%

ACEI

+5.4%

12.3% of it arrived as cash

6.6 pts behind SPY

Total return, distributions reinvested

6.6 pts behind SPY

ACEI over 1 year: paid 12.3%, price −7.3%, total +5.4%, SPY +12.0%, −6.6 pts. Data to Nov 12, 2026.

SPY

+12.0%

ACEI

+5.4%

6.6 pts behind SPY

12.3% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. ACEI over 1 year: paid 12.3%, price −7.3%, total +5.4%, SPY +12.0%, −6.6 pts. Data to Nov 12, 2026.

Data to Nov 12, 2026.

SBAR · 1 year to Nov 12, 2026 Not measured

SBAR

+7.5%

none

Not measured

SBAR over 1 year: paid 11.8%, price −4.8%, total +7.5%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 12, 2026.

SBAR

+7.5%

11.8% of it arrived as cash

Total return, distributions reinvested

Not measured

SBAR over 1 year: paid 11.8%, price −4.8%, total +7.5%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 12, 2026.

SBAR

+7.5%

11.8% cash

11.8% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. SBAR over 1 year: paid 11.8%, price −4.8%, total +7.5%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 12, 2026.

Data to Nov 12, 2026.

Side by side

ACEI Innovator Equity Autocallable Income Strategy ETF · Autocallable on SPY, paying monthly SBAR Simplify Barrier Income ETF · Defined income, paying monthly

Issuer Innovator Simplify

Strategy autocallable defined income

Benchmark S&P 500 (SPY) not set

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 14.2% 12.0%

Expense ratio 0.79% 0.77%

Cash paid, 1 year 12.3% 11.8%

Price change, 1 year −7.3% −4.8%

Total return, 1 year +5.4% +7.5%

Benchmark return, 1 year +12.0% not published

Ahead or behind −6.6 pts not available

Return of capital, latest estimate 77% 77%

Age 1.1 years 1.6 years

Net assets, ACEI as of Nov 12, 2026 and SBAR as of Nov 11, 2026 $58m $441m

As of Nov 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ. Cash paid: distributions over the window, as a share of the starting price. Payout rate: the latest payment, annualized, over today’s price.

Window by window

Window by window: ACEI vs SBAR: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	ACEI	SBAR	ACEI	SBAR	ACEI	SBAR
3 months	+0.1%	−0.8%	3.3%	2.9%	+2.5 pts	not measured
6 months	+0.2%	+2.7%	6.4%	5.8%	−1.6 pts	not measured
1 year	+5.4%	+7.5%	12.3%	11.8%	−6.6 pts	not measured
Since launchNot the same days: ACEI Sep 2025 · SBAR Apr 2025	+4.9%	+19.7%	12.2%	19.0%	−11.4 pts	not measured

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About each fund

ACEI

Over the year to Nov 12, 2026, ACEI paid 12.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 7.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +5.4%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +12.0% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 6.6 pts. At its price on Nov 12, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 14.2%, paid monthly. Innovator estimates that 77% of the distribution paid Nov 2, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

SBAR

Over the year to Nov 12, 2026, SBAR paid 11.8% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 4.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +7.5%. At its price on Nov 12, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 12.0%, paid monthly. Simplify estimates that 77% of the distribution paid Oct 27, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which paid more, ACEI or SBAR?: Over the year to Nov 12, 2026, ACEI paid 12.3% of its starting price in cash and SBAR paid 11.8%, so ACEI paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
Which returned more once distributions are counted, ACEI or SBAR?: With every distribution reinvested, ACEI returned +5.4% and SBAR +7.5% over the year to Nov 12, 2026.
Which is cheaper, ACEI or SBAR?: ACEI charges 0.79% a year and SBAR charges 0.77%, so SBAR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

ACEI vs CAIQ ACEI vs PAYM ACEI vs VAIE ACEI vs ATCL SBAR vs ACSP SBAR vs CAGE SBAR vs APRJ SBAR vs APRH

Where to next

S&P 500 (SPY) →All income ETFs ranked by the Distribution Coverage Score →How the scores are computed →ACEI on its own →SBAR on its own →ACEI dividend history →SBAR dividend history →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

ACEI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

ACEI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

ACEI 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Innovator page for ACEI ↗

SBAR filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

SBAR prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

SBAR 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Simplify website ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, ACEI against SBAR, data as of Nov 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/acei-vs-sbar

Open data →

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

Net assets: $58m on Nov 12, 2026 for Innovator Equity Autocallable Income Strategy ETF, and $441m on Nov 11, 2026 for Simplify Barrier Income ETF.

ACEI on its own →SBAR on its own →

Growth of 100

ACEI and SBAR

Total return, distributions reinvested, 1 year.

ACEI +5.4%SBAR +7.5%

Nov 12, 2025Nov 12, 2026

ACEI +5.4%, SBAR +7.5%: SBAR +2.1 pts ahead, 1 year, Nov 12, 2025 to Nov 12, 2026.