Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 (AJUL) belongs to the Options Trading category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with AJUL. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to AJUL
AJUL charges 0.79% annually. There are 60 ETFs in the Options Trading category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.14%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calamos Tax-Aware Collateral ETF | 0.14% | 1.21B | Apr 2026 | AJUL vs CBOX | |
| Parametric Hedged Equity ETF | 0.29% | 139.40M | Oct 2023 | AJUL vs PHEQ | |
| State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 0.35% | 2.87M | Jul 2025 | AJUL vs XLRI | |
| Simplify Hedged Equity ETF | 0.43% | 296.16M | Nov 2021 | AJUL vs HEQT | |
| Castellan Targeted Income ETF | 0.45% | — | Jun 2025 | AJUL vs CTIF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to AJUL
AJUL has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 91. There are 20 ETFs in the Options Trading category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovator Premium Income 15 Buffer ETF - April | 99 | — | Mar 2024 | AJUL vs LAPR | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | 98 | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | AJUL vs APRJ | |
| AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Apr ETF | 98 | 199.47M | May 2020 | AJUL vs APRW | |
| PGIM US Large-Cap Buffer 20 ETF - April | 98 | — | Mar 2024 | AJUL vs PBAP | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer... | 98 | 153.67M | Mar 2023 | AJUL vs XMAR |
Top Performing AJUL Alternatives (YTD)
AJUL is at 4.37% YTD. There are 121 ETFs in the Options Trading category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 105.10%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YieldMax AMD Option Income Strategy ETF | 105.10% | 382.78M | Sep 2023 | AJUL vs AMDY | |
| Defiance Oil Enhanced Options Income ETF | 37.86% | 64.41M | May 2024 | AJUL vs USOY | |
| Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ET... | 20.54% | 6.72M | Apr 2025 | AJUL vs LITL | |
| Defiance Nasdaq 100 Enhanced Options Income ETF | 17.47% | 180.69M | Sep 2023 | AJUL vs QQQY | |
| Defiance R2000 Weekly Distribution ETF | 17.15% | 95.57M | Oct 2023 | AJUL vs IWMY |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to AJUL
AJUL has 3.25% 1-year volatility. There are 21 ETFs in the Options Trading category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.30%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovator Premium Income 15 Buffer ETF - April | 1.30% | — | Mar 2024 | AJUL vs LAPR | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | 1.56% | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | AJUL vs APRJ | |
| Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | 1.57% | 709.87M | Aug 2013 | AJUL vs CAOS | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July | 1.68% | 13.68M | Jun 2023 | AJUL vs JULJ | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - ... | 2.06% | — | Mar 2024 | AJUL vs XIMR |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to AJUL
AJUL has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.19%. There are 26 ETFs in the Options Trading category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.36%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovator Premium Income 15 Buffer ETF - April | -0.36% | — | Mar 2024 | AJUL vs LAPR | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | -0.40% | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | AJUL vs APRJ | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July | -0.61% | 13.68M | Jun 2023 | AJUL vs JULJ | |
| Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | -0.76% | 709.87M | Aug 2013 | AJUL vs CAOS | |
| AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Apr ETF | -0.89% | 199.47M | May 2020 | AJUL vs APRW |
Other ETFs from Innovator
The 10 most viewed Innovator ETFs shown here include BALT, BUFF, SFLR and span 5 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $3B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | Defined Outcome | 96 | 3.34% | 2.72B | Jun 2021 | AJUL vs BALT | |
| Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | 90 | 7.50% | 923.55M | Oct 2016 | AJUL vs BUFF | |
| Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF | Options Trading | 50 | 5.77% | 2.11B | Nov 2022 | AJUL vs SFLR | |
| Innovator Deepwater Frontier Tech ETF | Technology Equities | 48 | 18.96% | 200.31M | Jul 2018 | AJUL vs LOUP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF | Leveraged Equities | 98 | 13.51% | 22.69M | Apr 2021 | AJUL vs XTAP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - January | Defined Outcome | 84 | 7.00% | 1.44B | Jan 2019 | AJUL vs PJAN | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - April | Defined Outcome | 97 | 12.86% | 403.09M | Mar 2019 | AJUL vs BAPR | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF October | Defined Outcome | 81 | 7.33% | 963.46M | Sep 2018 | AJUL vs POCT | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - July | Defined Outcome | 89 | 7.09% | 1.25B | Aug 2018 | AJUL vs PJUL | |
| Innovator Nasdaq-100 Managed Floor ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 42 | 4.20% | 524.31M | Jan 2024 | AJUL vs QFLR |
Often Compared With AJUL
Investors most often compare AJUL with APRP, APRT, OCTT. These 20 comparison targets span 1 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare AJUL with Any Fund or Stock
Compare AJUL with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair AJUL with funds that move differently
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 2 Yr To July 2026 alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to AJUL.
Explore AJUL Diversifiers