Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (BDEC) belongs to the Defined Outcome category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with BDEC. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to BDEC
BDEC charges 0.79% annually. There are 92 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.25%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aptus July Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BDEC vs JULB | |
| Aptus October Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BDEC vs OCTB | |
| Aptus April Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BDEC vs APRB | |
| Aptus January Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BDEC vs JANB | |
| Fidelity Dynamic Buffered Equity ETF | 0.48% | — | Apr 2024 | BDEC vs FBUF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to BDEC
BDEC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 77. There are 179 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | 99 | — | Mar 2025 | BDEC vs PMAP | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 98 | 19.60M | Apr 2025 | BDEC vs CPSP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 98 | — | Mar 2025 | BDEC vs MMAX | |
| Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr Apr... | 98 | — | Apr 2025 | BDEC vs ZAPR | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - A... | 98 | 134.85M | Mar 2021 | BDEC vs XBAP |
Top Performing BDEC Alternatives (YTD)
BDEC is at 7.69% YTD. There are 55 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 16.35%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leverage Shares 2x Capped Accelerated NVDA Monthly... | 16.35% | — | Aug 2025 | BDEC vs NVDO | |
| Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - Februa... | 13.34% | — | Jan 2025 | BDEC vs KFEB | |
| Innovator Russell 2000 Power Buffer ETF - April | 12.71% | 214.51M | Mar 2020 | BDEC vs KAPR | |
| FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March | 12.33% | 568.10M | Mar 2021 | BDEC vs QMAR | |
| ProShares Nasdaq-100 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 12.15% | 2.84M | Jun 2025 | BDEC vs QB |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to BDEC
BDEC has 9.07% 1-year volatility. There are 239 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.16%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | 1.16% | — | Mar 2025 | BDEC vs PMAP | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April | 1.24% | — | Apr 2025 | BDEC vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 1.31% | — | Apr 2025 | BDEC vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 1.34% | 19.60M | Apr 2025 | BDEC vs CPSP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 1.42% | — | Mar 2025 | BDEC vs MMAX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to BDEC
BDEC has a 1-year max drawdown of -6.52%. There are 208 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.35%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | -0.35% | — | Mar 2025 | BDEC vs PMAP | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | -0.37% | 19.60M | Apr 2025 | BDEC vs CPSP | |
| Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr Apr... | -0.40% | — | Apr 2025 | BDEC vs ZAPR | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | -0.46% | — | Mar 2025 | BDEC vs MMAX | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ma... | -0.49% | 56.60M | May 2024 | BDEC vs CPSM |
Other ETFs from Innovator
The 10 most viewed Innovator ETFs shown here include BALT, FFTY, BUFF and span 6 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 | 95 | 2.57% | 2.68B | Jun 2021 | BDEC vs BALT | |
| Innovator IBD 50 ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 26 | 12.47% | 89.40M | Apr 2015 | BDEC vs FFTY | |
| Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | 89 | 5.94% | 891.58M | Oct 2016 | BDEC vs BUFF | |
| Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF | Options Trading | 56 | 5.15% | 2.12B | Nov 2022 | BDEC vs SFLR | |
| Innovator Deepwater Frontier Tech ETF | Technology Equities | 58 | 20.34% | 221.95M | Jul 2018 | BDEC vs LOUP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - January | Defined Outcome | 83 | 5.59% | 1.47B | Jan 2019 | BDEC vs PJAN | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF | Leveraged Equities | 98 | 11.77% | 22.82M | Apr 2021 | BDEC vs XTAP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - April | Defined Outcome | 97 | 11.27% | 404.39M | Mar 2019 | BDEC vs BAPR | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - July | Defined Outcome | 87 | 5.32% | 1.12B | Aug 2018 | BDEC vs PJUL | |
| Innovator Nasdaq-100 Managed Floor ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 55 | 4.38% | 543.68M | Jan 2024 | BDEC vs QFLR |
Often Compared With BDEC
Investors most often compare BDEC with UDEC, PDEC, VOO. These 20 comparison targets span 5 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare BDEC with Any Fund or Stock
Compare BDEC with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair BDEC with funds that move differently
Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to BDEC.
Explore BDEC Diversifiers