FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF (BUFD) 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 BUFD. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to BUFD
BUFD charges 0.95% annually. There are 279 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.25%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aptus January Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BUFD vs JANB | |
| Aptus July Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BUFD vs JULB | |
| Aptus April Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BUFD vs APRB | |
| Aptus October Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | BUFD vs OCTB | |
| Fidelity Dynamic Buffered Equity ETF | 0.48% | — | Apr 2024 | BUFD vs FBUF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to BUFD
BUFD has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 87. There are 89 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 | BUFD vs PMAP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 99 | — | Mar 2025 | BUFD vs MMAX | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April | 99 | — | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 98 | — | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 98 | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs CPSP |
Top Performing BUFD Alternatives (YTD)
BUFD is at 5.08% YTD. There are 144 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 21.85%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leverage Shares 2x Capped Accelerated NVDA Monthly... | 21.85% | — | Aug 2025 | BUFD vs NVDO | |
| FT Vest Emerging Markets Buffer ETF - March | 15.28% | — | Mar 2025 | BUFD vs TMAR | |
| FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March | 13.16% | 557.94M | Mar 2021 | BUFD vs QMAR | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Uncapped Accelerator ETF - Jul... | 12.64% | — | Jul 2025 | BUFD vs UXJL | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Uncapped Accelerator ETF - Jan... | 12.41% | — | Jan 2025 | BUFD vs UXJA |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to BUFD
BUFD has 5.19% 1-year volatility. There are 103 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April | 1.01% | — | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 1.12% | — | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs PMMY | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | 1.15% | — | Mar 2025 | BUFD vs PMAP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 1.39% | — | Mar 2025 | BUFD vs MMAX | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 1.42% | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs CPSP |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to BUFD
BUFD has a 1-year max drawdown of -3.43%. There are 91 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.27%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April | -0.27% | — | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | -0.34% | — | Mar 2025 | BUFD vs PMAP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | -0.34% | — | Mar 2025 | BUFD vs MMAX | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | -0.36% | — | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | -0.37% | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | BUFD vs CPSP |
Other ETFs from FT Vest
The 10 most viewed FT Vest ETFs shown here include BGLD, RDVI, BUFQ and span 6 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $3B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome, Gold | 28 | 0.32% | 51.28M | Jan 2021 | BUFD vs BGLD | |
| FT Cboe Vest Rising Dividend Achievers Target Inco... | Derivative Income | 58 | 9.43% | 3.16B | Oct 2022 | BUFD vs RDVI | |
| FT Vest Laddered Nasdaq Buffer ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 84 | 9.53% | 1.47B | Jun 2022 | BUFD vs BUFQ | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October | Defined Outcome | 79 | 6.65% | 1.21B | Oct 2020 | BUFD vs FOCT | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September | Options Trading | 74 | 6.56% | 1.29B | Sep 2020 | BUFD vs FSEP | |
| FT Vest Dow Jones Internet & Target Income ETF | Technology Equities | 16 | 4.50% | — | Mar 2024 | BUFD vs FDND | |
| FT Vest DJIA Dogs 10 Target Income ETF | Derivative Income | 40 | 5.12% | 72.34M | Apr 2023 | BUFD vs DOGG | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December | Defined Outcome | 87 | 5.17% | 426.26M | Dec 2020 | BUFD vs DDEC | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February | Defined Outcome | 84 | 7.97% | 1.35B | Feb 2020 | BUFD vs FFEB | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Moderate Buffer ETF - Mar... | Options Trading | 97 | 7.99% | 395.64M | Mar 2023 | BUFD vs GMAR |
Often Compared With BUFD
Investors most often compare BUFD with BUFR, BUFF, BALT. These 20 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare BUFD with Any Fund or Stock
Compare BUFD with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
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Pair BUFD with funds that move differently
FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to BUFD.
Explore BUFD Diversifiers