FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December (FDEC) 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 FDEC. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to FDEC
FDEC charges 0.85% annually. There are 209 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 | FDEC vs JANB | |
| Aptus April Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | FDEC vs APRB | |
| Aptus October Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | FDEC vs OCTB | |
| Aptus July Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | FDEC vs JULB | |
| Fidelity Dynamic Buffered Equity ETF | 0.48% | — | Apr 2024 | FDEC vs FBUF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to FDEC
FDEC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 81. There are 127 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 | FDEC vs PMAP | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April | 99 | — | Apr 2025 | FDEC vs APXM | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 99 | — | Mar 2025 | FDEC vs MMAX | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 98 | — | Apr 2025 | FDEC vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 98 | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | FDEC vs CPSP |
Top Performing FDEC Alternatives (YTD)
FDEC is at 6.38% YTD. There are 92 ETFs in the Defined Outcome category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 18.85%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leverage Shares 2x Capped Accelerated NVDA Monthly... | 18.85% | — | Aug 2025 | FDEC vs NVDO | |
| FT Vest Emerging Markets Buffer ETF - March | 14.45% | — | Mar 2025 | FDEC vs TMAR | |
| FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March | 13.06% | 557.94M | Mar 2021 | FDEC vs QMAR | |
| PGIM Nasdaq-100 Buffer 12 ETF - April | 12.09% | 7.34M | Dec 2024 | FDEC vs PQAP | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Uncapped Accelerator ETF - Jul... | 11.78% | — | Jul 2025 | FDEC vs UXJL |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to FDEC
FDEC has 7.62% 1-year volatility. There are 202 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 | FDEC vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 1.12% | — | Apr 2025 | FDEC vs PMMY | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | 1.15% | — | Mar 2025 | FDEC vs PMAP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 1.39% | — | Mar 2025 | FDEC vs MMAX | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 1.42% | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | FDEC vs CPSP |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to FDEC
FDEC has a 1-year max drawdown of -5.83%. There are 174 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 | FDEC vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | -0.34% | — | Mar 2025 | FDEC vs PMAP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | -0.34% | — | Mar 2025 | FDEC vs MMAX | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | -0.36% | — | Apr 2025 | FDEC vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | -0.37% | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | FDEC 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 | FDEC vs BGLD | |
| FT Cboe Vest Rising Dividend Achievers Target Inco... | Derivative Income | 58 | 9.43% | 3.16B | Oct 2022 | FDEC vs RDVI | |
| FT Vest Laddered Nasdaq Buffer ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 84 | 9.53% | 1.47B | Jun 2022 | FDEC vs BUFQ | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October | Defined Outcome | 79 | 6.65% | 1.21B | Oct 2020 | FDEC vs FOCT | |
| FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | 87 | 5.08% | 1.88B | Jan 2021 | FDEC vs BUFD | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September | Options Trading | 74 | 6.56% | 1.29B | Sep 2020 | FDEC vs FSEP | |
| FT Vest Dow Jones Internet & Target Income ETF | Technology Equities | 14 | 2.42% | — | Mar 2024 | FDEC vs FDND | |
| FT Vest DJIA Dogs 10 Target Income ETF | Derivative Income | 40 | 5.09% | 72.34M | Apr 2023 | FDEC vs DOGG | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December | Defined Outcome | 86 | 4.97% | 426.26M | Dec 2020 | FDEC vs DDEC | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February | Defined Outcome | 82 | 7.65% | 1.35B | Feb 2020 | FDEC vs FFEB |
Often Compared With FDEC
Investors most often compare FDEC with BUFR, VOO, SPY. These 20 comparison targets span 3 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare FDEC with Any Fund or Stock
Compare FDEC with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair FDEC with funds that move differently
FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to FDEC.
Explore FDEC Diversifiers