FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August (SAUG) 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 SAUG. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to SAUG
SAUG charges 0.90% annually. There are 129 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 | SAUG vs CBOX | |
| Parametric Hedged Equity ETF | 0.29% | 139.40M | Oct 2023 | SAUG vs PHEQ | |
| State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 0.35% | 2.87M | Jul 2025 | SAUG vs XLRI | |
| Simplify Hedged Equity ETF | 0.43% | 296.16M | Nov 2021 | SAUG vs HEQT | |
| Castellan Targeted Income ETF | 0.45% | — | Jun 2025 | SAUG vs CTIF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to SAUG
SAUG has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 92. There are 18 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 | SAUG vs LAPR | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | 98 | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | SAUG vs APRJ | |
| AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Apr ETF | 98 | 199.47M | May 2020 | SAUG vs APRW | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - ... | 98 | — | Mar 2024 | SAUG vs XIMR | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer... | 98 | 153.67M | Mar 2023 | SAUG vs XMAR |
Top Performing SAUG Alternatives (YTD)
SAUG is at 9.62% YTD. There are 16 ETFs in the Options Trading category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 87.43%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YieldMax AMD Option Income Strategy ETF | 87.43% | 382.78M | Sep 2023 | SAUG vs AMDY | |
| Defiance Oil Enhanced Options Income ETF | 51.25% | 64.41M | May 2024 | SAUG vs USOY | |
| Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ET... | 15.04% | 6.72M | Apr 2025 | SAUG vs LITL | |
| Horizon Dividend Income ETF | 14.80% | — | Jun 2025 | SAUG vs DIVN | |
| Defiance R2000 Weekly Distribution ETF | 13.35% | 95.57M | Oct 2023 | SAUG vs IWMY |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to SAUG
SAUG has 8.71% 1-year volatility. There are 107 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 | SAUG vs LAPR | |
| Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | 1.57% | 709.87M | Aug 2013 | SAUG vs CAOS | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | 1.57% | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | SAUG vs APRJ | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July | 1.68% | 13.68M | Jun 2023 | SAUG vs JULJ | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - ... | 2.06% | — | Mar 2024 | SAUG vs XIMR |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to SAUG
SAUG has a 1-year max drawdown of -4.10%. There are 59 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 | SAUG vs LAPR | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | -0.40% | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | SAUG vs APRJ | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July | -0.61% | 13.68M | Jun 2023 | SAUG vs JULJ | |
| Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | -0.76% | 709.87M | Aug 2013 | SAUG vs CAOS | |
| AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Apr ETF | -0.89% | 199.47M | May 2020 | SAUG vs APRW |
Other ETFs from FT Vest
The 10 most viewed FT Vest ETFs shown here include RDVI, BGLD, BUFD and span 7 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $4B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT Vest Rising Dividend Achievers Target Income ET... | Derivative Income | 87 | 16.92% | 3.59B | Oct 2022 | SAUG vs RDVI | |
| FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome, Gold, Precious Metals | 28 | -4.01% | 50.90M | Jan 2021 | SAUG vs BGLD | |
| FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | 89 | 5.83% | 1.97B | Jan 2021 | SAUG vs BUFD | |
| FT Vest Laddered Nasdaq Buffer ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 75 | 7.59% | 1.51B | Jun 2022 | SAUG vs BUFQ | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October | Defined Outcome | 85 | 7.68% | 1.17B | Oct 2020 | SAUG vs FOCT | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September | Options Trading | 79 | 7.68% | 1.22B | Sep 2020 | SAUG vs FSEP | |
| FT Vest Dow Jones Internet & Target Income ETF | Technology Equities | 9 | 0.56% | — | Mar 2024 | SAUG vs FDND | |
| FT Vest DJIA Dogs 10 Target Income ETF | Derivative Income | 76 | 11.04% | 88.80M | Apr 2023 | SAUG vs DOGG | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February | Defined Outcome | 86 | 8.35% | 1.39B | Feb 2020 | SAUG vs FFEB | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December | Defined Outcome | 88 | 5.82% | 430.27M | Dec 2020 | SAUG vs DDEC |
Often Compared With SAUG
Investors most often compare SAUG with APRH, IOCT, SMYY. These 20 comparison targets span 5 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare SAUG with Any Fund or Stock
Compare SAUG with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair SAUG with funds that move differently
FT Cboe Vest U.S. Small Cap Moderate Buffer ETF - August alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to SAUG.
Explore SAUG Diversifiers