Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - December (UDEC) 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 UDEC. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to UDEC
UDEC 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 April Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | UDEC vs APRB | |
| Aptus January Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | UDEC vs JANB | |
| Aptus July Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | UDEC vs JULB | |
| Aptus October Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | UDEC vs OCTB | |
| Fidelity Dynamic Buffered Equity ETF | 0.48% | — | Apr 2024 | UDEC vs FBUF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to UDEC
UDEC has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 86. There are 112 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 | UDEC vs PMAP | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 98 | 19.60M | Apr 2025 | UDEC vs CPSP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 98 | — | Mar 2025 | UDEC vs MMAX | |
| Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr Apr... | 98 | — | Apr 2025 | UDEC vs ZAPR | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated 9 Buffer ETF - A... | 98 | 134.85M | Mar 2021 | UDEC vs XBAP |
Top Performing UDEC Alternatives (YTD)
UDEC is at 5.63% YTD. There are 140 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 | UDEC vs NVDO | |
| Innovator U.S. Small Cap Power Buffer ETF - Februa... | 13.34% | — | Jan 2025 | UDEC vs KFEB | |
| Innovator Russell 2000 Power Buffer ETF - April | 12.71% | 214.51M | Mar 2020 | UDEC vs KAPR | |
| FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March | 12.33% | 568.10M | Mar 2021 | UDEC vs QMAR | |
| ProShares Nasdaq-100 Dynamic Daily Buffer ETF | 12.15% | 2.84M | Jun 2025 | UDEC vs QB |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to UDEC
UDEC has 6.54% 1-year volatility. There are 162 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 | UDEC vs PMAP | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April | 1.24% | — | Apr 2025 | UDEC vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 1.31% | — | Apr 2025 | UDEC vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 1.34% | 19.60M | Apr 2025 | UDEC vs CPSP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 1.42% | — | Mar 2025 | UDEC vs MMAX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to UDEC
UDEC has a 1-year max drawdown of -4.44%. There are 143 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 | UDEC vs PMAP | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | -0.37% | 19.60M | Apr 2025 | UDEC vs CPSP | |
| Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr Apr... | -0.40% | — | Apr 2025 | UDEC vs ZAPR | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | -0.46% | — | Mar 2025 | UDEC vs MMAX | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ma... | -0.49% | 56.60M | May 2024 | UDEC 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 | UDEC vs BALT | |
| Innovator IBD 50 ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 26 | 12.47% | 89.40M | Apr 2015 | UDEC vs FFTY | |
| Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | 89 | 5.94% | 891.58M | Oct 2016 | UDEC vs BUFF | |
| Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF | Options Trading | 56 | 5.15% | 2.12B | Nov 2022 | UDEC vs SFLR | |
| Innovator Deepwater Frontier Tech ETF | Technology Equities | 58 | 20.34% | 221.95M | Jul 2018 | UDEC vs LOUP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - January | Defined Outcome | 83 | 5.59% | 1.47B | Jan 2019 | UDEC vs PJAN | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Accelerated Plus ETF | Leveraged Equities | 98 | 11.77% | 22.82M | Apr 2021 | UDEC vs XTAP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - April | Defined Outcome | 97 | 11.27% | 404.39M | Mar 2019 | UDEC vs BAPR | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - July | Defined Outcome | 87 | 5.32% | 1.12B | Aug 2018 | UDEC vs PJUL | |
| Innovator Nasdaq-100 Managed Floor ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 55 | 4.38% | 543.68M | Jan 2024 | UDEC vs QFLR |
Often Compared With UDEC
Investors most often compare UDEC with BDEC, BUFD, TDTF. These 20 comparison targets span 6 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare UDEC with Any Fund or Stock
Compare UDEC with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair UDEC with funds that move differently
Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF - December alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to UDEC.
Explore UDEC Diversifiers