FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - August (XAUG) 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 XAUG. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to XAUG
XAUG charges 0.85% annually. There are 90 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 | XAUG vs CBOX | |
| Parametric Hedged Equity ETF | 0.29% | 139.40M | Oct 2023 | XAUG vs PHEQ | |
| State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Premiu... | 0.35% | 2.87M | Jul 2025 | XAUG vs XLRI | |
| Simplify Hedged Equity ETF | 0.43% | 296.16M | Nov 2021 | XAUG vs HEQT | |
| Castellan Targeted Income ETF | 0.45% | — | Jun 2025 | XAUG vs CTIF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to XAUG
XAUG has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 88. There are 43 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 | XAUG vs LAPR | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | 98 | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | XAUG vs APRJ | |
| AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Apr ETF | 98 | 199.47M | May 2020 | XAUG vs APRW | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - ... | 98 | — | Mar 2024 | XAUG vs XIMR | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer... | 98 | 153.67M | Mar 2023 | XAUG vs XMAR |
Top Performing XAUG Alternatives (YTD)
XAUG is at 5.10% YTD. There are 96 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 | XAUG vs AMDY | |
| Defiance Oil Enhanced Options Income ETF | 51.25% | 64.41M | May 2024 | XAUG vs USOY | |
| Simplify Piper Sandler US Small-Cap PLUS Income ET... | 15.04% | 6.72M | Apr 2025 | XAUG vs LITL | |
| Horizon Dividend Income ETF | 14.80% | — | Jun 2025 | XAUG vs DIVN | |
| Defiance R2000 Weekly Distribution ETF | 13.35% | 95.57M | Oct 2023 | XAUG vs IWMY |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to XAUG
XAUG has 4.37% 1-year volatility. There are 36 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 | XAUG vs LAPR | |
| Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | 1.57% | 709.87M | Aug 2013 | XAUG vs CAOS | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | 1.57% | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | XAUG vs APRJ | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July | 1.68% | 13.68M | Jun 2023 | XAUG vs JULJ | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - ... | 2.06% | — | Mar 2024 | XAUG vs XIMR |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to XAUG
XAUG has a 1-year max drawdown of -3.12%. There are 38 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 | XAUG vs LAPR | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - April | -0.40% | 32.22M | Mar 2023 | XAUG vs APRJ | |
| Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July | -0.61% | 13.68M | Jun 2023 | XAUG vs JULJ | |
| Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF | -0.76% | 709.87M | Aug 2013 | XAUG vs CAOS | |
| AllianzIM U.S. Large Cap Buffer20 Apr ETF | -0.89% | 199.47M | May 2020 | XAUG 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 | XAUG vs RDVI | |
| FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome, Gold, Precious Metals | 28 | -4.01% | 50.90M | Jan 2021 | XAUG vs BGLD | |
| FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | 89 | 5.83% | 1.97B | Jan 2021 | XAUG vs BUFD | |
| FT Vest Laddered Nasdaq Buffer ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 75 | 7.59% | 1.51B | Jun 2022 | XAUG vs BUFQ | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - October | Defined Outcome | 85 | 7.68% | 1.17B | Oct 2020 | XAUG vs FOCT | |
| FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September | Options Trading | 79 | 7.68% | 1.22B | Sep 2020 | XAUG vs FSEP | |
| FT Vest Dow Jones Internet & Target Income ETF | Technology Equities | 9 | 0.56% | — | Mar 2024 | XAUG vs FDND | |
| FT Vest DJIA Dogs 10 Target Income ETF | Derivative Income | 76 | 11.04% | 88.80M | Apr 2023 | XAUG vs DOGG | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - February | Defined Outcome | 86 | 8.35% | 1.39B | Feb 2020 | XAUG vs FFEB | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Deep Buffer ETF - December | Defined Outcome | 88 | 5.82% | 430.27M | Dec 2020 | XAUG vs DDEC |
Often Compared With XAUG
Investors most often compare XAUG with SPY, BTC-USD, PBJA. These 20 comparison targets span 4 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare XAUG with Any Fund or Stock
Compare XAUG with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair XAUG with funds that move differently
FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Enhance & Moderate Buffer ETF - August alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to XAUG.
Explore XAUG Diversifiers