Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr August (ZAUG) 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 ZAUG. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to ZAUG
ZAUG charges 0.79% annually. There are 89 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 | ZAUG vs JANB | |
| Aptus April Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | ZAUG vs APRB | |
| Aptus October Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | ZAUG vs OCTB | |
| Aptus July Buffer ETF | 0.25% | — | Oct 2025 | ZAUG vs JULB | |
| Fidelity Dynamic Buffered Equity ETF | 0.48% | — | Apr 2024 | ZAUG vs FBUF |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to ZAUG
ZAUG has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 92. There are 65 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 | ZAUG vs PMAP | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - April | 99 | — | Apr 2025 | ZAUG vs APXM | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 99 | — | Mar 2025 | ZAUG vs MMAX | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 98 | — | Apr 2025 | ZAUG vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 98 | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | ZAUG vs CPSP |
Top Performing ZAUG Alternatives (YTD)
ZAUG is at 2.70% YTD. There are 208 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 | ZAUG vs NVDO | |
| FT Vest Emerging Markets Buffer ETF - March | 14.45% | — | Mar 2025 | ZAUG vs TMAR | |
| FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March | 13.06% | 557.94M | Mar 2021 | ZAUG vs QMAR | |
| PGIM Nasdaq-100 Buffer 12 ETF - April | 12.09% | 7.34M | Dec 2024 | ZAUG vs PQAP | |
| FT Vest U.S. Equity Uncapped Accelerator ETF - Jul... | 11.78% | — | Jul 2025 | ZAUG vs UXJL |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to ZAUG
ZAUG has 2.47% 1-year volatility. There are 46 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 | ZAUG vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | 1.12% | — | Apr 2025 | ZAUG vs PMMY | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | 1.15% | — | Mar 2025 | ZAUG vs PMAP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | 1.39% | — | Mar 2025 | ZAUG vs MMAX | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | 1.42% | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | ZAUG vs CPSP |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to ZAUG
ZAUG has a 1-year max drawdown of -1.72%. There are 60 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 | ZAUG vs APXM | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - April | -0.34% | — | Mar 2025 | ZAUG vs PMAP | |
| iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Mar ETF | -0.34% | — | Mar 2025 | ZAUG vs MMAX | |
| PGIM S&P 500 Max Buffer ETF - May | -0.36% | — | Apr 2025 | ZAUG vs PMMY | |
| Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF - Ap... | -0.37% | 18.90M | Apr 2025 | ZAUG vs CPSP |
Other ETFs from Innovator
The 10 most viewed Innovator ETFs shown here include BALT, FFTY, BUFF and span 5 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF | Defined Outcome | 92 | 1.91% | 2.46B | Jun 2021 | ZAUG vs BALT | |
| Innovator IBD 50 ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 30 | 20.11% | 89.40M | Apr 2015 | ZAUG vs FFTY | |
| Innovator Laddered Allocation Power Buffer ETF | Defined Outcome | 86 | 5.42% | 869.87M | Oct 2016 | ZAUG vs BUFF | |
| Innovator Equity Managed Floor ETF | Options Trading | 64 | 5.55% | 2.00B | Nov 2022 | ZAUG vs SFLR | |
| Innovator Deepwater Frontier Tech ETF | Technology Equities | 71 | 28.21% | 219.47M | Jul 2018 | ZAUG vs LOUP | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - January | Defined Outcome | 79 | 5.13% | 1.52B | Jan 2019 | ZAUG vs PJAN | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - April | Defined Outcome | 96 | 10.81% | 401.85M | Mar 2019 | ZAUG vs BAPR | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - July | Defined Outcome | 87 | 4.74% | 1.00B | Aug 2018 | ZAUG vs PJUL | |
| Innovator Nasdaq-100 Managed Floor ETF | Nasdaq-100, Options Trading | 74 | 6.90% | 527.81M | Jan 2024 | ZAUG vs QFLR | |
| Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF October | Defined Outcome | 75 | 5.33% | 1.02B | Sep 2018 | ZAUG vs POCT |
Often Compared With ZAUG
Investors most often compare ZAUG with SPY, DMAX, SPHD. These 20 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare ZAUG with Any Fund or Stock
Compare ZAUG with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair ZAUG with funds that move differently
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - 1 Yr August alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to ZAUG.
Explore ZAUG Diversifiers