BALI vs SPYI: Which Covered Call ETF Is Better?

BALI and SPYI are both covered call ETFs tracking the same benchmark, but with different approaches. BALI offers ~8% yield with a focus on cost-conscious investor seeking passive s&p 500 covered call exposure, while SPYI provides ~11.7% yield targeting investor in taxable accounts seeking tax-efficient income. Compare their scores, yields, and performance metrics to find the best fit for your portfolio.

Compare ETFs

Compare covered call ETFs with the same benchmark side by side

Step 1: Select Benchmark

Step 2: Select ETFs to Compare

BALI

iShares S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF

S&P 500Inception: Oct 18, 2022

6.8

Overall Score

SPYI

NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF

S&P 500Inception: Aug 30, 2022

6.2

Overall Score

CriteriaBALISPYI
Overall Score
6.8
6.2
Total Return (25%)
8.7
7.1
Downside Protection (25%)
4.0
5.5
Upside Participation (25%)
8.7
7.5
Consistency (15%)
4.8
4.3
Expense Ratio (5%)
9.4
4.0
Liquidity (5%)
4.9
7.4
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Compare Across All Time Windows

Since Inception

3 Years

Pro only

1 Year

Pro only

3 Months

Pro only

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Key Metrics

MetricBALISPYI
Expense Ratio0.250%0.680%
Inception DateOct 18, 2022Aug 30, 2022
IssuerBlackRockNEOS
Distribution FrequencyMonthlyMonthly
Maturity Rating3/5 stars3/5 stars

Verdicts

BALI

The cheapest S&P 500 covered call ETF — but 2-star maturity and very low downside protection are concerns

Investor Profile:

Cost-conscious investor seeking passive S&P 500 covered call exposure

SPYI

The optimal choice for taxable accounts — the Section 1256 tax advantage is underappreciated by the market

Investor Profile:

Investor in taxable accounts seeking tax-efficient income

Full scores for these funds

See where these rank against every SPY fund

Both funds are scored on total return, downside protection, upside participation, distribution consistency, cost and liquidity, against the same benchmark and the same window.

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