Security Comparison

AAPL vs APLY: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of Apple Inc. and YieldMax AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Updated October 8, 2026

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

Best for

AAPLInvestors who want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee.
APLYInvestors who want to maximize current income — roughly 26.26%, generated by selling options premium.

Jump to the side-by-side numbers

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Total returns

100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.

AAPL has outpaced APLY over the trailing twelve months, posting a 30.93% total return against 17.84%. The lead holds up over 3 years too: AAPL has compounded at 23.99% a year, against 14.58% for APLY. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
Symbol	YTD cumulative	1Y cumulative	3Y annualized	Since Apr 2023	Volatility	Sharpe	Sortino	Max drawdown
AAPL	24.55%	30.93%	23.99%	23.02%	26.7%	0.64	0.93	-33.4%
APLY	13.49%	17.84%	14.58%	13.50%	22.1%	0.42	0.57	-31.1%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of October 9, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Apr 2023” measures every fund from April 18, 2023 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Distribution rate, SEC yield and return of capital

Metric	AAPL	APLY
Forward distribution rate	0.32%	26.26%
Trailing 12-month yield	0.31%	34.25%
30-day SEC yield	—	2.36%
Return of capital	—	0.29%

Total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is the Total returns section above. Return of capital is the share of a recent distribution that was not income. A 30-day SEC yield can sit far from the headline distribution rate; both numbers are the fund's own published fields.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
Metric	AAPL	APLY
Full name	Apple Inc.	YieldMax AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF
Issuer	—	YieldMax
Last Close	$340.42 as of October 8, 2026	$11.82 as of October 8, 2026
Distribution rate	0.32%	26.26%
Trailing 12-month yield	0.31%	34.25%
30-day SEC yield	—	2.36%
Distribution Safety Score™	100	72
Safety-Adjusted Yield	0.32%	18.91%
Expense ratio	—	1.04%
AUM	—	$118M
Distribution frequency	Quarterly	Weekly
Underlying index	—	Apple (AAPL)
Objective	Designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories. Also provides digital content, streaming, and cloud services.	Seeks current income while maintaining indirect exposure to the share price of Apple Inc. (AAPL), using a synthetic covered call strategy that trades upside participation for weekly option premium.
Asset class	Equity	Equity
Inception date	N/A	04/17/2023
Beta	1.069	0.62
Last dividend	$0.27	$0.0597 declared, pays 10/09/2026
Ex-dividend date	08/10/2026	10/08/2026

Bottom lineChoose AAPL if you want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee. Choose APLY if you want to maximize current income — roughly 26.26%, generated by selling options premium. There's no free lunch: APLY's payout comes from selling options, which caps upside and can erode the share price over time, while AAPL keeps full price exposure.

How the risk works

Read this before the income numbers below: the strategy mechanics on this page shape what those payouts can cost you.

Capped upside and premium dependence. APLY generates income by selling options, which trades away part of a strong rally in exchange for premium. Distributions can include return of capital, and a payout the underlying assets cannot sustain shows up as NAV erosion over time — the big yield number is not free.

Learn the mechanics: Return of capital, explained · NAV erosion, explained

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Income calculator

See how much monthly income a hypothetical investment would generate in each security at current yields.

YieldMax

ETFs62

Total AUM$10.2B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

YieldMax is known for specializing in options-based and income-focused ETFs that emphasize yield generation through covered call strategies and other income-producing methodologies. The firm operates a diverse lineup of 63 funds organized across multiple families including covered call strategies, 0DTE (zero days to expiration) options, double distribution approaches, and various target-date and performance-based portfolios designed to generate regular distributions. Notable offerings span popular underlying assets like major technology stocks and broad market indices, with a particular emphasis on providing enhanced income solutions for investors seeking regular cash flows through options strategies and other tactical approaches.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on APLY.

See all YieldMax ETFs

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Quick verdict

AAPL (Apple Inc.) is a stock, while APLY (YieldMax AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF) is an ETF — their trading structures differ.

APLY offers the higher yield at 26.26% vs 0.32% for AAPL. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.

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Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, AAPL would generate roughly $8.00 cash per distribution, while APLY would produce $50.50 cash per distribution, at current distribution rates.

AAPL yield0.32%

APLY yield26.26%

Cash diff on $10K$42.50

Cost & efficiency

APLY charges a 1.04% expense ratio — roughly $1,040 over 10 years on $10,000 (simplified, not compounded). AAPL is a stock, not a fund, so it charges no expense ratio.

APLY ER1.04%

Strategy & risk

AAPL is a stock built around consumer technology exposure, while APLY tracks Apple (AAPL) with a covered call approach. Beta is 1.069 for AAPL and 0.62 for APLY, making APLY the less volatile of the two by this measure.

AAPL beta1.069

APLY beta0.62

Security details

AAPL (Apple Inc.) is a stock. APLY is managed by YieldMax (launched 04/17/2023) with $118M in assets.

APLY AUM$118M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the current distribution rate for AAPL and APLY?

AAPL currently distributes 0.32% and APLY 26.26%, based on fund data updated October 2026. Distribution rate moves with both the payout and the share price, so check the as-of date before relying on either figure.

Is AAPL or APLY better for dividend income?

It depends on your goals. APLY currently offers the higher distribution yield, which means more income per dollar invested. However, a lower-yield fund may offer better total return or lower volatility. Consider your time horizon and risk tolerance.

What is the difference between AAPL and APLY?

AAPL (Apple Inc.) is a stock built around consumer technology exposure, while APLY (YieldMax AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF) tracks Apple (AAPL) with a covered call approach. They are issued by — and YieldMax respectively.

Can I hold both AAPL and APLY?

Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.

Is AAPL or APLY safer?

By Dividend Vision's Distribution Safety Score — a rules-based 0–100 estimate of how resilient a distribution looks, where higher is safer — AAPL scores 100, APLY scores 72, so AAPL's payout currently looks the more resilient of the two. APLY has also shown lower price volatility (beta 0.62 vs 1.07 for AAPL). No score makes an investment risk-free — treat this as a screening signal, not a guarantee, and the leverage, options-income, or crypto caveats flagged on this page apply regardless of score.

Which has lower fees, AAPL or APLY?

APLY charges a 1.04% expense ratio. AAPL is a stock, not a fund, so it has no expense ratio — owning it directly costs nothing in ongoing fund fees.

How much income does $10,000 in AAPL vs APLY generate?

At current rates, $10,000 in AAPL would generate roughly $8.00 cash per distribution ($32.00 annually). The same in APLY would produce about $50.50 cash per distribution ($2,626.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, AAPL or APLY?

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AAPL vs APLY — at a glance

Generated October 3, 2026.

Figures quoted in this analysis are from its generation date and may lag the live snapshot table above, which always shows the latest data.

Overview

AAPL is the stock of Apple Inc., a multinational technology company that designs consumer devices and digital services. APLY is an ETF that tracks Apple's share price indirectly through a synthetic covered call strategy, generating income by selling weekly call options against Apple shares. The core distinction: AAPL is direct equity ownership with minimal dividends, while APLY is an options-based income vehicle designed to extract premium from price stability. This options overlay comes with a 1.04% expense ratio and introduces derivative risk absent from direct AAPL ownership. Beta reveals structural differences: APLY carries a 0.62 beta compared to AAPL's 1.069, reflecting the dampening effect of the short call position. Finally, APLY is a newer fund (launched 04/17/2023) with $118M in assets, whereas AAPL has traded since 12/12/1980.

Who each is best for

AAPL: Investors seeking long-term exposure to Apple's brand, products, and services with minimal income expectations and full upside participation in the stock's price appreciation.

APLY: Investors who prioritize steady, frequent income from Apple exposure and are willing to forgo meaningful capital appreciation above the strike prices of weekly call options in exchange for option premium.

Options and derivative complexity. APLY's weekly call rolling mechanism carries execution risk, slippage risk, and reinvestment uncertainty; option premiums fluctuate with implied volatility, so periods of low volatility may compress the fund's income distribution sharply.

Bottom line

If you want direct ownership of Apple with no distribution constraints and full capital appreciation upside, AAPL is the straightforward route. If you prioritize regular, high income from Apple exposure and are comfortable capping gains in exchange for weekly premium, APLY's structure addresses that preference—but that income comes with NAV erosion risk and derivative complexity. Past performance of either security does not predict future results, and option premium levels and implied volatility will shape APLY's actual yield going forward.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

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The metrics behind this comparison, explained in the Academy.

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These comparisons follow the Dividend Vision methodology.