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.

Data updated August 23, 2026

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 25.59%, generated by selling options premium.

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Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

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

Total returns

AAPL has outpaced APLY over the trailing twelve months, posting a 37.38% total return against 20.72%. The lead holds up over 3 years too: AAPL has compounded at 21.26% a year, against 11.17% 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	1Y	3Y	Since Apr 2023	Volatility	Sharpe	Sortino	Max drawdown
AAPL	14.46%	37.38%	21.26%	20.95%	26.8%	0.55	0.80	-33.4%
APLY	5.67%	20.72%	11.17%	11.67%	22.1%	0.28	0.38	-31.1%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date, split-adjusted, as of August 21, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative; longer windows are annualized. “Since Apr 2023” measures every fund from April 18, 2023 — the youngest fund's first trading day — 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.

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	$309.35 as of August 23, 2026	$11.42 as of August 23, 2026
Distribution yield	0.33%	25.59%
Distribution Safety Score™	100	72
Expense ratio	—	1.04%
AUM	—	$119M
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	1.086	0.74
Last dividend	$0.2700	$0.0562
Ex-dividend date	08/10/2026	08/20/2026

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 25.59%, 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

ETFs59

Total AUM$9.33B

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 — they take fundamentally different approaches.

APLY offers the higher yield at 25.59% vs 0.33% 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 $2.75/month, while APLY would produce $213.25/month, at current distribution rates.

AAPL yield0.33%

APLY yield25.59%

Monthly diff on $10K$210.50

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 1.086 for AAPL and 0.74 for APLY, making APLY the less volatile of the two by this measure.

AAPL beta1.086

APLY beta0.74

Security details

AAPL (Apple Inc.) is a stock. APLY is managed by YieldMax (launched 04/17/2023) with $119M in assets.

APLY AUM$119M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the current distribution yield for AAPL and APLY?

AAPL currently distributes 0.33% and APLY 25.59%, based on fund data updated August 2026. Distribution yield 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 0.74 vs 1.09 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 $2.75 per month ($33.00 annually). The same in APLY would produce about $213.25 per month ($2,559.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, AAPL or APLY?

More comparisons to explore

Popular comparisons

AAPL vs APLY — at a glance

Generated August 23, 2026.

Overview

AAPL is Apple Inc., the technology company itself trading at $309.35 per share with a 0.33% dividend yield. APLY is YieldMax AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF, a synthetic covered-call fund that wraps Apple exposure in weekly option sales, seeking to generate 25.59% in distributions annually. The two offer radically different income and volatility profiles from the same underlying asset.

How they differ

APLY's 25.59% distribution rate versus AAPL's 0.33% dividend reflects a fundamental structural difference: APLY sells weekly call options against Apple shares and distributes the premium collected, trading away upside participation for current income. AAPL offers pure stock ownership with capital appreciation potential and modest dividends; APLY caps gains but collects option premium weekly. APLY has a beta of 0.74 versus AAPL's 1.086, meaning the option overlay dampens volatility relative to Apple's direct share performance. The ETF carries a 1.04% expense ratio and manages $119M in assets; it also trades at a lower per-share price ($11.42) due to its synthetic structure, not a valuation discount on the underlying.

Who each is best for

AAPL: Fits investors seeking long-term growth with exposure to Apple's capital appreciation, cash generation, and emerging services revenue, paired with a modest dividend reinvestment benefit over decades.

APLY: Designed for investors prioritizing high current weekly income who are comfortable sacrificing upside participation above a strike cap and accepting regular NAV erosion risk in exchange for sustained option premium.

Key risks to know

NAV erosion at extreme distribution yields. APLY's 25.59% annualized payout far exceeds typical underlying equity returns; the fund will erode NAV over time unless option premiums consistently exceed the rate of deterioration in Apple's share price or the fund's share value itself.

Capped upside participation. APLY's covered-call strategy limits gains if Apple rallies sharply. Investors forgo significant appreciation while holding a fund that still carries market risk on the downside.

Single-asset concentration. Both securities' returns depend entirely on Apple's performance. APLY's derivative overlay doesn't diversify this risk; it merely repackages it.

Options expiration and volatility dependency. APLY's weekly distributions rely on sustained demand for call premiums. In periods of low implied volatility or declining equity demand, option prices compress and distributions may fall materially below the 25.59% current rate.

Price divergence from underlying. APLY's $11.42 share price does not move in lockstep with AAPL's $309.35; the ETF's trading price can slip below or above net asset value, introducing bid-ask and timing risk for entry and exit.

Bottom line

AAPL represents a direct stake in Apple's growth and modest dividend; APLY trades that growth for aggressive weekly income generated by option sales. If you prioritize capital appreciation and long-term compound returns, AAPL aligns with that objective; if you need high current income and accept capped upside and NAV decay risk, APLY's weekly distributions may merit consideration. Past performance, especially APLY's short track record since April 2023, does not predict future results or option premium sustainability.

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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