Security Comparison

CRSH vs TSLA: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

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

Updated October 8, 2026

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

Best for

CRSHInvestors who want to maximize current income — roughly 44.91%, generated by selling options premium.
TSLAInvestors who want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee.

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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

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.

CRSH has outpaced TSLA over the trailing twelve months, posting a 11.93% total return against -12.76%. Measured from May 2024 — the start of shared available history — TSLA has compounded at 36.28% a year versus -27.28% for CRSH. CRSH has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 36.1% against 45.7% for TSLA. 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	Since May 2024	Volatility	Sharpe	Sortino	Max drawdown
CRSH	8.41%	11.93%	-27.28%	36.1%	0.19	0.27	-22.4%
TSLA	-12.64%	-12.76%	36.28%	45.7%	-0.40	-0.53	-39.1%

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 May 2024” measures every fund from May 2, 2024 — 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 past year. 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 past year) — 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	CRSH	TSLA
Forward distribution rate	44.91%	—
Trailing 12-month yield	78.42%	—
30-day SEC yield	2.69%	—
Return of capital	55.82%	—

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.

Not a distribution payer

TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) has no distribution rate on file and its distribution frequency is None. TSLA is not a payer. The blank yield is not a zero yield.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
Metric	CRSH	TSLA
Full name	YieldMax Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF	Tesla, Inc.
Issuer	YieldMax	—
Last Close	$18.84 as of October 8, 2026	$375.00 as of October 8, 2026
Distribution rate	44.91%	—
Trailing 12-month yield	78.42%	—
30-day SEC yield	2.69%	—
Distribution Safety Score™	48	—
Safety-Adjusted Yield	21.56%	—
Expense ratio	1.05%	—
AUM	$13.9M	—
Distribution frequency	Weekly	None
Underlying index	Tesla (TSLA)	—
Objective	Actively managed fund that seeks current income while providing indirect inverse exposure to the share price of Tesla, Inc. (TSLA), participating in only a portion of potential gains.	Designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles, energy generation and storage systems, and related services. Operates automotive, energy generation and storage, and services segments.
Asset class	Equity	Equity
Inception date	05/01/2024	N/A
Beta	-1.4985	1.916
Last dividend	$0.1627 declared, pays 10/09/2026	—
Ex-dividend date	10/08/2026	—

Bottom lineChoose CRSH if you want to maximize current income — roughly 44.91%, generated by selling options premium. Choose TSLA if you want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee. There's no free lunch: CRSH's payout comes from selling options, which caps upside and can erode the share price over time, while TSLA 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. CRSH 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

Model this comparison:

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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 CRSH.

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Quick verdict

CRSH (YieldMax Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF) is an ETF, while TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) is a stock — their trading structures differ.

CRSH currently shows a 44.91% distribution yield. TSLA has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

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Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, CRSH would generate roughly $86.37 cash per distribution, while TSLA has no reported distribution yield yet, so a cash estimate is not available, at current distribution rates.

CRSH yield44.91%

TSLA yield—

Cost & efficiency

CRSH charges a 1.05% expense ratio — roughly $1,050 over 10 years on $10,000 (simplified, not compounded). TSLA is a stock, not a fund, so it charges no expense ratio.

CRSH ER1.05%

Strategy & risk

CRSH is actively managed around Tesla (TSLA) exposure with a covered call approach, while TSLA is a stock built around electric vehicles exposure. Beta is -1.4985 for CRSH and 1.916 for TSLA, making CRSH the less volatile of the two by this measure.

CRSH beta-1.4985

TSLA beta1.916

Security details

CRSH is managed by YieldMax (launched 05/01/2024) with $13.9M in assets. TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) is a stock.

CRSH AUM$13.9M

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Frequently asked questions

Which of CRSH or TSLA pays more dividend income?

CRSH currently reports a distribution yield, while TSLA has not yet established a full distribution history. A direct income comparison is not yet meaningful — check back once both funds have published several consecutive distributions.

What is the difference between CRSH and TSLA?

CRSH (YieldMax Short TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF) is actively managed around Tesla (TSLA) exposure with a covered call approach, while TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) is a stock built around electric vehicles exposure. They are issued by YieldMax and — respectively.

Can I hold both CRSH and TSLA?

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.

Which has lower fees, CRSH or TSLA?

CRSH charges a 1.05% expense ratio. TSLA 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 CRSH vs TSLA generate?

At current rates, $10,000 in CRSH would generate roughly $86.37 cash per distribution ($4,491.00 annually). TSLA does not pay distributions, so there is no cash income to estimate.

Which has performed better historically, CRSH or TSLA?

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Popular comparisons

CRSH vs TSLA — at a glance

Generated October 4, 2026.

TSLA is the stock itself—a pure equity position in Tesla with no distributions and full participation in price movements. The key distinction is structural: CRSH is a derivative-based income vehicle engineered to short Tesla's upside, while TSLA is direct ownership of the company's equity with unlimited upside capture and no income component.

How they differ

CRSH's 44.91% distribution rate comes from selling covered calls against a short Tesla position, generating income weekly while capping gains. TSLA pays no distribution and returns come entirely from price appreciation; its 1.916 beta reflects the stock's volatile sensitivity to market moves. CRSH launched 2 years ago, making it a new strategy, whereas TSLA has been publicly traded since 06/29/2010.

Who each is best for

CRSH: Fits investors who want to profit from Tesla's sideways or declining share price while collecting high weekly income, accepting the tradeoff of capped upside and the complexity of a leveraged options strategy.

TSLA: Fits investors who believe in Tesla's long-term growth trajectory and are willing to forgo current income in exchange for full participation in share-price appreciation and potential long-term capital gains.

Inverse-beta amplification and path dependency. CRSH's -1.4985 beta means it will lose value sharply if Tesla rallies, regardless of the level of option premiums collected. The fund's weekly income cannot offset a sustained multi-month rally, and the combination of short equity exposure plus capped call strikes concentrates downside risk in Tesla-specific adverse moves (recall votes, regulatory action, earnings misses).

Single-name concentration and liquidity. Both securities are entirely exposed to Tesla; there is no diversification within either holding. TSLA's massive market cap ensures tradability, but both vehicles offer zero protection against Tesla-specific business deterioration.

Options overlay complexity and slippage. CRSH's actively managed call-selling strategy introduces timing risk: premiums are harvested on a schedule, not continuously, and volatility-driven rebalancing may force unfavorable rolls or forced sales if strikes are breached. Investor understanding of the mechanics is critical; distribution statements may obscure whether payouts reflect realized option gains, carried-over premium, or principal return.

Bottom line

CRSH and TSLA represent opposite bets on Tesla's direction and philosophies on income. If you expect Tesla to stagnate or fall and want weekly cash flow, CRSH's options-driven structure offers high distribution yield—but at the cost of capped upside, elevated expenses, and the risk of NAV decay if the fund's payouts outpace its option income. If you believe Tesla will appreciate over time and prefer unrestricted capital growth, TSLA offers direct ownership with no distributions and full beta exposure. Past performance of either security does not predict future results.

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.