The cheapest fund (Vision Super) charges $556/year while the most expensive (Hostplus) charges $1,009/year — a difference of $453 per year. Compounded at 7% annual growth over 30 years, this gap grows to $45,792 in lost retirement savings.
All 19 Funds Ranked by Total Fee at $100,000
Total fee = admin fee (flat) + admin fee (%) + investment fee + indirect cost ratio, applied to a $100,000 balance.
| # | Fund | Admin $ | Admin % | Inv. Fee | ICR | Total $/yr | Total % | 10yr Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vision Super | $66 | 0.14% | 0.31% | 0.04% | $556 | 0.56% | 7.20% |
| 2 | UniSuper | $96 | — | 0.43% | 0.08% | $606 | 0.61% | 8.50% |
| 3 | AustralianSuper | $52 | 0.10% | 0.47% | 0.06% | $682 | 0.68% | 8.90% |
| 4 | Brighter Super | $26 | 0.14% | 0.50% | 0.08% | $746 | 0.75% | 7.50% |
| 5 | HESTA | $52 | 0.15% | 0.49% | 0.07% | $762 | 0.76% | 8.30% |
| 6 | Australian Retirement Trust | $57 | 0.10% | 0.51% | 0.11% | $777 | 0.78% | 10.04% |
| 7 | REST | $78 | 0.10% | 0.47% | 0.18% | $828 | 0.83% | 7.80% |
| 8 | First Super | $86 | 0.18% | 0.49% | 0.09% | $846 | 0.85% | 7.20% |
| 9 | Aware Super | $52 | 0.15% | 0.57% | 0.08% | $852 | 0.85% | 8.10% |
| 10 | CareSuper | $68 | 0.15% | 0.51% | 0.14% | $868 | 0.87% | 8.00% |
| 11 | Cbus | $52 | 0.19% | 0.44% | 0.19% | $872 | 0.87% | 8.40% |
| 12 | Equip Super | $52 | 0.19% | 0.52% | 0.14% | $902 | 0.90% | 7.80% |
| 13 | LegalSuper | $51 | 0.29% | 0.50% | 0.13% | $971 | 0.97% | 7.00% |
| 14 | Hostplus | $129 | — | 0.80% | 0.08% | $1,009 | 1.01% | 9.00% |
Key Observations at $100,000
- The cheapest fund at this balance is Vision Super at $556/year (0.56% of balance).
- The most expensive is Hostplus at $1,009/year (1.01% of balance).
- The $453/year difference compounds to $45,792 over 30 years at 7% growth.
- Lower fees do not guarantee better outcomes — net-of-fee returns matter more. Some higher-fee funds outperform after costs.
These rankings use a flat $100,000 balance. Use our comparison calculator to see how fees and returns compare at your real balance and contribution level.
Compare at Other Balances
$10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $100,000 $250,000 $500,000
Fee rankings shift at different balances. Funds with high flat fees penalise smaller balances, while funds with high percentage fees become expensive at larger balances.
Independent superannuation research · about the editor ✓ Fact-checked · updated July 2026
Source: APRA & ATO data