The fee gap at $500,000: $1,692/year
The cheapest fund (UniSuper) charges $2,260/year while the most expensive (Aware Super) charges $3,952/year — a difference of $1,692 per year. Compounded at 7% annual growth over 30 years, this gap grows to $171,016 in lost retirement savings.
All 19 Funds Ranked by Total Fee at $500,000
Total fee = admin fee (flat) + admin fee (%) + investment fee + indirect cost ratio, applied to a $500,000 balance.
| # | Fund | Admin $ | Admin % | Inv. Fee | ICR | Total $/yr | Total % | 10yr Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UniSuper | $60 | 0.04% | 0.36% | 0.04% | $2,260 | 0.45% | 8.50% |
| 2 | AustralianSuper | $137 | — | 0.46% | 0.05% | $2,687 | 0.54% | 8.90% |
| 3 | REST | $78 | — | 0.48% | 0.06% | $2,778 | 0.56% | 7.80% |
| 4 | Australian Retirement Trust | $78 | 0.10% | 0.42% | 0.05% | $2,928 | 0.59% | 8.60% |
| 5 | Hostplus | $78 | 0.02% | 0.52% | 0.08% | $3,178 | 0.64% | 9.00% |
| 6 | Cbus | $78 | — | 0.58% | 0.05% | $3,228 | 0.65% | 8.40% |
| 7 | LUCRF Super | $91 | 0.10% | 0.48% | 0.05% | $3,241 | 0.65% | 7.50% |
| 8 | HESTA | $78 | 0.08% | 0.48% | 0.10% | $3,378 | 0.68% | 8.30% |
| 9 | Active Super | $78 | 0.15% | 0.48% | 0.05% | $3,478 | 0.70% | 7.50% |
| 10 | CareSuper | $78 | 0.09% | 0.55% | 0.05% | $3,528 | 0.71% | 8.00% |
| 11 | Spirit Super | $78 | 0.14% | 0.50% | 0.06% | $3,578 | 0.72% | 7.50% |
| 12 | Vision Super | $78 | 0.16% | 0.48% | 0.06% | $3,578 | 0.72% | 7.20% |
| 13 | LegalSuper | $156 | 0.18% | 0.45% | 0.06% | $3,606 | 0.72% | 7.00% |
| 14 | Mine Super | $104 | 0.15% | 0.50% | 0.06% | $3,654 | 0.73% | 7.50% |
| 15 | Media Super | $78 | 0.18% | 0.48% | 0.06% | $3,678 | 0.74% | 7.20% |
| 16 | Equip Super | $78 | 0.16% | 0.50% | 0.06% | $3,678 | 0.74% | 7.80% |
| 17 | Brighter Super | $78 | 0.18% | 0.48% | 0.06% | $3,678 | 0.74% | 7.50% |
| 18 | First Super | $85 | 0.20% | 0.48% | 0.08% | $3,885 | 0.78% | 7.20% |
| 19 | Aware Super | $52 | 0.18% | 0.52% | 0.08% | $3,952 | 0.79% | 8.10% |
Key Observations at $500,000
- The cheapest fund at this balance is UniSuper at $2,260/year (0.45% of balance).
- The most expensive is Aware Super at $3,952/year (0.79% of balance).
- The $1,692/year difference compounds to $171,016 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.
Compare at your actual balance
These rankings use a flat $500,000 balance. Use our comparison calculator to see how fees and returns compare at your real balance and contribution level.
Compare at Other Balances
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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.
Important information
The information on SuperFind is general in nature and does not take into account your personal financial situation, needs, or objectives. It is not personal financial advice. Before making any financial decisions about your superannuation, consider whether the information is appropriate for your circumstances and consider seeking advice from a licensed financial adviser. Super fund data including fees and performance returns shown on this site were current as of April 2026 — always verify figures on the fund's website. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Data sourced from APRA, ATO, and individual fund disclosures. SuperFind is a DecisionLab publication.