Quick Verdict
AustralianSuper is cheaper at $50k ($367/yr vs $417/yr). Australian Retirement Trust leads on 10-year returns (10.04% vs 8.90%).
Fund Overview
Australian Retirement Trust
| Type | Industry |
| Established | 2022 |
| Trustee | Australian Retirement Trust Pty Ltd |
| HQ State | QLD |
| Members | 2.3M |
| Assets (AUM) | $300B |
AustralianSuper
| Type | Industry |
| Established | 2006 |
| Trustee | AustralianSuper Pty Ltd |
| HQ State | VIC |
| Members | 3.4M |
| Assets (AUM) | $365B |
Fee Comparison
| Fee Component | Australian Retirement Trust | AustralianSuper |
|---|
| Admin Fee (flat) | $57 | $52 |
| Admin Fee (%) | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| Investment Fee | 0.51% | 0.47% |
| Indirect Cost Ratio | 0.11% | 0.06% |
| Buy/Sell Spread | 0.09% | 0.10% |
Total Annual Fee by Balance
| Balance | Australian Retirement Trust | AustralianSuper |
|---|
| $10,000 | $129 | $115 |
| $25,000 | $237 | $210 |
| $50,000 | $417 | $367 |
| $100,000 | $777 | $682 |
| $250,000 | $1,857 | $1,627 |
| $500,000 | $3,657 | $3,052 |
Performance Comparison
| Period | Australian Retirement Trust | AustralianSuper |
|---|
| 1-Year | 9.21% | 12.10% |
| 3-Year | 10.72% | 8.50% |
| 5-Year | 8.72% | 8.20% |
| 7-Year | 9.25% | 8.50% |
| 10-Year | 10.04% | 8.90% |
| FY2024 | 11.30% | 9.10% |
| FY2023 | 12.00% | 10.30% |
| FY2022 | -0.10% | -2.70% |
| FY2021 | 25.40% | 20.40% |
| FY2020 | -2.40% | -0.70% |
| FY2019 | 9.10% | 8.60% |
| FY2018 | 12.30% | 10.30% |
| FY2017 | 14.40% | 13.10% |
| FY2016 | 2.80% | 4.20% |
| FY2015 | 10.60% | 10.80% |
Insurance Comparison
Australian Retirement Trust
| Insurer | TAL Life Limited |
| Death Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| TPD Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| IP Cover | Yes — opt-in |
AustralianSuper
| Insurer | TAL Life Limited |
| Death Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| TPD Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| IP Cover | Yes — opt-in |
Annual Premium Comparison by Age
| Age | Australian Retirement Trust | AustralianSuper |
|---|
| 25 | $135 | $156 |
| 30 | $228 | $260 |
| 35 | $385 | $416 |
| 40 | $590 | $624 |
| 45 | $910 | $988 |
| 50 | $1,400 | $1,508 |
| 55 | $2,080 | $2,236 |
| 60 | $2,950 | $3,172 |
APRA Heatmap Ratings
Australian Retirement Trust
| Fee Rating | Below median |
| Return Rating | Above median |
| Sustainability | Performing |
AustralianSuper
| Fee Rating | Below median |
| Return Rating | Above median |
| Sustainability | Performing |
Investment Options
Australian Retirement Trust
| Total Options | 18 |
| Ethical/ESG Option | Yes |
| Indexed Option | No |
| Direct Investing | No |
AustralianSuper
| Total Options | 14 |
| Ethical/ESG Option | Yes |
| Indexed Option | Yes |
| Direct Investing | No |
Member Services
Australian Retirement Trust
| App Ratings | iOS 4.6 / Android 4.4 |
| Advice | Limited personal advice included; comprehensive fee-for-service |
| AFCA Complaints | 3.4 per 10k members |
| Call Centre | 8am-6pm AEST Mon-Fri |
AustralianSuper
| App Ratings | iOS 4.7 / Android 4.5 |
| Advice | Limited personal advice included; comprehensive fee-for-service |
| AFCA Complaints | 2.5 per 10k members |
| Call Centre | 8am-8pm AEST Mon-Fri |
Verdict
The two largest open APRA-regulated funds in Australia, side-by-side. AustralianSuper ($365B AUM, 3.4M members) is the marginally bigger fund and arguably the best-organised, with a deeply staffed in-house investment team, a clear premium-mandate focus on unlisted infrastructure and private equity, and the lowest administered investment fees among funds of its size. Its MySuper option has returned 8.9% p.a. over 10 years.
Australian Retirement Trust ($300B AUM, 2.3M members) is the QSuper-Sunsuper successor, with the only DBD legacy in the open-fund space (closed to new members but operational for existing QSuper transfers). Its MySuper default works differently: a lifecycle strategy that holds members fully in the High Growth Pool until age 50, then transitions toward defensive assets. That pool's history returned 10.0% p.a. over the 10 years to 30 June 2026 — ahead of AustralianSuper's Balanced (8.9%), but on a higher-risk asset mix, so the two figures aren't a like-for-like scoreboard.
Verdict: AustralianSuper is cheaper at the default level ($367 vs $417 a year on a $50,000 balance, July 2026 PDS figures) and its single-strategy Balanced is easier to benchmark. ART's lifecycle default gives under-50s a more aggressive asset mix without lifting a finger — historically rewarded, but with bigger drawdowns in bad years — and ART cut its weekly admin fee on 1 July 2026. Choose ART for QSuper-legacy or Queensland-public-sector entitlements, or if you want the set-and-forget lifecycle glide; choose AustralianSuper for the benchmark Balanced default at a lower fee. Both pass the APRA performance test, both are reasonable defaults.
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 July 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. Read our
methodology for how figures are calculated and our
about page for editorial policy. SuperFind is a
DecisionLab publication.