Quick Verdict
UniSuper is cheaper at $50k ($280/yr vs $392/yr). AustralianSuper leads on 10-year returns (8.90% vs 8.50%).
Fund Overview
AustralianSuper
| Type | Industry |
| Established | 2006 |
| Trustee | AustralianSuper Pty Ltd |
| HQ State | VIC |
| Members | 3.4M |
| Assets (AUM) | $365B |
UniSuper
| Type | Industry |
| Established | 2000 |
| Trustee | UniSuper Limited |
| HQ State | VIC |
| Members | 650K |
| Assets (AUM) | $130B |
Fee Comparison
| Fee Component | AustralianSuper | UniSuper |
|---|
| Admin Fee (flat) | $137 | $60 |
| Admin Fee (%) | 0.00% | 0.04% |
| Investment Fee | 0.46% | 0.36% |
| Indirect Cost Ratio | 0.05% | 0.04% |
| Buy/Sell Spread | 0.10% | 0.09% |
Total Annual Fee by Balance
| Balance | AustralianSuper | UniSuper |
|---|
| $10,000 | $188 | $104 |
| $25,000 | $264 | $170 |
| $50,000 | $392 | $280 |
| $100,000 | $647 | $500 |
| $250,000 | $1,412 | $1,160 |
| $500,000 | $2,687 | $2,260 |
Performance Comparison
| Period | AustralianSuper | UniSuper |
|---|
| 1-Year | 12.10% | 12.00% |
| 3-Year | 8.50% | 8.30% |
| 5-Year | 8.20% | 8.50% |
| 7-Year | 8.50% | 8.60% |
| 10-Year | 8.90% | 8.50% |
| FY2024 | 9.10% | 9.20% |
| FY2023 | 10.30% | 10.80% |
| FY2022 | -2.70% | -3.00% |
| FY2021 | 20.40% | 21.20% |
| FY2020 | -0.70% | -0.80% |
| FY2019 | 8.60% | 8.80% |
| FY2018 | 10.30% | 10.80% |
| FY2017 | 13.10% | 12.90% |
| FY2016 | 4.20% | 4.50% |
| FY2015 | 10.80% | 10.80% |
Insurance Comparison
AustralianSuper
| Insurer | TAL Life Limited |
| Death Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| TPD Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| IP Cover | Yes — opt-in |
UniSuper
| Insurer | AIA Australia |
| Death Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| TPD Cover | Yes — unitised, opt-out |
| IP Cover | Yes — opt-in, 75% of salary |
Annual Premium Comparison by Age
| Age | AustralianSuper | UniSuper |
|---|
| 25 | $156 | $120 |
| 30 | $260 | $205 |
| 35 | $416 | $350 |
| 40 | $624 | $540 |
| 45 | $988 | $850 |
| 50 | $1,508 | $1,320 |
| 55 | $2,236 | $1,950 |
| 60 | $3,172 | $2,800 |
APRA Heatmap Ratings
AustralianSuper
| Fee Rating | Below median |
| Return Rating | Above median |
| Sustainability | Performing |
UniSuper
| Fee Rating | Below median |
| Return Rating | Above median |
| Sustainability | Performing |
Investment Options
AustralianSuper
| Total Options | 14 |
| Ethical/ESG Option | Yes |
| Indexed Option | Yes |
| Direct Investing | No |
UniSuper
| Total Options | 16 |
| Ethical/ESG Option | Yes |
| Indexed Option | No |
| Direct Investing | No |
Member Services
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 |
UniSuper
| App Ratings | iOS 4.7 / Android 4.5 |
| Advice | Included personal advice; comprehensive fee-for-service; campus consultants |
| AFCA Complaints | 3.2 per 10k members |
| Call Centre | 8am-8pm AEST Mon-Fri |
Verdict
This is the largest-vs-most-specialised matchup in Australian super. AustralianSuper is the country's largest fund at $365B AUM — roughly one in six working-age Australians has an account. Its scale generates real fee leverage (the lowest investment fees of any open MySuper product), better unlisted-asset access, and the deepest internal investment team in the market. Long-term returns are consistently top-quartile and the fund has passed every APRA performance test since 2021.
UniSuper is the niche flagship: built originally for academic and professional staff at Australian universities, it remains the only major industry fund offering a true defined-benefit option (the DBD/Lifetime products) alongside its accumulation arm. Its MySuper option is the cheapest in the SuperFind dataset at $280/year on a $50,000 balance — driven by some of the lowest admin fees in the industry. Investment performance over 10 years is competitive with AustralianSuper but slightly behind on a raw return basis.
Verdict: for higher-education sector employees, particularly those eligible for the defined-benefit division, UniSuper is structurally hard to beat — the DBD is a guaranteed-income product unavailable anywhere else in the open-fund market. For everyone else, AustralianSuper edges it: scale, fee leverage, and investment options breadth all favour the larger fund. The 10-year return gap is small (~0.4pp) and both are top-tier funds — there is no wrong answer here, only nuance.
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 May 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.