Fund Review

Hostplus Review 2026

The super fund for hospitality, tourism, recreation, and sport.

Members
1.8M
Assets Under Management
$115B
MySuper Option
Balanced
Total Fees (MySuper)
0.63%
1-Year Return
+12.5%
5-Year Return (p.a.)
+9.0%
10-Year Return (p.a.)
+9.0%
Admin Fee (Flat)
$78

Fund Identity

Hostplus is an industry superannuation fund regulated by APRA. Established in 1988, the fund is headquartered in VIC and operates under RSE Licence L0000093. The trustee responsible for managing the fund is Host-Plus Pty Limited.

DetailValue
ABN79 008 634 704
RSE LicenceL0000093
TrusteeHost-Plus Pty Limited
Legal NameHost-Plus Pty Limited
Established1988
HeadquartersLevel 9, 114 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Fund TypeIndustry
USIHOS0100AU
Member Services Phone1300 467 875
Websitehttps://hostplus.com.au

Scale & Size

Hostplus manages $115 billion in assets under management, serving approximately 1.8 million members across approximately 250,000 employers. This makes it a large fund in the Australian superannuation landscape.

As one of Australia's largest super funds, Hostplus benefits from significant economies of scale. Larger funds can typically negotiate lower investment management fees and access institutional-grade investments including direct infrastructure, private equity, and unlisted property that smaller funds cannot. This scale advantage often translates to lower costs for members and broader diversification across asset classes.

Fee Schedule

Hostplus's MySuper option charges a total fee of $388 per year on a $50,000 balance (0.63% of a $50,000 balance). On a $100,000 balance, annual fees come to $698. The fee structure includes a fixed administration component plus percentage-based investment and indirect cost charges.

Fee ComponentAmount
Administration Fee (Flat)$78 p.a.
Administration Fee (%)0.02%
Investment Fee (MySuper)0.52%
Indirect Cost Ratio0.08%
Buy/Sell Spread0.08%
Performance FeeYes

Total Fees at Different Balances

The table below shows how Hostplus's total annual fees scale with your account balance. Funds with a higher flat fee component tend to be proportionally more expensive at lower balances.

Balance$10,000$25,000$50,000$100,000$250,000$500,000
Annual Fee ($)$140$233$388$698$1,628$3,178
Fee as % of Balance1.40%0.93%0.78%0.70%0.65%0.64%

Investment Performance

With a 10-year annualised return of 9.0%, Hostplus's Balanced option has delivered above-average performance relative to the broader industry. This places the fund in the upper tier of MySuper products tracked by APRA.

Balanced — Annualised Returns

PeriodReturn (p.a.)
1 Year+12.5%
3 Years+8.8%
5 Years+9.0%
7 Years+9.1%
10 Years+9.0%

Year-by-Year Returns (FY2015–FY2024)

The following table shows the annual returns for Hostplus's Balanced option for each financial year. This allows you to see how the fund performed during both strong market years and downturns, including the COVID-19 sell-off in FY2020 and the inflation-driven correction in FY2022.

YearFY2015FY2016FY2017FY2018FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024
Balanced+11.2%+3.5%+14.2%+11.5%+7.8%-1.2%+22.1%-3.5%+10.8%+9.5%

Investment Options

Hostplus offers 22 investment options spanning pre-mixed diversified portfolios and single-sector choices. Each option carries a different risk profile and fee structure. The asset allocation doughnut charts below show the mix of growth and defensive assets within each option.

Balanced MySuper Default

TypeRisk LevelTotal Fee1yr5yr10yr
Pre-mixed 5 — Medium to High 0.63% +12.5%+9.0%+9.0%
AU Shares 18%Intl Shares 28%PE 8%Property 10%Infra 12%Fixed Inc 12%Cash 4%Other 8%

Shares Plus

TypeRisk LevelTotal Fee1yr5yr10yr
Pre-mixed 6 — High 0.68% +15.2%+10.2%+10.5%
AU Shares 30%Intl Shares 45%PE 10%Property 5%Infra 5%Cash 5%

Conservative Balanced

TypeRisk LevelTotal Fee1yr5yr10yr
Pre-mixed 4 — Medium 0.55% +7.5%+5.2%+5.8%
AU Shares 12%Intl Shares 18%Property 6%Infra 6%Fixed Inc 32%Cash 20%Other 6%

Indexed Balanced

TypeRisk LevelTotal Fee1yr5yr10yr
Pre-mixed 5 — Medium to High 0.07% +12.2%+7.8%+8.2%
AU Shares 30%Intl Shares 40%Fixed Inc 20%Cash 10%

Cash

TypeRisk LevelTotal Fee1yr5yr10yr
Sector 1 — Very Low 0.02% +4.2%+1.8%+1.5%
Cash 100%

Insurance

Hostplus provides default insurance cover through MetLife Insurance. Most members are automatically enrolled in death and TPD cover when they join, while income protection is typically opt-in. Insurance premiums are deducted directly from your super balance, which means you do not pay out of pocket but your retirement savings are reduced over time.

Cover TypeDetails
InsurerMetLife Insurance
Death CoverYes — unitised, opt-out
TPD CoverYes — unitised, opt-out
Income ProtectionYes — opt-in
Default Death Cover (age 30)$200,000
Default TPD Cover (age 30)$200,000
Maximum Cover Age70

Annual Premium by Age (Default Cover)

The following table shows estimated annual premiums for Hostplus's default death and TPD cover at various ages. Premiums increase significantly with age as the risk of claims rises. These are indicative figures for a standard occupation category.

AgeAge 25Age 30Age 35Age 40Age 45Age 50Age 55Age 60
Annual Premium$148$250$410$630$960$1,490$2,180$3,100

Occupation categories: White Collar, Blue Collar, Heavy Blue Collar

IP waiting periods: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days

IP benefit periods: 2 years, 5 years, To age 65

APRA Heatmap Assessment

APRA (the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) publishes an annual MySuper Product Heatmap that assesses each fund across fees, investment returns, and sustainability. The heatmap uses a traffic-light system to flag products that may be underperforming relative to peers. Here is where Hostplus's MySuper option sits on the latest heatmap:

Fee Rating
Around median
Return Rating
Above median
Sustainability Rating
Performing

A "Below median" fee rating means the fund's fees are lower than the typical MySuper product — which is positive for members. An "Above median" return rating indicates the fund has delivered stronger returns than the median fund. A "Performing" sustainability rating means APRA has not identified any concerns about the product's long-term viability.

Governance

Hostplus is led by CEO David Elia. The board comprises 11 directors, with equal representation of 4 member-elected and 4 employer-appointed directors, plus 3 independent directors. As an APRA-regulated fund, Hostplus must meet strict governance standards including director fitness and propriety requirements, risk management frameworks, and regular independent audits.

RoleDetails
CEODavid Elia
Chief Investment OfficerSam Sicilia
Member-Elected Directors4
Employer-Appointed Directors4
Independent Directors3

Major mergers: Statewide Super (2022); Intrust Super (2022)

Sustainability & ESG

Hostplus maintains a formal ESG policy and has committed to a net-zero emissions target by 2050. As a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI), the fund has committed to incorporating ESG factors into its investment decision-making.

ESG CriteriaStatus
ESG PolicyYes
Net Zero Target2050
UN PRI SignatoryYes
ACSI MemberYes
Fossil Fuel ExclusionPartial
Tobacco ExclusionFull
Weapons ExclusionControversial weapons

Member Services

The Hostplus app has solid ratings of 4.5 on iOS and 4.3 on Android, providing members with a functional mobile experience for checking balances, managing investments, and accessing statements.

ServiceDetails
iOS App Rating4.5/5.0
Android App Rating4.3/5.0
Financial AdviceLimited personal advice included; Choiceplus self-directed investing available
Call Centre Hours8am-8pm AEST Mon-Fri
Languages SupportedEnglish
Branch NetworkNo physical branches

Historical Crisis Performance

GFC Return (2008)
-15.1%
COVID Return (FY2020)
-1.2%

During the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, Hostplus lost 15.1%, a deeper-than-average decline. The GFC remains the most severe market downturn in recent memory and tested every super fund's risk management framework.

In the COVID-19 year (FY2020), Hostplus returned -1.2% for FY2020, reflecting the sharp market sell-off in March 2020.

How a fund performs during market downturns can be as revealing as its long-term returns. Funds that limit losses during crashes tend to have more conservative asset allocations or better risk management, though this can sometimes come at the cost of lower returns during boom periods.

AFCA Complaints

AFCA Complaints (FY2024)
720
Complaints per 10,000 Members
4.0

At 4.0 complaints per 10,000 members, Hostplus has a higher-than-average complaint rate. While this does not necessarily indicate poor service, prospective members may want to review the types of complaints lodged.

AFCA is the independent complaints body for financial services in Australia. Members can escalate complaints to AFCA if they are unable to resolve a dispute directly with their super fund. The complaints-per-10,000-members ratio is the most meaningful comparison metric as it adjusts for fund size.

Pros & Cons

Advantages

  • Highest 10-year return among major funds at 9.0%
  • 22 investment options — one of the widest ranges available
  • Choiceplus platform for direct share investing
  • Ultra-low-cost indexed options (0.07% for Indexed Balanced)
  • Strong in alternative assets (infrastructure, private equity)
  • Insurance through MetLife with competitive premiums

Disadvantages

  • Higher short-term volatility due to large unlisted asset allocation
  • Total fees of $315 on $50k — not the cheapest
  • Higher AFCA complaint rate (4.0 per 10k members)
  • No physical branch network
  • Performance heavily skewed by unlisted valuations

Compare Hostplus

See how Hostplus stacks up against every other fund in our database with a detailed side-by-side comparison.

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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.