AustralianSuper vs Hostplus
AustralianSuper and Hostplus boast strong investment returns and have millions of members - but which one is right for you?
Key takeaways
- Hostplus' MySuper product has achieved slightly higher returns compared to AustralianSuper's MySuper product.
- When comparing the MySuper products, AustralianSuper's fees are much lower than Hostplus.
- Hostplus offers a lot more investment options than AustralianSuper, including more low-cost indexed options and a lifestage option.
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AustralianSuper vs Hostplus
| AustralianSuper | Hostplus | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of fund | Industry super fund | Industry super fund |
| Number of members (as at 30 June 2026) | More than 3.6 million members | Approximately 2 million members |
| Funds under management (as at 30 June 2026) | More than $430 billion | $158 billion |
| Default MySuper option | AustralianSuper Balanced A diversified fund that invests your super in a range of assets with a strong allocation towards Australian and international shares, direct property and infrastructure among other assets - including unlisted assets. Investment allocation is the same for all members in the Balanced fund, regardless of age. | Hostplus Balanced Similar to AustralianSuper Balanced, this is a diversified investment portfolio with a strong focus on Australian and international shares, private equity and infrastructure among other assets. Investment allocation is the same for all members in the Balanced fund, regardless of age. |
| Performance for default option | Past performance of AustralianSuper Balanced:
| Past performance of Hostplus Balanced:
|
| Fees for default option | Here's how much you'd pay in fees for one year if you had the following amounts invested in AustralianSuper Balanced:
| Here's how much you'd pay in fees for one year if you had the following amounts invested in Hostplus Balanced:
|
| Additional diversified investment options | You can choose to invest your super in one of the following pre-made investment options instead of the defaut option:
| You can choose to invest your super in one of the following pre-made investment options instead of the defaut option:
|
| Single asset class investment options | You can invest your super in one or more of the following individual asset classes:
| You can invest your super in one or more of the following individual asset classes:
|
| Ethical investment | The AustralianSuper Socially Aware option doesn't invest in Australian or international companies that directly own coal and fossil fuel reserves, produce tobacco, gambling companies, or companies that have single-gender boards. AustralianSuper lists all its fund holdings on its website. If you had $50,000 invested in AustraliaSuper Socially Aware you'd pay annual fees of $297. | The Hostplus Socially Responsible Investment Balanced option invests in companies that "contribute to a socially and environmentally sustainable world". Hostplus lists all the holdings in this investment option on its website, and also lists the companies that it actively excludes (these are largely controversial weapon manufacturers, gambling and tobacco companies). If you had $50,000 invested in Hostplus Socially Responsible Investment Balanced you'd pay annual fees of $369.28. |
| Mobile app | The AustralianSuper app has a 3.6 star rating from users in the Google Play store, and a 2.8 star rating in the Apple store. | The Hostplus mobile app has a 4.8 star rating from users in the Google Play store, and a 4.8 star rating in the Apple store. |
| Read more | More Info | More Info |
Our expert says: Choosing a super fund
"Choosing super funds can feel overwhelming, but it gets easier once you've narrowed it down to a couple of options. If you can't decide between two similar funds, compare the fees and fund performance. Don't just look at the last year, but look at 5 and 10-year performance. And make sure you're comparing similar fund options. A high growth fund will have different performance to a balanced fund. "
How do the default MySuper products compare?
The two default MySuper options are AustralianSuper Balanced and Hostplus Balanced. These two products are very similar; both are authorised MySuper products, both are pre-mixed, diversified funds and both have exposure to unlisted assets (like infrastructure).
How do their fees and performance figures compare?
Looking at the default options, Hostplus has delivered slightly better returns. The difference in these figures is only minor and both funds are top-performing funds compared to others in the market.
In terms of fees, AustralianSuper Balanced charges lower fees than Hostplus Balanced.
However, Hostplus does offer several low-fee indexed investment options (more on this below).
How do the additional investment options compare?
Hostplus offers a lot more superannuation investment options than AustralianSuper. It has 15 additional pre-mixed options, while AustralianSuper offers 5. It also offers a lifecycle product, Hostplus Life, which invests your super in line with your age. AustralianSuper doesn't offer any lifecycle investment options.
Hostplus is also well-known for its Indexed Balanced investment option, thanks to the Barefoot Investor declaring it's his chosen super fund. This is an incredibly low-fee option which charges around $103 p.a. on a $50,000 balance and invests your super in a mix of index funds.
AustralianSuper's Indexed Diversified option also charges low fees at around $230 p.a. on a $50,000 balance, however it's not as low as Hostplus.
Hostplus also offers 9 individual asset class options while AustralianSuper offers 4.
How do the ethical investment options compare?
Both AustralianSuper Socially Aware and Hostplus Socially Responsible Investment Balanced avoid investments in fossil fuels, tobacco and gambling among many other harmful industries. Both fund are very transparent with their investments; both list their total fund holdings on their websites for you to see exactly which companies they invest in. Hostplus also lists the companies that it actively does not invest in.
These options have delivered very similar returns, with Hostplus performing slightly better. However, Hostplus again charges higher fees for its ethical investment option than AustralianSuper does (about 27% more, or roughly $107 a year on a $50,000 balance).
If you're interested in investing your super ethically, you can compare these funds with a range of additional ethical super funds in our guide.
Expert insight
"Both Australian Super and Hostplus are real powerhouses in the superannuation industry...in terms of product offering, performance and keeping a lid on fees. However, you want to make sure that your superannuation monies are invested in a way that aligns with your values too. If you're not convinced that either of these funds is right for you, or if you simply want to see how they compare to others in the market, compare super funds with our guide."
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I’m 64, have $500,000 in AustralianSuper Balanced Fund. I was with Hostplus previously. I’m thinking of swopping back to Hostplus as returns are better BUT I’m wondering which is the better fund for retirement living side of things?
Hi Linda,
We aren’t licensed to offer you any personal advice. When it comes to making decisions about your retirement planning, I’d recommend speaking to a financial adviser who can offer you personal advice.
Thanks, Alison.
Does Australian super have inbuilt insurances with it when u sign up?. The policy I have now is really good, but becoming unaffordable. Hoping to change funds and insurance
Hi Daniel,
AustralianSuper does offer it. If you’re eligible, they will provide you insurance cover when you join. And you can request to change your insurance cover whenever you want.
Thanks
Raj
Can you tell me how much annual fees for Host Plus on $600,000 in Balanced fund? $300,000 in Conservative Balanced? $300,000 in Pension?
Hi Dan,
We don’t have the calculated fees for $600,000 and for pension account. However we have $500K for a balance fund which is $5,642.74 and for $300K conservative balanced it is $2,229.74.
Thanks
Raj
How much in total fees should i expect to pay on $850000 superannuation in retirement.
Hi Rob, this would depend on a number of factors including which fund your with and how your money is invested. We suggest asking your fund directly about this to get the most accurate information.
Just been researching your comparison website.
I’m currently with Spirit.In your view,are they performing as well as most of the top performing Industry Funds at the momen
Hi Owen, you can see Spirit Super’s performance figures here for its individual investment options: https://spiritsuper.com.au/investments/Our-Performance
You can use this to compare with the other funds you’re looking at.
Thanks.