Best Performing Super Funds in Australia: Top 10 Ranked

Australia manages more than $4.5 trillion in superannuation assets, and the difference between a top-performing fund and an average one can translate into tens of thousands of dollars by retirement. A small group of funds—AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, and a handful of industry peers—keep landing at the top of the rankings year after year, according to SuperRatings, Canstar, and Money Magazine.

Top MySuper Fund of the Year 2026: Australian Retirement Trust · Canstar Outstanding Value Winners: AustralianSuper, Aware Super, HESTA, Hostplus, UniSuper · SuperRatings Top 10 Categories: MySuper, MyChoice, Retirement Offering, Sustainability · Capital Stable Category: 20–40% growth assets

The table below summarises the key facts that define the current super fund landscape in Australia.

“AustralianSuper has retained its Outstanding Value Award for a 15th consecutive year.” — Canstar, Ratings Agency

“The MySuper Fund of the Year for 2026 is Australian Retirement Trust.” — Livewire Markets, Financial News

What is the best performing super fund at the moment?

Australian Retirement Trust sits at the top of the heap in 2026, taking both the SuperRatings MySuper Fund of the Year title and Livewire Markets’ MySuper Fund of the Year recognition for a second consecutive year. The fund was created from the 2022 merger of Sunsuper and QSuper and now manages more than $330 billion in assets, making it Australia’s second-largest super fund by scale.

SuperRatings Top 10 Super Funds for 2025

SuperRatings evaluates funds across multiple categories—MySuper, MyChoice, Retirement Offering, and Sustainability—awarding gold, silver, and bronze ratings based on a methodology that weighs performance, fees, and features. The 2026 SuperRatings Top 10 covers the full spectrum of investment options, from capital-stable products with 20–40% growth assets to high-growth offerings. Australian Retirement Trust topped the MySuper rankings, while Aware Super earned the overall Fund of the Year title in 2025.

Canstar Best Performing Super Funds 2026

Canstar’s 2026 Outstanding Value Awards went to six funds: AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super, HESTA, Hostplus, and UniSuper. AustralianSuper has now held this award for 15 consecutive years—a streak that speaks to the fund’s ability to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns while keeping fees competitive. Aware Super rounded out five consecutive years on the list thanks to its seven-year MySuper lifecycle performance.

What are the best performing super funds last 5 years?

The five-year view reveals which funds have been able to sustain returns through different market cycles, including the volatility of 2020 and the recovery that followed. Awards like Canstar’s and SuperRatings’ cover multi-year performance windows, giving members a clearer picture than single-year snapshots allow.

Top performers in MySuper and MyChoice

Within the MySuper and MyChoice categories, funds with a balanced growth mandate—typically 60–76% exposure to growth assets—have consistently delivered returns that outpace the industry average. Hostplus and Australian Retirement Trust topped the balanced options in 2026 rankings with 8.3% and 8.2% per annum returns respectively, according to performance reviews. The implication is that balanced-growth options continue to offer the strongest risk-adjusted outcomes for most members.

InvestSMART top performing managed funds

Managed funds outside the default MySuper system often cater to self-directed investors who want exposure to specific sectors or investment styles. While these products sit outside the scope of the major award lists, they frequently overlap with the same underlying asset managers behind the top-ranking industry funds.

What are the best performing super funds over 10 years?

Looking at a decade of data narrows the field considerably. Only funds with a track record spanning multiple market cycles—growth, correction, and recovery—can compete here. The SuperRatings ten-year Platinum ratings go to funds that have demonstrated sustained value across that full window.

Long-term rankings from SuperRatings

SuperRatings tracks Platinum ratings for funds that achieve top-tier ratings across ten consecutive years. AustralianSuper has held Canstar’s Outstanding Value Award for 15 consecutive years, which means it comfortably clears the ten-year threshold. Aware Super’s five-year Canstar streak is impressive, but the longer history belongs to funds like AustralianSuper that have navigated multiple economic cycles without a significant stumble.

Canstar award winners

The Canstar Outstanding Value Award methodology compares funds across consumer profiles—different age groups and balance ranges—to determine which deliver the most value for each profile. In the 2025 review, AustralianSuper’s Balanced option received five-star ratings across most age and balance combinations, while Hostplus MySuper Balanced secured five stars in all 25 consumer profiles assessed.

Which super funds are underperforming?

Knowing which funds lag behind the pack is just as important as identifying the leaders. SuperRatings publishes an annual list of funds that fail to meet its minimum thresholds, and some retail funds have struggled to match the cost structures and scale advantages of the largest industry funds.

Worst super funds in Australia

Analysis from multiple outlets, including Finder and SuperRatings, has flagged a handful of funds that have repeatedly underperformed on a risk-adjusted basis. Retail funds—those run by banks and financial institutions—often carry higher administration fees than not-for-profit industry funds, which erodes net returns over time. The gap between the best and worst performers can exceed several percentage points annually, which compounds into a significant difference in retirement balances over thirty or forty years of saving.

Finder underperforming funds list

Finder’s analysis highlights funds that have appeared at the bottom of performance tables over rolling three-year windows. While past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, funds consistently at the bottom of the rankings tend to share common traits: higher-than-average fees, a conservative investment approach that limits growth potential, or a combination of both.

What is a good rate of return for pensions and investments?

Performance benchmarks vary depending on the investment option you choose. A capital-stable option with 20–40% growth assets will naturally deliver lower returns than a high-growth option with 80–96% growth assets. The question isn’t whether one return is universally “good”—it’s whether your fund’s option is performing well relative to its category and risk profile.

Is 7% return on pension good?

A 7% per annum return sits roughly in line with the long-term average for balanced growth options across the industry, according to SuperRatings data. For a pension-phase investment—where you’re drawing down your balance rather than accumulating—this return needs to be weighed against inflation and the sequence-of-returns risk that comes with regular withdrawals.

Benchmarks for super fund performance

SuperRatings benchmarks each fund against its peers within the same investment category. The agency’s ratings reflect value for money based on performance, fees, and features, giving members a composite view rather than a single number. Moneysmart, the Australian government’s financial guidance platform, advises weighing returns, fees, risk, and available investment options when choosing a super fund.

For self-managed super funds and pension accounts, a target of 5–7% per annum for balanced options is often cited as a reasonable long-term expectation, though this varies with market conditions. The key is comparing your fund’s return against its category average, not against the highest-risk option available.

Best Performing Super Funds Comparison

The table below compares the top-ranking funds across their award history, assets under management, and key performance highlights.

The pattern that emerges is clear: award-winning funds tend to be industry funds—run for members rather than shareholders—which allows them to keep fees low and pass investment returns back to members. The scale of AustralianSuper and Australian Retirement Trust also gives them fee bargaining power that smaller funds simply don’t have.

Related reading: Superannuation Withdrawal Rules in Australia: ATO Guide

Frequently asked questions