✅ Updated January 2026 — fees and returns verified

As a self-employed tradie, nobody is paying your super for you. Choosing the wrong fund — or not contributing at all — can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars by retirement. Here's how the major industry funds stack up.

📋 In This Article

  1. →Fund comparison table
  2. →How to make contributions
  3. →Tax deduction strategy
  4. →Our recommendation

Super Fund Comparison 2026

FundAdmin FeeInvestment Fee10yr Return (Balanced)InsuranceAppScore
AustralianSuper ⭐ Top PickAustralia's largest fund
 $1/week + 0.10% 0.56% p.a. 8.87% p.a. ✓ Included ✓ Good
9.0
HostplusLowest fees
 $1.50/week 0.02% p.a. 9.12% p.a. ✓ Included ◑ Basic
8.7
Aware SuperStrong insurance
 $1.30/week + 0.15% 0.60% p.a. 8.54% p.a. ✓ Strong ✓ Good
8.2
REST SuperGood for retail workers
 $1.50/week + 0.10% 0.55% p.a. 8.21% p.a. ✓ Included ◑ Basic
7.6
💡 Note: Past returns do not guarantee future performance. Fees shown are for the default balanced investment option. Source: fund product disclosure statements, January 2026. Always read the PDS before joining a fund.

How Self-Employed Tradies Make Super Contributions

  1. Join a fund — AustralianSuper and Hostplus both accept self-employed members
  2. Make contributions — transfer money directly from your bank to your super fund
  3. Lodge a Notice of Intent to Claim — submit this form to your fund before you lodge your tax return
  4. Claim on your tax return — your accountant does this in the deductions section

The Tax Deduction Strategy

This is the part most self-employed tradies miss. Concessional (before-tax) super contributions are taxed at only 15% inside the fund. If you're earning $90,000, your marginal rate is 32.5%. Every $10,000 you put in super saves you $1,750 in tax.

The annual concessional cap is $30,000 for 2025–26. If you had a balance under $500,000 and didn't use your full cap in prior years, you can carry forward unused amounts and make a larger one-off contribution in a good income year.

Our Recommendation

For most self-employed tradies: AustralianSuper. It has the best combination of low fees, strong long-term returns, and genuinely good member support. The mobile app is functional and contributions are straightforward.

If lowest fees are your priority: Hostplus. Marginally better 10-year returns, extremely low investment fees. The app and member experience is more basic but the fundamentals are strong.