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AMP Super vs Hostplus

Compare what each fund offers, then choose investment options to put their published costs and returns side by side.

By SuperGuru Group · Research checked 11 September 2026 · Historical APRA figures to 30 June 2026

AMP Super

Retail fund

AMP Super combines SignatureSuper's age-based MySuper options with investment choice, digital advice and retirement products. Its Lifetime Boost feature needs more explanation than a simple benefits tick.

Membership

Check the SignatureSuper PDS and any employer plan's terms. Restricted employer MySuper arrangements should not be treated as the same product as the standard SignatureSuper MySuper offer.

Hostplus

Industry fund

Hostplus has a broad menu spanning active diversified portfolios, indexed options, socially responsible options and Choiceplus direct investments.

Membership

Membership is generally available to people who meet Australian residence, tax residence or eligible-employment conditions. Product and insurance eligibility still apply.

Compare fees and investment returns

Choose the actual investment pathway for each account. For lifecycle products, select the named stage relevant to you. No stage is selected automatically.

APRA product data to 30 June 2026
MeasureChoose an investment optionHostplus MySuper
Return basisChoose an optionMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member
3-year return, per yearChoose an option9.48%
5-year return, per yearChoose an option7.46%
7-year return, per yearChoose an option7.89%
10-year return, per yearChoose an option8.70%
APRA strategic growth allocationChoose an option80.35%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000Choose an option$655 a year (1.31%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)Choose an option$120 a year
2026 performance testChoose an optionPass
New-member status at reporting dateCheck the current product eligibility rulesCheck the current product eligibility rules

Source: APRA Comprehensive Product Performance Package 2026, published 28 August 2026. Fees reflect the reporting year to 30 June 2026, are net of tax, use standard arrangements and exclude member-activity fees. Dollar figures are rounded. They are not a current quote. Check the latest PDS for changes, insurance premiums and any separately charged advice.

Returns are annualised historical results. Different return bases, risk levels and periods cannot be treated as interchangeable. MySuper net returns use a $50,000 representative balance even when you change the fee balance. A lifecycle stage return does not track a person moving between stages. Missing figures mean not reported, not zero. Past returns do not predict future returns. Read our method and APRA's definitions.

How the products differ

AMP Super and Hostplus: product features and conditions
What to compareAMP SuperHostplus
Membership and access

Check the SignatureSuper PDS and any employer plan's terms. Restricted employer MySuper arrangements should not be treated as the same product as the standard SignatureSuper MySuper offer.

Sources3

Membership is generally available to people who meet Australian residence, tax residence or eligible-employment conditions. Product and insurance eligibility still apply.

Sources6
Accounts and products

SignatureSuper in AMP Super Fund. MyNorth is a separate platform and legal super fund.

SignatureSuper

AMP MySuper Lifestages

AMP Flexible Retirement Income

AMP Lifetime Retirement Income

Sources6

Hostplus super, Pension and Transition to Retirement products.

Hostplus super

Hostplus Pension

Hostplus Transition to Retirement

Choiceplus direct investment option

CPIplus pension investment option

Sources7
Investment choices

AMP MySuper Lifestages

AMP's MySuper strategy allocates members by date of birth and gradually changes the growth and defensive mix. SignatureSuper also offers investment choice, including index-style, multi-manager and single-manager approaches, subject to the current menu.

Sources12

Balanced

The menu includes diversified active and indexed options, sector investments and socially responsible options. Choiceplus allows eligible members to buy selected ASX 300 shares, ETFs, listed investment companies and term deposits. The low investment cost of an indexed option should not be confused with the price of the default Balanced option.

Sources12
Insurance

Use the insurance guide for your SignatureSuper membership or employer plan. Insurance fees depend on the cover held; the presence of an AMP account does not establish the level of cover or that an application would be accepted.

Sources3

Eligible members can receive default death and TPD insurance. Hostplus tells members to check their current cover and cost in the account and review whether the amount meets their needs. Premiums reduce the balance left for retirement.

Sources4
Retirement income

AMP offers a flexible allocated-pension product and a separate Lifetime Retirement Income product. Lifetime Boost in accumulation only produces its intended retirement benefit if the member later takes the AMP lifetime-income product. It is not an immediate cash bonus paid into the account.

Sources56

Hostplus has Pension and Transition to Retirement accounts. Pension members can use Choiceplus and CPIplus, but those two options are not available in the TTR account. CPIplus aims for a predetermined return above inflation for a stated return period; its terms need separate reading.

Sources25
Advice and support

Eligible AMP Super members can access Digital Financial Advice through My AMP at no extra fee. It has an eligibility and service scope; more complex planning should be compared separately from the digital service.

Sources4

Hostplus offers access to financial planners and identifies separate advice costs and eligibility conditions for services such as SuperSmart. Ask what is covered in the membership fee and what requires an additional payment.

Sources4
Fee details to check

Identify the product, selected option and employer arrangement before comparing charges. Costs can include administration, investment and transaction costs, insurance and personal advice. North's menu-based fees should not be substituted for SignatureSuper's charges.

Sources3

Hostplus publishes a cost-of-product figure for each option. Use that full figure and its assumptions, then account for insurance and direct-investment costs. Its investment costs are estimates based on prior experience; a very low indexed investment fee is not the total account charge.

Sources3
Comparing investment performance

MySuper Lifestage returns belong to birth cohorts and their changing investment mix. Compare the same cohort or age and common end date. An option's short-term return is not evidence that every SignatureSuper member received the same result.

Keep AMP Super and MyNorth separate.

Explain the MySuper-to-Choice change and conditional nature of Lifetime Boost before presenting it as a benefit.

Sources1

Compare the exact portfolio and asset allocation. Hostplus's pension option pages publish returns net of investment fees and costs, with administration and other fees still applying. A pension return should not be placed next to a taxed accumulation return without explanation.

Show Balanced and Indexed Balanced as separate options.

Avoid ranking the whole fund using the cheapest investment option's fee.

Sources2

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on AMP Super

Editorial assessment

AMP has a more involved retirement proposition than a simple accumulation account. That may interest someone planning how super and the Age Pension could work together, but the value rests on the conditions and the eventual retirement product. The Lifetime label needs careful reading before it becomes a reason to choose the fund.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People who want an age-based super strategy and access to digital advice.
  • Members examining their employer's SignatureSuper terms.
  • People willing to investigate a lifetime-income product as part of retirement planning.

What deserves a closer look

  • Activating Lifetime Boost permanently changes the account from MySuper to Choice. AMP notes that MySuper has additional legal protections, even though activation itself does not change current fees, insurance or investments.
  • Lifetime Boost's benefit is only realised if the member takes the relevant AMP Lifetime Retirement Income product.
  • Eligibility excludes certain ages and account circumstances, including defined-benefit and TTR arrangements.
  • Compare the lifetime-income product's access, payment and beneficiary rules with an ordinary allocated pension.

Sources5

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Hostplus

Editorial assessment

Hostplus is particularly useful when the question is how much investment choice you want. Its indexed range gives cost-conscious members something concrete to compare, while Choiceplus serves a more involved investor. Check the default separately; the existence of a low-cost option does not mean you are invested in it.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People building a shortlist of indexed super portfolios.
  • Members who want direct listed investments without establishing an SMSF.
  • Retirees comparing ordinary diversified investments with a separately structured inflation-linked option.

What deserves a closer look

  • Choiceplus adds trading decisions, restrictions and costs.
  • Options with similar names can have different growth-asset weights.
  • CPIplus is an investment option with its own provider and product risks; its return target should not be presented as a government-guaranteed deposit rate.
  • Choiceplus and CPIplus are unavailable in the TTR product.

Sources25

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

Before choosing between AMP Super and Hostplus

Use the membership rules to establish which accounts are available to you. Then compare the total price of the investment option and cover you need. A lower fee or higher historical return alone does not tell you which fund is suitable.

Ask both funds to confirm insurance acceptance, exclusions, waiting periods and whether cover would change when you leave your employer. Obtain advice before giving up a defined benefit or an insurance policy you may not be able to replace. ASIC Moneysmart explains the comparison checks.

Read the full AMP Super profile · Read the full Hostplus profile · Choose another comparison