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Expand vs Prime Super

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

Expand

Retail platform

Expand is a super and pension platform with Essential and Extra product tiers. Its value depends on the investment menu and services a member actually uses.

Membership

Use the Essential or Extra PDS and target market determination. The platform is commonly used with advice, and an application requires an investment choice; Essential allows a cash holding while a member decides on a longer-term strategy.

Prime Super

Industry fund

Prime Super is an independent fund with rural and regional roots. Its members work across agriculture, health, education, aged care, recruitment and other industries.

Membership

Serves members across several industries. Check the joining criteria and any employer-specific insurance arrangements in the current member guide.

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 optionMySuper
Return basisChoose an optionMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member
3-year return, per yearChoose an option8.49%
5-year return, per yearChoose an option5.59%
7-year return, per yearChoose an option6.35%
10-year return, per yearChoose an option7.00%
APRA strategic growth allocationChoose an option75.75%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000Choose an option$505 a year (1.01%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)Choose an option$235 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

Expand and Prime Super: product features and conditions
What to compareExpandPrime Super
Membership and access

Use the Essential or Extra PDS and target market determination. The platform is commonly used with advice, and an application requires an investment choice; Essential allows a cash holding while a member decides on a longer-term strategy.

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Serves members across several industries. Check the joining criteria and any employer-specific insurance arrangements in the current member guide.

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Accounts and products

Expand Essential and Extra in IOOF Portfolio Service Superannuation Fund; not MLC MasterKey.

Expand Essential Super and Pension

Expand Extra Super and Pension

Retirement Boost

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Superannuation and retirement income products.

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Investment choices

Member-selected investments; not a single platform-wide MySuper default.

Essential combines a menu of managed funds and model portfolios with Essential+, which adds selected ETFs and term deposits. Extra offers a much broader selection of managed funds, model portfolios and listed investments. Investments across menus can carry different administration charges.

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Members can choose a mix of investment options or use the MySuper default. The menu includes diversified choices and sector options such as Australian shares, international shares, property and cash.

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Insurance

Expand advertises group and retail insurance options. The policy, underwriting and cost depend on the cover arranged; the platform's investment features do not establish that a member is insured.

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The member guide describes insurance choices. Use the cover available under your employer or personal membership arrangement when comparing benefits.

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Retirement income

Both tiers have pension products. Retirement Boost adds a separate lifetime-income proposition with its own eligibility and access rules. It should be compared with other lifetime products rather than treated as an ordinary account-based pension.

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Income Stream accounts are available. The investment option corresponding to MySuper is called Balanced for pension accounts, so comparisons must use the correct account phase.

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Advice and support

An advised arrangement needs two assessments: whether the adviser service is useful and whether the platform is an appropriate way to implement it. Ask for the full ongoing cost and the consequences of ending the advice relationship.

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The fund has superannuation specialists and a book-a-chat service. Confirm whether you are receiving general guidance or personal advice, and the fee for any detailed plan.

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Fee details to check

Add platform administration, account charges, underlying investment fees, transaction or brokerage costs, insurance and any adviser fee. Essential+ has a higher administration rate on the first part of the balance than the ordinary Essential menu. A low fee quoted for one menu is not a price for every portfolio.

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Use the member guide and each option's current fee disclosure. Investment costs vary with the chosen portfolio, and insurance is a separate comparison.

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Comparing investment performance

There is no single meaningful Expand investment return. Measure the chosen portfolio after all applicable costs. The performance test covers only eligible trustee-directed investments, so a result for one option does not describe every investment on the platform.

State Essential versus Extra and the menu used.

Keep option-specific performance-test outcomes attached to the relevant option IDs.

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Prime publishes returns by option and period. Its current page refers to periods ending 30 June 2026; any ranking needs the same dates, peer group and fee basis on both sides.

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THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Expand

Editorial assessment

Expand makes most sense to investigate when a person needs its investment or retirement features and can explain why. A broad platform can be useful with a carefully chosen portfolio, but it also creates several layers of fees to compare. The product tier and menu selection should be visible in any price comparison.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People using an adviser to implement a portfolio that needs a broad investment menu.
  • Members comparing direct listed investments, managed portfolios and retirement features within one platform.
  • Families checking whether available fee arrangements change the total cost.

What deserves a closer look

  • Expand's 28 August 2026 notice says MLC MultiActive High Growth (MLC0397AU) and MLC MultiActive Geared (MLC0449AU) failed the 2026 performance test within the covered Expand products. Both remained open to new members because this was their first failure.
  • That notice concerns specified investment options, not a failure of every Expand investment or the whole platform.
  • Portfolio complexity, cash holdings, brokerage and advice fees can materially change the cost.
  • Lifetime products have access and beneficiary terms that require separate assessment.
  • Members transferred from Grow Wrap, Voyage or PortfolioOne should use their Expand welcome documents and fee schedule. June 2026 figures for those former products describe the pre-transfer account.

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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 Prime Super

Editorial assessment

Worth researching for someone who values a fund with experience in rural work and care industries, particularly when its member support is useful to them.

What deserves a closer look

  • Industry familiarity does not establish whether the fees or insurance suit an individual.
  • Do not substitute a pension Balanced return for an accumulation MySuper return.

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

Before choosing between Expand and Prime Super

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 Expand profile · Read the full Prime Super profile · Choose another comparison

Sources for Expand

Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.

  1. Expand products and legal fund details
  2. Expand Essential PDS
  3. Expand Extra PDS
  4. Essential+ menu and fee differences
  5. Expand pension products
  6. 2026 performance-test notice
  7. Completed transfers to Expand Extra, September 2026

Sources for Prime Super

Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.

  1. About Prime Super
  2. Investments
  3. Member guide
  4. MySuper option