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Raiz Invest Super vs Vanguard 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

Raiz Invest Super

Retail fund brand

Raiz Invest Super gives members ready-made portfolios and a Plus option that allows more investment customisation through the Raiz app.

Membership

Available under the current Raiz Invest Super PDS and member guide.

Vanguard Super

Retail fund

Vanguard Super offers an age-based Lifecycle default, other diversified and single-sector investments, and both retirement and transition-to-retirement accounts.

Membership

The SaveSmart PDS sets joining conditions. Insurance eligibility is separate and includes work-hours and occupation requirements for some cover types.

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.

Choose an investment option to see the figures

The costs and returns belong to the selected product, option or lifecycle stage.

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

Raiz Invest Super and Vanguard Super: product features and conditions
What to compareRaiz Invest SuperVanguard Super
Membership and access

Available under the current Raiz Invest Super PDS and member guide.

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The SaveSmart PDS sets joining conditions. Insurance eligibility is separate and includes work-hours and occupation requirements for some cover types.

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Accounts and products

Raiz Invest Super accumulation.

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SaveSmart accumulation, SpendSmart pension and TransitionSmart TTR.

Vanguard Super SaveSmart

SpendSmart account-based pension

TransitionSmart TTR

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Investment choices

Nine portfolios include different diversified risk levels, Emerald, Property 10, Property 30 and Plus. Limits apply to shares and selected ETFs in Plus.

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Lifecycle

Lifecycle changes the asset mix as a member ages. Members can choose other diversified options or single-sector options instead. The menu offers pooled investments inside super; it should not be described as a brokerage account for buying any Vanguard ETF.

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Insurance

Insurance is available when cover is held. The product documents include insurance-policy changes issued in June 2026.

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Eligible members receive basic death and TPD cover. Income protection requires a separate application. Vanguard's public eligibility page lists a minimum recent work-hours condition and excludes hazardous occupations for TPD and income protection; TPD must be held with death cover and cannot exceed it.

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Retirement income

The reviewed pages do not establish a dedicated pension account; verify an income-stream pathway before retirement.

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SpendSmart provides regular retirement income and lump-sum access for eligible members. TransitionSmart lets eligible working members draw pension payments while keeping a SaveSmart accumulation account for contributions.

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Advice and support

Product support is available through Raiz. Personal advice should be scoped separately.

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Vanguard provides educational material and a Find an Adviser tool. Compare the scope and price of personal advice separately; the presence of a referral tool does not establish that comprehensive advice is included in the super fee.

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Fee details to check

The $50,000 Plus cost example excludes underlying accessible-product costs, which depend on the investments selected. Include those costs before comparing with a ready-made portfolio.

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Use the total annual fee for your selected option and balance, then account for insurance and buy/sell spreads. Vanguard says options other than Lifecycle can have different costs. A quoted Lifecycle percentage therefore should not be attached to every investment choice or pension product.

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Comparing investment performance

Compare the precise super portfolio, not the returns of a regular Raiz account with different cash flows or fees.

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Lifecycle performance is age-dependent. Compare an equivalent age allocation and period, and use super-product returns rather than the much longer track record of a Vanguard managed fund or ETF outside super. Those are different products with different costs and taxes.

Show Lifecycle results for the same age.

Include SpendSmart and TransitionSmart in retirement comparisons, and compare insurance eligibility explicitly.

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THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Raiz Invest Super

Editorial assessment

Worth comparing for someone who wants its particular portfolio choices and will use the app to manage their account.

What deserves a closer look

  • Property portfolios change concentration and liquidity exposure.
  • The headline Plus fee example is incomplete without the chosen ETF or investment costs.

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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 Vanguard Super

Editorial assessment

Vanguard is a useful comparison for someone who wants a clearly described age-based investment approach. Its retirement accounts also let members move from saving to drawing an income within the fund. Insurance is the detail that can change the decision, particularly for someone in a hazardous occupation or with irregular working hours.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People who prefer a Lifecycle strategy that automatically changes with age.
  • Members comparing pooled diversified or single-sector investments.
  • People who want an accumulation and pension pathway with the same provider.

What deserves a closer look

  • Hazardous-occupation and work-hours eligibility rules can limit TPD or income-protection cover.
  • The super product's own performance history must be distinguished from Vanguard's older investment funds.
  • An age-based strategy cannot account for every part of your household finances.
  • Vanguard Super does not provide the same freedom as a direct ETF brokerage 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.

Before choosing between Raiz Invest Super and Vanguard 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 Raiz Invest Super profile · Read the full Vanguard Super profile · Choose another comparison

Sources for Raiz Invest Super

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

  1. Raiz Super
  2. Detailed current fee basis
  3. Disclosure and insurance changes

Sources for Vanguard Super

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

  1. Vanguard Lifecycle
  2. Vanguard retirement accounts
  3. TransitionSmart
  4. Insurance eligibility and terms
  5. Vanguard insurance guide and trustee identity
  6. Vanguard fee explanation
  7. Vanguard adviser referral and advice information
  8. SaveSmart documents