SMSF comparison
SMSF vs Vanguard Super: which costs less in 2026?
By easySMSF, SMSF Specialist Team · Updated
Vanguard Super launched in 2022 and is priced to compete on cost — its Lifecycle MySuper option sits around 0.58% a year all-in, among the cheapest defaults in Australia. The catch is the same one every pooled fund has: you choose from Vanguard's index menu, not the whole market, and you never own the underlying assets.
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The short answer
Vanguard Super charges a percentage of your balance, so your fee grows with your super. easySMSF charges a fixed $139 a month with the independent audit included. Past roughly $288,000 in combined member balances, the SMSF is the cheaper fund — about $1,232 a year cheaper at $500,000.
- Vanguard Super all-in fee
- ~0.58% /yr
- easySMSF admin
- $1,668 /yr fixed
- Break-even balance
- $288,000
How the costs compare
Vanguard Super charges around 0.58% per year on the default Lifecycle (MySuper) option (savesmart mysuper lifecycle, all-in (administration + investment + transaction costs), as disclosed in vanguard super's pds and fee guide.). That percentage applies to your entire balance — so the dollar cost rises every year as your fund grows.
easySMSF charges a fixed $139 a month for full SMSF administration, tax and the independent audit. Because the fee never scales with assets, the effective percentage you pay falls every year the fund grows. The crossover — where an SMSF starts costing less than Vanguard Super in absolute dollars — sits at roughly $288,000 in combined member balances.
Beyond cost, the bigger story is what you can actually hold. Vanguard Super restricts you to pre-built investment options (and at best a 'member direct' platform with asset-class caps). An SMSF lets you hold direct ASX and global shares, residential and commercial property, ETFs, term deposits, bullion and crypto — all in the fund's own name.
- Vanguard Super default fee: ~0.58% per year on your full balance
- easySMSF fee: fixed monthly — shrinks as a percentage as your balance grows
- Crossover balance: about $288,000 combined
- Vanguard Super pro: One of the lowest all-in default fees in the market
- Vanguard Super pro: Clean, index-based menu with age-based Lifecycle de-risking
- Vanguard Super pro: Simple fee structure with an administration fee cap on larger balances
- Vanguard Super limit: Fees are still percentage-based, so they grow as your balance grows
- Vanguard Super limit: Menu limited to Vanguard's own diversified and single-sector index options
- Vanguard Super limit: No direct shares, no direct property, no LRBA borrowing, no member-directed brokerage
Vanguard Super fees vs easySMSF at different balances
Vanguard Super charges roughly 0.58% a year on the Lifecycle (MySuper) option, so the dollar cost climbs with your balance. easySMSF charges a fixed $139 a month ($1,668 a year) covering administration, tax and the independent audit — the same figure whether the fund holds $200,000 or $2 million.
| Combined balance | Vanguard Super (~0.58%) | easySMSF (fixed) | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $1,160 | $1,668 | $508 cheaper with Vanguard Super |
| $400,000 | $2,320 | $1,668 | $652 cheaper with an SMSF |
| $600,000 | $3,480 | $1,668 | $1,812 cheaper with an SMSF |
| $1,000,000 | $5,800 | $1,668 | $4,132 cheaper with an SMSF |
Estimates only. Vanguard Super figures use publicly disclosed savesmart mysuper lifecycle, all-in (administration + investment + transaction costs), as disclosed in vanguard super's pds and fee guide. easySMSF figures exclude the one-off setup fee and any ASIC annual review fee for a corporate trustee. Insurance premiums are not included on either side.
The crossover sits at about $288,000 in combined member balances. Below that, Vanguard Super generally costs less in absolute dollars. Above it, the fixed fee wins and the gap widens every year the balance grows. Two members pooling their balances reach that point roughly twice as fast — run your own numbers in the SMSF fee calculator.
What you can hold: Vanguard Super vs an SMSF
There is no member-directed share platform. You choose between the Lifecycle MySuper option, Vanguard's diversified index options and a small set of single-sector index options.
| Investment or feature | Vanguard Super | SMSF with easySMSF |
|---|---|---|
| Direct ASX shares | Pooled options only | Any listed ASX security, no concentration cap |
| International shares | Only through pooled international options | Direct global brokerage in the fund's own name |
| Residential property | Not available | Yes, held directly by the fund |
| Commercial / business real property | Not available | Yes, and it can be leased to your own business at market rates |
| Borrowing (LRBA) | Not available | Yes, under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement |
| Term deposits and cash | Cash option only | Any bank, any term, chosen by the trustees |
| Who owns the assets | The fund's pooled trust — you hold units | Your fund, in its own name, with you as trustee |
| Insurance | Automatic group cover, no underwriting for default cover | Arranged separately and underwritten before you switch |
| Fee basis | About 0.58% of your balance, every year | Fixed $139 a month regardless of balance |
Vanguard Super fees vs fixed-fee SMSF administration
Vanguard Super is genuinely cheap for a pooled fund. Its Lifecycle MySuper option charges roughly 0.58% a year once administration, investment and transaction costs are added together, and the administration component is capped above a certain balance. If low cost is your only criterion and you want an index portfolio someone else rebalances, it is a strong default.
The structural point is that 0.58% is still a percentage. It scales with your balance whether or not the work involved changes — the same portfolio costs about $1,160 a year at $200,000 and about $5,800 a year at $1 million. Fixed-fee SMSF administration does not move with your balance, which is why the comparison flips at a break-even point rather than favouring one option at every size.
The second point is scope. Vanguard Super has no member-directed share platform at all — there is no equivalent of Member Direct or Choiceplus. You cannot hold an individual ASX share, an ETF outside Vanguard's menu, direct property, or a borrowing arrangement. An SMSF can hold all of those, in exchange for trustee responsibility: an annual independent audit, a documented investment strategy, and ATO lodgement — most of which easySMSF handles.
| Rule or limit | Vanguard Super | SMSF with easySMSF |
|---|---|---|
| Individual ASX shares | Not available | Any ASX-listed security through your chosen broker |
| ETFs | Only via Vanguard's own index options | Any ETF your broker offers, Australian or offshore |
| International shares | Indirect, through diversified index options only | Direct, via a global broker in the fund's name |
| Direct property | Not available | Residential (cash) or business real property |
| Borrowing (LRBA) | Not available | Permitted for eligible property under an LRBA |
| Fee basis | Percentage of your balance, with an admin fee cap | Fixed monthly administration fee regardless of balance |
Based on Vanguard Super's publicly disclosed product information. Check the current PDS before acting — fund rules and fees change.
How Vanguard Super and an SMSF typically compare
Members commonly stay with Vanguard Super when
you want the lowest-cost index default available, you are happy to hold Vanguard's own funds, and you have no interest in choosing individual assets.
Members commonly consider an SMSF when
you want direct Australian or international shares chosen by you, direct or business real property, LRBA borrowing, or a balance large enough that a fixed monthly fee costs less than a percentage of assets.
General advice warning
Figures shown are illustrative only and based on the inputs and assumptions you provide. They are general information, not personal financial product advice. Consider your objectives, financial situation and needs, and seek personal advice from a licensed financial adviser before acting. easySMSF does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL).
How to move from Vanguard Super to an SMSF
- 1
Sort your insurance first
If you hold life, TPD or income protection inside Vanguard Super, apply for replacement cover and have it accepted in writing before anything moves. Rolling out first can leave you uninsured, and cover is not always reissued if your health has changed.
- 2
Establish the fund and trustee structure
We prepare the trust deed, lodge the ABN and TFN applications on your behalf as your agent, coordinate the bank account and, for a corporate trustee, lodge the special purpose company application with ASIC. The one-off fee covers our professional work; government charges are separate.
- 3
Document the investment strategy
The ATO requires a written strategy covering risk, diversification, liquidity, and whether the fund holds insurance for members. We provide a template and review it with you.
- 4
Roll over from Vanguard Super via SuperStream
Once the fund is registered and shows on Super Fund Lookup, the rollover request is submitted electronically. Vanguard Super generally releases the balance within a few business days of a valid SuperStream request.
- 5
Redirect contributions and start investing
Give your employer the fund's new details, then invest according to the strategy. From there we handle the accounts, the annual return and the independent audit on a fixed monthly fee.
Most funds are registered and ready to receive a rollover within a few days — see the full SMSF setup timeline or read how SuperStream rollovers work.
Frequently asked questions
General advice warning
Figures shown are illustrative only and based on the inputs and assumptions you provide. They are general information, not personal financial product advice. Consider your objectives, financial situation and needs, and seek personal advice from a licensed financial adviser before acting. easySMSF does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL).