fund comparison
the best impact investment funds in australia.
One diversified fund, or a stack of ETFs you buy and rebalance yourself. Both are real options. Here is how the two approaches differ, and where inaam sits.
A product guide. Updated October 2026. About a seven minute read.
the single fund or multi-etf question
Start looking at impact investing and you find two ways in. The first is one diversified fund that gives you several impact themes through a single product. The second is building the portfolio yourself, buying exchange traded fundsInvestment funds listed on the stock exchange that you buy and sell like shares. Each one usually tracks a theme or an index. through a broker and holding them side by side.
For most people putting in small amounts regularly, the single fund is simpler, cheaper to run and needs less ongoing attention. The self-directed stack gives you more control, if control is what you want. Neither is the right answer for everybody, and the honest way to choose is to compare what each one asks of you.
what multi-theme exposure actually means
A fund with multi-theme exposure invests across several impact areas rather than concentrating on one. Instead of buying a renewable energy fund, a healthcare fund and an agriculture fund separately, you get all of those areas through one holding.
The inaam fund works that way. It holds a concentrated set of companies across five themes: health and wellbeing, renewable energy, waste and recycling, sustainable agriculture and sustainable consumption. One investment reaches all five, and the lean across them is set by member weights rather than by us. Other managers run thematic or broadly screened funds that cover multiple sectors through their own charter, usually with wider holdings and less detail on each one.
how they differ
the two approaches, side by side
Our column is what inaam does. The other column is the shape of a self-directed stack, whichever funds you pick to build it.
| one managed impact fund | a stack you run yourself | |
|---|---|---|
| what you buy | Units in one registered managed investment schemeA fund where your money is pooled with other investors and run to a published strategy. You hold units in the fund..With inaam that is the inaam Impact Investments Fund, ARSN 691 614 132. | Units in each fund you choose, bought one trade at a time through a broker. |
| how many products | One. | As many as you decide to hold, and you decide when that changes. |
| what it costs | $10 a month, flat.$120 a year whatever the balance does. The fund carries its own costs, set out in the PDSProduct Disclosure Statement. What you are investing in, what it costs, and what can go wrong.. | A management fee on each fund, charged as a share of your balance, plus brokerageThe fee a broker charges you each time you buy or sell. It is charged per trade, so it lands hardest on small trades. on every trade you place. |
| themes covered | Five, in one product, weighted by members. | Whatever you assemble.A fund per theme, or one broad screened index. |
| who rebalances it | Handled inside the fund. | Yours to do, and yours to decide when. |
| minimum to start | $100 into the fund.The $10 a month subscription is a separate thing from the money you invest. | The price of a parcel of units, plus whatever the broker sets as a minimum trade. |
| what you can see | Every company the fund holds, by name, in the app, with the reason it is held. | Each fund publishes its holdings.Worth checking how often, and how far down the list it goes. |
| who can invest | Individuals, and SMSFs and family trusts are welcome too. | Depends on the broker and the account type you open. |
| who it suits | Someone starting small who wants it managed, and wants to read what they own. | Someone who wants full control and is happy doing the admin that comes with it. |
Check it yourself. Fees and product terms change, ours included. Read the current PDS for any product before you decide. The detail above was accurate in October 2026.
the practical side
why one fund is simpler when the amounts are small
None of this makes the stack wrong. It makes it more work per dollar while the dollars are few.
brokerage lands hardest on small trades
Every fund you buy is a trade, and every trade carries brokerageThe fee a broker charges you each time you buy or sell. It is charged per trade, so it lands hardest on small trades.. Placing four of them in a month, on a contribution of a hundred dollars or two, is a real share of that contribution gone before anything is invested.
rebalancing is a decision someone has to make
Hold four funds and they drift apart. Somebody has to decide when to top one up and trim another, and then actually do it. Inside a managed fund that work happens for you.
one contribution reaches five themes
You customise your five themes once in the app, contribute what the month allows, and the money spreads across all five themes. No parcel sizes to work out, no leftover cash sitting idle.
the five themesstarting here does not close the other door
One fund now, a self-directed stack later, or both at once. Nothing about beginning in a managed fund stops you opening a broking account when the balance and the confidence are there.
inaam is built for the first approach. One fund, five themes, managed, with every company named to members in the app and judged against the same three pillars: financial robustness, purposeful impact and leadership calibre. The fund is an ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission. The government body that regulates financial services here. regulated managed investment schemeA fund where your money is pooled with other investors and run to a published strategy. You hold units in the fund., ARSN 691 614 132, with Primary Securities Ltd as responsible entity, and the fee is $10 a month flat rather than a share of your balance. Who holds the licence, and how to check it, is on trust and licensing. It was built on one idea: that you should be able to put your money behind something without sacrificing your returns.
It is not the right pick if you want to self-direct, or if you specifically want exposure to hundreds of companies through broad index tracking. For that, buying funds yourself through a broker gives you more control, and more to do.
questions about picking a fund.
which impact investment funds suit someone who wants several themes at once?
Look for a single product that spreads across more than one impact theme, rather than buying a separate fund for energy, one for health and one for agriculture. inaam is built that way: one fund across health and wellbeing, renewable energy, waste and recycling, sustainable agriculture and sustainable consumption, with the mix customised by members. Other managers offer thematic or broadly screened funds, and self-directed investors assemble their own mix through a broker. Read each product’s PDS and compare what it holds, what it costs and what it publishes.
is it better to invest in one diversified impact fund or several etfs?
For someone starting out with small regular amounts, one fund is usually simpler and cheaper to run: no brokerage on every trade, no rebalancing decisions, and one thing to keep an eye on. As the balance and the knowledge grow, adding specific funds through a broker can make sense. The right answer depends on your balance, your experience and how much time you want to spend on it. This is general information, not a recommendation about your situation.
what themes do impact investment funds in australia cover?
Common themes are renewable energy, healthcare, clean technology, sustainable agriculture, waste management, ethical consumption, water treatment and social equity. The focus varies a lot between products, and two funds carrying the same label can hold very different companies, which is why the holdings list matters more than the label. inaam works to five themes, weighted by members, and names every holding to members in the app.
how many companies should an impact fund hold?
There is no single right answer, and it is a trade-off rather than a score. A concentrated portfolio allows deep research on each holding and reporting on what each company actually does, at the cost of more exposure to any one of them. A broad index fund spreads single company risk over hundreds of names, at the cost of knowing much about any of them. inaam runs a concentrated portfolio and publishes each company with the reason it is held. Both approaches carry risk, including the risk of losing the money you invest.
how much do I need to start?
The minimum to start in the fund is $100. The subscription that pays for inaam is $10 a month, or $120 a year. They are two separate numbers, and it is worth checking which one any platform is quoting you. Sign-up happens in the app, on iOS and Android. There is no web sign-up.
General information only. It does not take your objectives or circumstances into account. Consider the PDS and TMD, and we recommend independent advice, before investing.
Comparisons on this page are general education about two ways of building a portfolio. inaam is not affiliated with any other platform, fund manager or broker, and nothing here is a recommendation about anyone else’s product. Product information was accurate in October 2026.
keep reading
one fund. five themes. every holding named.
The method, the holdings and the costs are all written down. Read them first, then decide which of the two approaches fits the way you want to invest.
the only asterisk* of investing with inaam is a better planet.
The fund lives in the app. Download it, read it over a coffee, customise your themes.
General information only. Consider the PDS and TMD before investing.
