Two funds walk into a table. Only the numbers talk.
Axis Medium Term Fund vs Aditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund
Pick two or three funds. We’ll tell you in plain words which grew faster, which was calmer, which costs less and what your money would have become. Figures are for the Direct plan, Growth option, where a fund has one.
- AAxis Medium Term Fund
Axis Mutual Fund- Medium Duration Fund
- Direct plan
- Moderately High Risk
NAV ₹33.51 on 13 Nov 2026
- BAditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund
Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund- Medium Duration Fund
- Direct plan
- Moderately High Risk
NAV ₹48.24 on 13 Nov 2026
The short version
Who comes out ahead on each measure, over the 10 years all of them have been around.
Grew faster
BAditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund
Aditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund returned 9% a year over 10 years, against 7.7% for Axis Medium Term Fund. ₹1 lakh invested 10 years ago would be about ₹2.36 Lakh today, against ₹2.1 Lakh.
Smoother ride
AAxis Medium Term Fund
Axis Medium Term Fund swung the least: about 1.2% a year either way, against 2.4% for Aditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund. Lower means fewer scary days.
Fell less in a crash
AAxis Medium Term Fund
At its worst, Axis Medium Term Fund fell 2.5% from its peak, against 12.6% for Aditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund. On ₹1 lakh, that's a dip to ₹87,350 at the bottom for Aditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund. Could you have held on?
More consistent
AAxis Medium Term Fund
Pick any day in the past and hold for a year: Axis Medium Term Fund ended up in profit 100% of the time, against 90% for Aditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund.
Costs less
AAxis Medium Term Fund
Axis Medium Term Fund charges 0.71% a year, against 0.83% for Aditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund. On ₹1 lakh that's ₹710 a year against ₹830, taken quietly from the NAV.
What your money would have become
The same amount, put into each fund on the same day.
The dashed line is the ₹10,000 you put in. Above it is profit, below it is loss.
- AAxis Medium Term Fund₹14,201 from ₹10,000(7.3% a year)
- BAditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund₹18,110 from ₹10,000(12.7% a year)
A one-time ₹10,000 put in 5 years ago, valued at the latest NAV. This is what happened, not what will.
Strengths and watch-outs
Each fund judged against its own category, and against a 5-year SBI FD at 6.05%.
AAxis Medium Term Fund
- Strength: Beat a 5-year SBI FD: 7.3% a year over 5 years, against 6.05%
- Strength: Swings less than most funds in its category
- Strength: Fell less than its category in the worst crash
BAditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund
- Strength: Ahead of its category: 12.6% a year over 5 years, against a category average of 7%
- Strength: In the top quarter of its category over 5 years (#1 of 12)
- Strength: Beat a 5-year SBI FD: 12.6% a year over 5 years, against 6.05%
- Watch out: Swings more than most funds in its category
- Watch out: Fell harder than its category in the worst crash
All the numbers
The stronger figure in each row is marked Best. Under each return is the fund’s rank in its category and the category average.
| Measure | AAxis Medium Term Fund | BAditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund |
|---|---|---|
| ReturnsHow much the fund grew. Beyond a year, this is per year (annualised). | ||
| 1 yearLast 12 months, the most noisy figure | 5.7%#4 of 13 · avg 5.1% | 7.8%Best#1 of 13 · avg 5.1% |
| 3 yearsPer year, over a full market mood swing | 8.2%#5 of 13 · avg 7.8% | 10.5%Best#1 of 13 · avg 7.8% |
| 5 yearsPer year, the fairest single test | 7.3%#4 of 12 · avg 7% | 12.6%Best#1 of 12 · avg 7% |
| 10 yearsPer year, across bull and bear markets | 7.7%#4 of 11 · avg 6.8% | 9%Best#1 of 11 · avg 6.8% |
| RiskHow bumpy the ride was. This is what decides whether you stay invested. | ||
| Ups and downsVolatility: how far it swings in a typical year. Lower is calmer | 1.2%Bestcategory avg 1.4% | 2.4%category avg 1.4% |
| Worst fallThe biggest drop from a peak in 10 years. Lower is better | −2.5%Bestcategory avg −6.2% | −12.6%category avg −6.2% |
| Best 12 monthsIts strongest year | 11.8% | 26.6%Best |
| Worst 12 monthsIts weakest year | 3.2%Best | -8.7% |
| Odds of a gainShare of all 1-year holding periods that ended in profit | 100%Best | 90% |
| Cost and sizeThe fee comes out of your returns every year, whether the fund does well or not. | ||
| Expense ratioYearly fee. Lower keeps more for you | 0.71%Best | 0.83% |
| Fund sizeMoney managed (AUM). Neither better nor worse | ₹1,972 Cr | ₹3,370 Cr |
| Minimum SIPSmallest monthly amount | ₹100Best | ₹1,000 |
| Lock-inTime before you can withdraw | None | None |
“Best” is not a recommendation: a fund that returned more usually took more risk to do it.
Which one fits you?
There is no best fund, only a better fit for what you need the money to do.
AAxis Medium Term Fund
Might suit you if…
- a smoother ride matters more to you than the top return
- you may need the money at short notice and want better odds of being in profit
- you care about keeping costs low, which adds up over decades
BAditya Birla Sun Life Medium Term Fund
Might suit you if…
- you want the stronger long-run growth and can sit through sharper falls