How much do mutual fund distributors earn?

Not sure you understand this correctly, “Direct is ALWAYS cheaper” and that’s a fact. Here are the three of the biggest funds in their categories and their expense ratios.

Scheme Type Regular Expense Ratio Direct Expense Ratio Difference
HDFC Prudence Hybrid 2.26% 1.16% 1.10%
HDFC Equity Fund Equity 2.07% 1.16% 0.91%
Birla Frontline Equity Fund Equity 2.15% 1.06% 1.09%

Also. here is a graphical illustration in case you missed the point

The NAV of a direct fund will remain lower than the NAV of a direct fund and you miss out on the compounding effect