What's the difference between retirement planning software and FIRE tools?

Retirement planning software (Boldin, MaxiFi, RightCapital) typically assumes traditional retirement at 65 and focuses on Social Security, Medicare, and tax-optimized drawdown. FIRE tools (FIRECalc, cFIREsim, ProjectionLab) assume early retirement and focus on safe withdrawal rates, historical backtesting, and accumulation. EnoughMoney spans both — it handles FIRE math AND post-65 traditional retirement planning.

Do I need retirement planning software if my advisor uses one?

It's worth having your own view. Advisors using RightCapital or eMoney produce polished plans, but those plans reflect the advisor's assumptions and recommendations. Running your own numbers in EnoughMoney, Boldin, or ProjectionLab gives you a second opinion — especially useful for large decisions like when to retire or whether to move.

How much should retirement planning software cost?

For DIY planners, free tools (EnoughMoney's public calculators, FIRECalc, cFIREsim, Empower's free dashboard) are methodologically sufficient for most people. Paid tools ($79-249/year) add scenario saving, advanced tax modeling, and flexibility. Advisor-grade tools (RightCapital, eMoney) are only available through an advisor relationship, usually bundled with 0.75-1.25% AUM fees.

ROUNDUP · 2026

Best Retirement Planning Software 2026: DIY, Advisor-Grade, Free Tools

Every major retirement planning tool organized by tier — free, DIY subscription, academic, and advisor-grade. No affiliate links, no sponsored rankings.

Free Tools

Free retirement calculators with no subscription. Sufficient for most planners.

EnoughMoney (public calculators)

FIRE calculator, Roth planner, tax calculator, city comparison — all free, no signup. Unique: 307 cities and 86 countries in tax scope.

Free

FIRECalc

Historical-returns FIRE backtester, free, from 2002. Gold standard for US historical data sanity checks.

Free

Read full EnoughMoney vs FIRECalc comparison →

cFIREsim

Open-source Monte Carlo + historical FIRE simulator. Highly customizable.

Free

Read full EnoughMoney vs cFIREsim comparison →

Empower (Personal Capital)

Best-in-class portfolio aggregation + basic retirement planner. Primary business is AUM sales.

Free dashboard

Read full EnoughMoney vs Empower (Personal Capital) comparison →

Fidelity Retirement Tools

Free retirement planner for Fidelity customers. Integrated with accounts; US-only.

Free for Fidelity customers

Read full EnoughMoney vs Fidelity Retirement Tools comparison →

SmartAsset

Simple free retirement calculators. Primary business is advisor-match lead generation.

Free

Read full EnoughMoney vs SmartAsset comparison →

DIY Subscription ($8-18/mo)

Paid tools aimed at DIY planners who want saved scenarios, advanced modeling, and premium UX.

EnoughMoney Navigator

The money dimension — personal CFO: FIRE planning, tax-aware drawdown, international tax (86 countries), Roth ladder, lifestyle simulator. $19/mo or $15/mo annual.

$19/mo or $179/yr

ProjectionLab

Best Monte Carlo UX in the category. Strong for visual scenario-building. US-centric.

$8/mo or $79/yr or $399 lifetime

Read full EnoughMoney vs ProjectionLab comparison →

Boldin (formerly NewRetirement)

Deep US retirement income planning, Social Security and Medicare modeling.

$120-180/yr

Read full EnoughMoney vs Boldin (formerly NewRetirement) comparison →

OnTrajectory

Approachable visual life-plan timeline. Good onboarding, lighter tax modeling.

$12/mo or $99/yr

Read full EnoughMoney vs OnTrajectory comparison →

Academic / Complex Tax ($149-249/yr)

Rigorous tools for planners with complex tax situations or a preference for academic depth.

MaxiFi Planner

Economics-based consumption smoothing (Kotlikoff). Different philosophy than FIRE / SWR.

$149-249/yr

Read full EnoughMoney vs MaxiFi Planner comparison →

EnoughMoney Architect

All 10 dimensions of a wealthy life — Navigator plus Studio (daily life-design ritual), Thread (daily coaching relationship), life-events planning, emotional-resilience coaching. $29/mo or $23/mo annual.

$29/mo or $279/yr

Advisor-Grade (Through CFP)

Professional planning software available only through a financial advisor relationship.

RightCapital

Advisor-grade software: retirement, tax, estate, insurance. Only accessible via your advisor.

Advisor pays; typical advisor fee 0.75-1.25% AUM

Read full EnoughMoney vs RightCapital comparison →

How to Choose

Step 1: Start with free tools. EnoughMoney's public calculators + FIRECalc or cFIREsim can handle 80% of planning for free. Run your numbers in 2-3 independent tools — if they agree, you have a solid baseline.

Step 2: Add a paid tier only if you hit their limits. Saving scenarios, modeling complex Roth conversions, or planning international moves justify paid tools (EnoughMoney Navigator, ProjectionLab, Boldin) in that order of priority for most FIRE planners.

Step 3: Hire an advisor only if your situation is genuinely complex (HNW estate planning, business exit, complex insurance/annuity decisions). A good advisor on RightCapital or eMoney is worth the 0.5-1% AUM fee for those situations, not for simple accumulation.

Start with EnoughMoney — free

All public calculators free, no signup. If you want scenario saving, the lifestyle simulator, or AI coaching, Navigator is $19/mo ($15/mo annual) — with a 14-day free trial.

FIRE Calculator All Comparisons

Feature descriptions reflect publicly-available documentation as of April 2026. EnoughMoney has no affiliate relationships with any tool listed.