Honest Comparison · 2026

EnoughMoney vs cFIREsim

cFIREsim is an open-source, free FIRE simulator that combines historical-returns backtesting with Monte Carlo, created by the r/financialindependence community.

Bottom Line

cFIREsim is the open-source gold standard for FIRE simulation mechanics. EnoughMoney is the planning platform that takes those results and layers tax and geography on top.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature	EnoughMoney	cFIREsim
Retirement Math
Safe Withdrawal Rate Calculator	✓Yes	✓Yes
Monte Carlo simulation	✓Yes	✓Yes
Historical returns backtest	✓Yes	✓Yes
Dynamic / variable withdrawal (Guyton-Klinger, VPW)	✓Yes	✓Yes
Sequence-of-returns risk modeling	✓Yes	✓Yes
Tax Planning
US federal tax engine	✓Yes	✗No
US state tax (all 50 states)	✓Yes	✗No
International tax (86 countries)	✓Yes	✗No
Roth conversion modeling	✓Yes	✗No
Tax-optimized withdrawal sequencing	✓Yes	✗No
Geographic Intelligence
City cost-of-living comparison	✓Yes	✗No
Cities covered	307	None
Geo-arbitrage FIRE modeling	✓Yes	✗No
Lifestyle-tier simulator	✓Yes	✗No
Planning & Experience
Multi-account portfolio tracking	✓Yes	✗No
What-if scenarios	✓Yes	URL-param based
AI-powered coaching	✓Yes	✗No
Public calculators (no login)	✓Yes	✓Yes
Mobile access	Web-responsive	Web-responsive

Based on publicly available feature documentation as of 2026-04-17. Corrections and updates welcome.

Pricing: cFIREsim vs EnoughMoney

cFIREsim

Free: Entirely free, open source, no account required

EnoughMoney

Free: All public calculators (FIRE, SWR, Roth, tax, city comparison) — no signup.

Navigator: $19/mo or $15/mo annual ($179/yr)the money dimension — personal CFO: FIRE planning, tax, withdrawal, lifestyle simulator
Architect: $29/mo or $23/mo annual ($279/yr)all 10 dimensions of a wealthy life — adds Studio, Thread, life-events planning, emotional resilience

What cFIREsim Does Well

✓Free and open-source — entire codebase is on GitHub
✓Highly customizable: custom spending patterns, additional income streams, asset allocation changes over time
✓Both historical-data (1871-present) and Monte Carlo modes
✓Scenario saving via URL parameters (poor-man's share/export)
✓No marketing, no subscription, no data collection — community-maintained

Where EnoughMoney Goes Further

→UI is dated (2013-era) and onboarding requires some effort
→US-only historical data and tax assumptions
→No explicit tax modeling — you pre-adjust your spending
→No geographic or city-specific data
→Limited documentation; best-suited to FIRE-community natives who know what they're doing

Which Should You Pick?

Pick cFIREsim if…

Use cFIREsim if you're FIRE-community-fluent, want open-source transparency, need highly customizable withdrawal patterns, or want a second-opinion Monte Carlo. It's a legitimate alternative to FIRECalc with more flexibility.

Visit cFIREsim →

Pick EnoughMoney if…

Use EnoughMoney for the tax and geographic intelligence cFIREsim lacks. Our tools handle international retirement, 86-country tax systems, and 307-city cost-of-living comparison — none of which cFIREsim attempts to do.

Try our FIRE Calculator →

FAQs

Is cFIREsim better than FIRECalc?

Different. cFIREsim has more customization and Monte Carlo; FIRECalc is simpler and strictly historical-data. Many FIRE planners use both for triangulation.

Is cFIREsim actively maintained?

Yes, as of 2026, though at a slow community-contribution pace. The core engine is stable; updates focus on edge cases and bug fixes.

Can I use cFIREsim for retiring abroad?

Not well — it has no international tax or cost-of-living models. Use EnoughMoney or a combination of tools.

Try EnoughMoney — free, no credit card

Run our FIRE calculator, compare cities, model your tax drag across 86 countries, or explore the lifestyle simulator. All core planning is free; Navigator ($19/mo) unlocks AI coaching and the full personal plan.

Create Free Account Try calculator first

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This comparison is an independent editorial analysis. EnoughMoney has no affiliate or financial relationship with cFIREsim. Feature descriptions reflect publicly-available documentation as of April 2026 — things change; verify current features before subscribing.