The Finance Base / Lists / Plan ahead
Statement · 26 providers compared
Best Retirement Planning Tools in 2026
Read from each provider's own pages: Oct 2, 2026 – Oct 20, 2026
Retirement planning tools project income, savings growth, withdrawals and taxes; compare the planning features you need with the plan price and supported devices.
Retirement Planning Tools: how the first 10 add up
| Provider | Made for | Cost | Runs on | Pages read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ProjectionLab | Models retirement and financial scenarios; free plan, with paid plans from $129/year and a 7-day trial. | Free plan · paid from $129/yr · 7-day trial | iPhone, Android, Web | Oct 14, 2026 |
| 2 Boldin | Builds household financial plans; free plan, with paid plans from $144/year and a 14-day trial. | Free plan · paid from $144/yr · 14-day trial | iPhone, Android, Web | Oct 15, 2026 |
| 3 MaxiFi | Calculates a lifetime plan and sustainable annual spending; plans from $109/year, with a free trial. | From $109/yr | iPhone, Android, Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | Oct 15, 2026 |
| 4 Retireator | Simulates retirement drawdown strategies in Excel; free and open source. | Free plan | Web, Windows | Oct 20, 2026 |
| 5 driftcurve | Models household retirement finances and outcomes; free, open-source and self-hosted. | Free plan | Web | Oct 15, 2026 |
| 6 Flexible Retirement Planner | Simulates retirement outcomes across 10,000 paths; free to use. | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | Oct 20, 2026 |
| 7 Retirement Budget Calculator | Estimates retirement budgets and cash flow; free plan, with paid access from $9.95/month. | Free plan · paid from $9.95/mo | Web | Oct 19, 2026 |
| 8 RetireSecure | Simulates retirement cash flow and income strategies; free to use. | Free plan | Web | Oct 10, 2026 |
| 9 SquirrelPlan | Projects savings and retirement scenarios; free, open-source and self-hosted. | Free plan | Web | Oct 9, 2026 |
| 10 FIRECalc | Tests retirement spending against historical markets; free to use. | Free plan | Web | Oct 7, 2026 |
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ProjectionLab
Models retirement and financial scenarios; free plan, with paid plans from $129/year and a 7-day trial.
Free plan · paid from $129/yr · 7-day trial8.7 Visit ↗ - 2
Boldin
Builds household financial plans; free plan, with paid plans from $144/year and a 14-day trial.
Free plan · paid from $144/yr · 14-day trial8.7 Visit ↗ - 3
MaxiFi
Calculates a lifetime plan and sustainable annual spending; plans from $109/year, with a free trial.
From $109/yr8.0 Visit ↗ - 4 7.9 Visit ↗
- 5
driftcurve
Models household retirement finances and outcomes; free, open-source and self-hosted.
Free plan7.8 Visit ↗ - 6
Flexible Retirement Planner
Simulates retirement outcomes across 10,000 paths; free to use.
Free plan7.7 Visit ↗ - 7
Retirement Budget Calculator
Estimates retirement budgets and cash flow; free plan, with paid access from $9.95/month.
Free plan · paid from $9.95/mo7.6 Visit ↗ - 8 7.6 Visit ↗
- 9
SquirrelPlan
Projects savings and retirement scenarios; free, open-source and self-hosted.
Free plan7.6 Visit ↗ - 10 7.2 Visit ↗
- 11
RetireePlan
Models Canadian retirement cash flow, taxes and simulations; free, self-hosted software.
Free plan7.2 Visit ↗ - 12
7.1 Visit ↗ - 13
Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center
Assesses retirement readiness and hypothetical scenarios; free to use.
Free plan7.1 Visit ↗ - 14
MoneyHelper Retirement Budget Planner
Estimates retirement costs and income needs; free to use.
Free plan7.0 Visit ↗ - 15
Moneysmart Retirement Planner
Estimates retirement income under different scenarios; free to use.
Free plan7.0 Visit ↗ - 16
Scenarios
Models retirement projections and stress tests; free plan, with paid plans from £6/month billed annually.
Free plan · paid from £6/mo (annual)7.0 Visit ↗ - 17
T. Rowe Price Retirement Income Calculator
Estimates the chance of reaching a retirement goal; free to use on the web.
Free plan6.9 Visit ↗ - 18
6.9 Visit ↗ - 19
Covisum Income InSight
Helps advisors plan clients’ retirement finances; paid service with a 10-day trial and no free plan.
10-day trial6.8 Visit ↗ - 20 6.8 Visit ↗
About retirement planning tools
Check what a free plan includes, whether a trial is offered, and whether the tool runs on your phone, computer or web browser. The score reflects published provider information and other stated factors; it is not a measure of retirement outcomes.
Does the tool fit my country?
Check whether its retirement assumptions match the country where you expect to retire.
For example, RetireSecure has a UK website, while the feature comparison includes Social Security modeling. Confirm that a tool's published details fit your situation before relying on its projections.
What will the retirement planner cost?
Start with the free plan and any trial, then check the paid price and billing period. Published examples include ProjectionLab at $129 per year with a 7-day trial, Boldin at $144 per year with a 14-day trial, and Retirement Budget Calculator at $9.95 per month. These examples do not establish what a plan includes.
A free plan is listed for Flexible Retirement Planner, RetireePlan and FIRECalc. MaxiFi is listed as paid, from $109 per year. Check the provider's current plan terms for fees and conditions.
Which retirement projections and planning features do I need?
Compare income projections, savings growth projections, withdrawal planning, tax modeling, Social Security modeling, scenario analysis and account synchronization. A tool's presence in a comparison does not establish how deeply it supports a feature.
Which devices and platforms does the tool support?
Check platform support before entering account details. Web, Windows, macOS, API, Linux and iOS appear in the platform comparison; Android does not.
Questions
What does a retirement planning tool do?
It can project income and savings growth and help plan withdrawals. The comparison also covers tax and Social Security modeling, scenario analysis and account synchronization.
Are retirement planning tools free?
A free plan is listed for tools such as Flexible Retirement Planner and FIRECalc. Other examples include paid plans or a free plan with paid options; check the provider's current terms.
How much does a retirement planning tool cost?
Published examples include $129 per year for ProjectionLab, $144 per year for Boldin, $9.95 per month for Retirement Budget Calculator, and MaxiFi from $109 per year.
Do retirement planning apps work on iPhone and Android?
The platform comparison includes iOS, but does not list Android. Check the provider's published platform support for the tool you are considering.
Can a retirement planner model taxes and Social Security?
Tax modeling and Social Security modeling are comparison features. Check a provider's details to see whether its tool supports the projections you need.
How this list is ranked
Each app is read from its provider's own pages: whether its fees and plans are published, a free plan or trial, how fully it is documented, and where it runs. Paid places are sold by position, and some alternatives are sponsored placements. They never change an app's facts. Information, not financial advice. How we rank · Disclosure