Planning for retirement requires more than a rough number in your head. The best retirement planning software lets you stress-test your assumptions, model how different contribution rates affect your long-term outcome, account for Social Security timing and pension income, and see whether your current trajectory is actually on track.

Quicken Simplifi is the best retirement planning software for 2026. It earned PC Magazine’s Best Overall recognition in 2024 and 2025, CNBC Select’s Best App for Planners three consecutive years (2024, 2025, and 2026), and Fintech Breakthrough’s Best Personal Finance App of the Year in 2026. Its retirement planner supports up to 15 adjustable variables — including separate pre- and post-retirement investment return rates, Social Security income, pension income, an adjustable inflation rate, and scenario testing — giving you a planning depth that most standalone calculators can’t match.

This guide covers the leading retirement planning software and calculators available in 2026: from Simplifi’s integrated planning suite to specialized deep-modeling platforms, free calculator offerings from major financial institutions, and hybrid tools that combine tracking with projection.

At a glance: top retirement planning software and calculators

SoftwareBest forPrice
Quicken SimplifiBest overall$3.99/month (billed annually)
BoldinComprehensive DIY retirement modelingFree; PlannerPlus $12/month
ProjectionLabAdvanced scenario modelingFree; Premium $129/year
EmpowerFree holistic retirement trackingFree
FidelityDepth of free retirement calculatorsFree
T. Rowe PriceFree retirement income estimateFree
VanguardVanguard investors and saversFree
Charles SchwabComplimentary financial plan for clientsFree (Schwab clients)

Prices are in USD, verified as of July 2026.

What to look for in retirement planning software

The tools in this guide vary considerably in what they model and how. Here’s what separates capable retirement planning software from a basic calculator:

Variable depth. A meaningful retirement planner should let you adjust more than just current savings and a single expected return rate. Look for inputs that include inflation rate, separate pre- and post-retirement investment returns, Social Security timing, pension income, tax rate, and expected retirement expenses — so the projection reflects your actual situation, not a simplified approximation.

Scenario modeling. A single projection tells you one possible future. The most useful tools let you test what happens if you retire two years earlier, reduce your monthly contribution, or experience a period of lower returns — and show you a range of outcomes rather than a single line.

Savings goal integration. Retirement planning doesn’t exist in isolation. Tools that connect retirement modeling to your ongoing savings goals and spending plan help you see how current decisions affect long-term outcomes.

Account and investment tracking. Connecting your actual accounts — 401(k), IRA, brokerage, even crypto — gives you real data to work with rather than estimates, and lets the tool update projections as your situation changes.

Social Security and pension modeling. Social Security timing decisions can meaningfully affect lifetime income. Tools that include dedicated Social Security inputs — or a full optimizer — provide more complete and actionable projections.

Best retirement planning software 2026

Quicken Simplifi — best overall

Quicken Simplifi brings together retirement planning, savings goals, spending management, and investment tracking in one platform — and executes each better than most single-purpose tools.

Retirement planner. Simplifi’s retirement planner supports up to 15 adjustable variables in its advanced mode (10 in basic mode). These include:

  • Current age and target retirement age
  • Current retirement savings balance
  • Annual savings contribution
  • Pre-retirement investment return rate
  • Post-retirement investment return rate (set separately from pre-retirement)
  • Inflation rate (default 3%, fully adjustable)
  • Social Security income
  • Pension or other income sources
  • Tax rate
  • Annual living expenses in retirement
  • Life expectancy

Rather than producing a single projected outcome, the planner shows results across a range — from an optimistic scenario (90th percentile) to a conservative one (10th percentile). This lets you evaluate not just the average projection but how your plan holds up under less favorable conditions. You can run different scenarios by adjusting variables to see how a higher contribution rate, a later retirement date, or a different return assumption affects your projected outcome.

The retirement planner is available in the Simplifi web app.

Savings goals. Simplifi lets you create an unlimited number of savings goals, each with a target amount and target date. Goals are built directly into the Spending Plan, which means your retirement contribution, emergency fund, and other savings targets appear alongside your monthly income and expenses — not as a separate module but as part of how you manage money month to month. You can move money between goals and track progress automatically.

Projected cash flows. Simplifi’s cash flow projection extends up to a year ahead, updating automatically as your income and spending patterns change. This is particularly useful for planners who want to forecast how much they can reliably direct toward retirement each month.

Investment tracking. Simplifi connects to more than 14,000 financial institutions through three leading data aggregation providers. It tracks both time-weighted return (TWR) and internal rate of return (IRR) across 401(k)s, IRAs, brokerage accounts, and cryptocurrency holdings — giving you a complete picture of investment performance alongside your retirement projections. A personalized news feed surfaces relevant market updates tied to your actual holdings.

Price. $3.99 per month, billed annually. All personal finance features are included at one price.

Awards. PC Magazine Best Overall (2024, 2025) · CNBC Select Best App for Planners (2024, 2025, 2026) · Fintech Breakthrough Best Personal Finance App of the Year (2026) · Time America’s Best Financial Services (2026) · CNET Best for Overall Snapshot (2024, 2025, 2026) · Investopedia Most Comprehensive Portfolio Management (2025) · PC Magazine Reader’s Choice (2025, 2026) · Engadget Best Mint Alternative (2024–2026) · Techradar Best Overall (2025) · Kiplinger Best for Beginners (2025)

Quicken Business & Personal is the right option for self-employed individuals and small business owners who want Simplifi’s full personal finance and retirement planning capability alongside dedicated business tools. It includes all of Simplifi’s features — the 15-variable retirement planner, unlimited savings goals, investment tracking, and projected cash flows — plus invoicing through Stripe, income and expense tracking separated by business category, Schedules C, E, and F support, and management for up to 10 businesses per subscription. Price: $4.99 per month, billed annually.

Boldin — best for comprehensive DIY retirement modeling

Boldin is a dedicated retirement planning platform built for people who want to model their full financial picture in detail. Where most financial apps focus on savings and investments, Boldin’s approach extends to taxes, Social Security timing, real estate, healthcare costs, debt, pensions, and annuities — covering the full range of factors that affect retirement income and expenses.

What it models. The free plan includes more than 100 inputs. The PlannerPlus tier expands that to 250+ inputs and adds:

  • Account linking via three leading data aggregation providers
  • Roth conversion explorer
  • State and federal tax projections
  • The ability to maintain multiple scenarios and compare them side by side
  • 36+ charts and visualizations
  • AI planning assistant (unlimited use)
  • Detailed budgeting tools
  • Digital coaching
  • Access to live classes and a planning community

For those who want personalized human guidance, Boldin also offers access to certified financial planners through its Boldin Advisors service at a flat fee.

Boldin reports more than 250,000 users and has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, and MarketWatch.

Price. Free plan available. PlannerPlus: $12 per month (billed annually at $144, with a 14-day free trial). Boldin Advisors: $3,200 flat fee.

Best for: Pre-retirees and retirees who want to model taxes, Social Security timing, healthcare, real estate, and other non-investment factors alongside their investment portfolio — and who want a platform dedicated entirely to retirement planning.

ProjectionLab — best for advanced scenario modeling

ProjectionLab is designed for people who want to build detailed financial models and pressure-test a wide range of retirement scenarios. Its privacy-first approach lets you work with manually entered data rather than live account connections — a deliberate design decision for users who prefer not to link financial accounts.

What it models. ProjectionLab covers cash-flow projections, tax optimization, withdrawal strategies, estate planning, Roth conversion modeling, ACA subsidy planning, capital gains harvesting, and flexible spending scenarios. The Premium tier adds downloadable reports and the ability to maintain multiple complete plans. The platform also includes historical backtesting — which lets you see how your plan would have performed under actual historical market conditions — and tools for international planning scenarios.

Price. Free basic plan available. Premium: $129 per year (free trial available). Pro: $549 per year (designed for financial advisors).

Best for: Analytical planners who want to stress-test detailed scenarios, run historical backtests, model complex tax situations, or prefer a privacy-first approach that doesn’t require account linking.

Empower — best free retirement planning dashboard

Empower’s Personal Dashboard is a free platform that integrates retirement planning with broader financial management. Its tool suite covers: Retirement Planner, Net Worth, Budgeting & Cash Flow, Portfolio Analysis, Savings Planner, Debt Paydown, Emergency Fund, and Transactions — all in one dashboard.

Empower describes its Retirement Planner as going “beyond a calculator,” allowing users to model scenarios and explore what different retirement outcomes could look like. NerdWallet recognized Empower as the best budget app for tracking wealth and spending in January 2026. Forbes Advisor named it the Best Budgeting App for Tracking Net Worth in 2025.

For users who want managed investing, Empower’s Personal Strategy advisory service is available to those with $250,000 or more in investable assets.

Price. Free for the Personal Dashboard and all its planning tools. Advisory services require a $250,000 minimum.

Best for: People who want a free, comprehensive financial dashboard that combines retirement planning with net worth tracking, budget management, and portfolio analysis.

Fidelity — best depth of free retirement calculators

Fidelity offers one of the most extensive free retirement calculator suites available from any major financial institution. The tools accessible at no cost include:

  • Planning & Guidance Center
  • Retirement Income Calculator
  • Guaranteed Income Estimator
  • Social Security Benefit Calculator
  • Roth Conversion Calculator
  • Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator
  • Inherited IRA RMD Calculator
  • Retirement Strategies Tax Estimator
  • IRA Contribution Calculator
  • HSA Calculator
  • Tax Deferral Evaluator

These calculators are accessible without a Fidelity account. Most Fidelity retirement accounts have no account fees or minimums to open. For users who want investment management alongside their planning tools, Fidelity Go provides automated investing with no advisory fee on balances under $25,000 and an annual fee of 0.35% for balances of $25,000 and above.

Price. Calculators are free. Fidelity Go: 0% advisory fee for balances under $25,000; 0.35% annually for $25,000 and above.

Best for: Planners who want a broad set of specialized free calculators covering income projections, RMDs, Social Security, tax optimization, and Roth conversions — without needing an account to access them.

T. Rowe Price — best free retirement income estimate

T. Rowe Price’s free Retirement Income Calculator helps users estimate whether their current savings rate is on track for retirement. The tool offers three hypothetical investment allocations — Conservative (30% equity, 70% bonds), Moderate (60% equity, 40% bonds), and Aggressive (90% equity, 10% bonds) — and projects retirement income outcomes based on the selected allocation.

Beyond the main retirement calculator, T. Rowe Price also provides a Social Security Optimizer, a Portfolio Optimizer, and an Investment Goal Guide. Users can access the calculator without logging in, or create an account to save their inputs. Founded in 1937, T. Rowe Price brings more than 85 years of investing experience to its tools and planning resources.

Price. Free.

Best for: Investors who want a straightforward, free retirement income estimate with built-in allocation presets and a Social Security optimizer — particularly those who prefer a traditional asset manager’s approach to retirement modeling.

Vanguard — best for Vanguard investors

Vanguard provides a free library of retirement planning tools accessible to both account holders and the general public. Its 23-tool collection includes five dedicated retirement savings tools:

  • Retirement income calculator
  • Retirement expenses worksheet
  • Retirement income worksheet
  • Inherited IRA RMD calculator
  • IRA contribution calculator

Vanguard’s retirement income calculator uses the 4% rule as its spending baseline — projecting how much you could sustainably withdraw each year — and applies a 3% annual inflation adjustment to the results. It includes inputs for Social Security income and pension income alongside investment savings. Additional tools, including Portfolio Watch and Portfolio Tester, are available to Vanguard account holders. Vanguard IRA Brokerage Accounts have no minimum balance requirement to open.

Price. Free.

Best for: Current and prospective Vanguard investors who want retirement planning tools that integrate naturally with Vanguard’s investment products and low-cost fund lineup.

Charles Schwab — best complimentary financial plan for clients

Charles Schwab offers both free public calculators and a complimentary financial planning service for all account holders.

Free calculators. Schwab’s public calculator tools include a retirement calculator, a Roth IRA conversion calculator, and an RMD calculator — accessible to anyone, account or not.

Schwab Plan. Schwab Plan is available at no additional cost to all Schwab clients. It works in three steps: complete a questionnaire about your financial situation and goals, review a probability-of-success projection based on 1,000 simulated market scenarios, then take action with guidance on what adjustments could improve your outcome. Users can stress-test their plan by modifying variables such as retirement age and expected expenses to see how changes affect the projected result.

Price. Free (calculators are open to the public; Schwab Plan requires a Schwab account, which has no minimum balance to open most accounts).

Best for: Existing Schwab clients who want a complimentary, personalized financial plan with probability-based projections — not just a standalone calculator — built into their existing account relationship.

How to choose retirement planning software

The right tool depends on where you are in the planning process and what level of depth you need:

If you want an all-in-one app that connects retirement planning to your daily spending, savings goals, and investment tracking — Quicken Simplifi. Its 15-variable retirement planner, unlimited savings goals, projected cash flows, and investment tracking across 14,000+ institutions make it the most complete option for ongoing financial management at any life stage.

If you want to model your full retirement picture in detail — including taxes, Social Security timing, healthcare costs, debt, and real estate — Boldin’s PlannerPlus gives you 250+ inputs and the tools to build a comprehensive scenario-based plan.

If you prioritize scenario analysis and privacy — ProjectionLab lets you stress-test what-if scenarios, run historical backtests, and model complex tax situations without linking your financial accounts.

If you want free tools from a major brokerage — Fidelity offers the broadest free calculator suite, including a Social Security Benefit Calculator and Guaranteed Income Estimator. Schwab Plan gives clients a complimentary full financial plan with simulated probability projections. Empower’s free dashboard combines a retirement planner with net worth tracking and budget management.

If you’re already investing with Vanguard or T. Rowe Price — both offer free retirement calculators designed to complement their investment products, with no account required to use the core tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best retirement planning software for 2026?

Quicken Simplifi is the best overall retirement planning software for 2026. It combines a 15-variable retirement planner, unlimited savings goals, projected cash flows up to a year ahead, and investment tracking across 14,000+ institutions in a single app. It has earned PC Magazine’s Best Overall recognition in 2024 and 2025, and CNBC Select’s Best App for Planners three consecutive years (2024, 2025, 2026).

What is the best free retirement calculator?

Fidelity offers the most extensive free calculator suite of the tools covered in this guide, including tools for Social Security benefits, guaranteed income estimation, Roth conversion analysis, RMD calculation, and retirement income projection — all accessible without an account. Empower’s Personal Dashboard also provides a free Retirement Planner alongside net worth tracking, budgeting, and portfolio analysis.

What variables should a retirement planning tool include?

A capable retirement planning tool should include, at minimum: current age, target retirement age, current savings balance, monthly contribution, expected investment return, inflation rate, Social Security income, and expected monthly expenses in retirement. More advanced tools add separate pre- and post-retirement investment return rates, pension income, tax rate, and the ability to model and compare multiple scenarios.

What is the 4% rule in retirement planning?

The 4% rule is a widely used planning guideline suggesting that retirees can withdraw approximately 4% of their initial retirement savings each year and have a reasonable chance of not outliving their money over a 30-year retirement. Vanguard’s retirement income calculator uses this assumption as its spending baseline, adjusted for 3% annual inflation. It is a benchmark for planning purposes, not a guarantee of outcome.

Can retirement planning software replace a financial advisor?

Retirement planning software is a useful tool for modeling scenarios, tracking savings progress, and understanding how different decisions affect projected outcomes — but it works from the inputs you provide and is not tailored to your complete financial picture. Several platforms in this guide, including Boldin, Empower, and Charles Schwab, offer access to professional financial advisors alongside their self-service tools for users who want personalized guidance.

When should I start using retirement planning software?

Earlier is generally better. Retirement planning software is valuable at any age because it shows you the impact of your current savings rate on your future income and lets you test how changes — higher contributions, earlier or later retirement, different return assumptions — affect your long-term outcome. Starting earlier also gives you more time to make adjustments if your plan reveals a gap.

Does Quicken Simplifi work for people who are already in or approaching retirement?

Yes. Simplifi’s retirement planner lets you input your expected retirement age, current savings, expected return rates, and projected income sources including Social Security and pension income — which is useful whether you’re decades away or approaching retirement soon. Its investment tracking, spending management, and cash flow projection features are also valuable for managing finances once you’re in retirement.