Retirement Planning Software Compared (2026): Meridary, Boldin, ProjectionLab and Empower
The right retirement planning software depends on whether you want to enter numbers or link accounts, how deep a tax model you need, and whether you prefer to pay monthly, yearly or once. This page compares Meridary, Boldin, ProjectionLab and Empower (NewRetirement is now Boldin), with prices checked October 16, 2026. Results are estimates, not advice.
Reviewed October 16, 2026. Prices and features checked October 16, 2026.
Educational estimate, not tax or financial advice.
See the real planner on a sample household. Nothing is saved.
Educational estimate, not tax or financial advice.
See pricing — $149 founding price (one-time lifetime) or $12/month
Quick answer: which tool for which person
- Boldin: a free Basic tier and a paid PlannerPlus with a Roth Conversion Explorer, Social Security tools for couples and coaching options. Meridary vs Boldin
- ProjectionLab: flexible, build-your-own modeling, with Monte Carlo in its free Basic tier. Meridary vs ProjectionLab
- Empower: a free retirement planner that comes with its dashboard. Meridary vs Empower
- Meridary: a guided “when could we retire” estimate you can buy once or pay for monthly. It does not link accounts and models one Social Security benefit. Live demo
- NewRetirement: now Boldin. Meridary vs Boldin
Retirement planning software comparison table
Scroll sideways to compare all four planners.
| Feature | Meridary | Boldin | ProjectionLab | Empower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $149 founding price, one-time lifetime; or $12/month | Free Basic; paid PlannerPlus; Boldin Advisors | Free Basic; paid Premium and Pro | Planner free with Empower dashboard |
| Price figure | $149 once (founding price); $12/month | PlannerPlus $168/year for new subscribers (from Oct 15, 2026) | Premium $129/year, billed annually; Pro $549/year | Free planner; check Empower for current pricing |
| Free tier | No free plan; free demo and calculators | Yes: Basic, no Monte Carlo | Yes: Basic, includes Monte Carlo | Planner free with dashboard |
| Monte Carlo | Yes, 1,000 simulated paths | PlannerPlus only | Yes, in free Basic | Check Empower's planner for current details |
| Tax modeling | Federal plus one flat state rate; IRMAA; ACA credits; RMDs; Roth conversions | State and federal tax insights; Roth Conversion Explorer (PlannerPlus) | Premium lists tax optimization, Roth conversions, ACA subsidies | Varies; see Empower's planner documentation |
| Couples / household | Two earners; one Social Security benefit, no survivor transition | Social Security Explorer for you and your spouse | Plan as an individual or as a couple | Varies; check Empower's current planner |
| Account linking | Manual entry, by design | Manual entry or supported import options; see Boldin | No direct linking; manual entry or plugins (YNAB, Lunch Money, Monarch) | Account connection offered ("Connect my accounts") |
| Advice / coaching | None; software only, not advice | CFP discovery session; Boldin Advisors | Pro tier is for advisors and coaches | Professional services offered; see Empower |
| Trial / guarantee | 30-day money-back, lifetime only (per /pricing) | 14-day PlannerPlus free trial | 7-day free trial on paid plans | Free planner |
| Best for | A guided "when could we retire" answer, owned once | Depth and control, with coaching options | Flexible, build-your-own modeling | A free planner with a dashboard |
- NewRetirement is now Boldin.
- Boldin PlannerPlus is $14/month billed annually for new subscribers from October 15, 2026; existing subscribers keep their original price for now, per Boldin.
- /pricing lists a later price of $199 after the founding price.
- Estimates, not advice. Competitor details come from each vendor's own pages; check them for current terms.
See the real planner on a sample household. Nothing is saved.
Educational estimate, not tax or financial advice.
See pricing — $149 founding price (one-time lifetime) or $12/month
How to choose retirement planning software
- Decide whether you want linked accounts or are willing to enter balances manually and keep them updated.
- Match tax depth to your situation: state rules, IRMAA, ACA credits, Roth conversions, and RMDs are not modeled the same way in every tool.
- For two earners, check how each planner handles Social Security, survivor benefits, and joint income — see our Social Security break-even calculator.
- Read what Monte Carlo output means in each product; it is a range of model outcomes, not a forecast.
- Compare the paid tier you would actually use, not a free tier with different features.
- Weigh total cost over five to ten years — one-time, annual, and monthly prices add up differently; see Meridary pricing and each vendor's page.
Retirement planning software for couples
Couples planning together should compare how each tool models two people, not just a single earner. Boldin's Social Security Explorer covers claiming ages for you and your spouse on PlannerPlus. ProjectionLab lets you plan as an individual or as a couple with partner details. Empower's public planner pages vary in how they describe household setup — check Empower for its current options. Meridary models two earners' wages but only one Social Security benefit and no survivor transition, so it fits some two-earner households but not every claiming strategy. For a focused Social Security tradeoff, try the break-even calculator; for Roth timing, see the Roth conversion calculator.
What does retirement planning software cost?
Boldin Basic, ProjectionLab Basic, and Empower's retirement planner are free at the tiers described on each vendor's site. Paid options at prices checked October 16, 2026: Boldin PlannerPlus is $168 a year for new subscribers (from October 15, 2026), ProjectionLab Premium is $129 a year, and Meridary is a $149 founding price one-time lifetime purchase or $12 a month (see pricing). Over five years, PlannerPlus for a new Boldin subscriber is about $840 and ProjectionLab Premium about $645; Meridary is $149 once at the founding price or $720 at $12 a month. Prices change — confirm on each vendor before you buy. Free Meridary calculators can help with one-off estimates without a subscription.
Boldin vs ProjectionLab, and the other head-to-heads
Deeper pages for each pairing and switching path.
Category decisions
Neutral comparisons between the planners buyers most often weigh together.
Head-to-head
Meridary next to another planner, feature by feature.
Meridary vs Boldin
Boldin offers a broad planning toolbox with connected accounts and many controls. Meridary helps you explore when retirement may be possible by comparing savings, spending, and retirement-age scenarios in a guided U.S. planner.
Meridary vs ProjectionLab
ProjectionLab emphasizes flexible, detailed model building. Meridary helps you examine when retirement may be possible and how different savings and spending assumptions change the estimate.
Meridary vs Empower
Empower combines a free connected financial dashboard with retirement tools and separately offers advisory services. Meridary is paid software for exploring when retirement may be possible using manually entered savings, spending, and income assumptions.
Meridary vs WealthTrace
WealthTrace offers tiered retirement-planning software with linked accounts and advanced analysis. Meridary helps you compare savings and spending scenarios to explore when retirement may be possible.
Alternatives
Thinking of switching? How Meridary stands in as an alternative.
A Boldin alternative for exploring when you might retire
Meridary helps you compare savings, spending, and retirement-age scenarios to understand what your retirement outlook depends on. Before moving from Boldin, check whether Meridary covers the household and tax details in your plan.
A ProjectionLab alternative for comparing retirement scenarios
Meridary offers a guided way to explore when retirement may be possible and how saving or spending differently changes the estimate. Moving from ProjectionLab means checking which parts of your plan Meridary can represent.
An Empower alternative for testing retirement assumptions
Meridary helps you explore when retirement may be possible by comparing savings, spending, and income assumptions. It uses manual account entry and does not replace Empower's connected financial dashboard.
A WealthTrace alternative for exploring retirement timing
Meridary helps you explore how savings, spending, and retirement-age choices affect an estimated retirement outlook. Check the features your WealthTrace plan relies on before considering a switch.
What to check before you trust any projection
Any retirement planning software output depends on the assumptions you enter and the rules each product implements. Check inflation, investment returns, tax treatment, and whether Monte Carlo results are presented as a range rather than a single promise. Meridary documents how it validates calculator figures and tests the planning engine on the validation methodology page. For broader context, browse the guides. Results from any tool are educational estimates, not tax or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best retirement planning software?
- There is no single best choice; it depends on what you value. Boldin offers depth, coaching options and a free Basic tier, ProjectionLab suits flexible do-it-yourself modeling, Empower offers a free planner with its dashboard, and Meridary is a one-time-purchase planner for estimating when you could retire. Prices checked October 16, 2026.
- How much does retirement planning software cost?
- Boldin Basic, ProjectionLab Basic and Empower's planner are free. Paid options: Boldin PlannerPlus is $168 a year for new subscribers (from October 15, 2026), ProjectionLab Premium is $129 a year, and Meridary is a $149 founding price one-time lifetime purchase, or $12 a month. Check each vendor for current pricing.
- Is free retirement planning software good enough?
- It can be, for a single estimate or a simple situation. Paid tiers add features: Boldin's Monte Carlo is in PlannerPlus only, and ProjectionLab Premium adds saving, cash-flow, tax and withdrawal tools. Compare what each free tier includes on the vendor's pricing page. Results are estimates, not advice.
- What is the best retirement planning software for couples?
- Several tools support two people. Boldin's Social Security Explorer covers claiming ages for you and your spouse, and ProjectionLab lets you plan as an individual or as a couple. Meridary models two earners' wages but one Social Security benefit and no survivor transition. Check Empower's current planner for its household options.
- Is NewRetirement the same as Boldin?
- Yes. NewRetirement is now Boldin. The newretirement.com address redirects to Boldin's website, and Boldin states that the name changed while the platform and tools carried over.
- Boldin vs ProjectionLab: which is better?
- It depends on how you like to plan. Boldin has a free Basic tier, PlannerPlus at $168 a year for new subscribers, and coaching options. ProjectionLab is build-your-own, with Monte Carlo in free Basic and Premium at $129 a year. See our full Boldin vs ProjectionLab comparison.
- Do I need software that connects to my accounts?
- Not necessarily. Empower offers account connection, ProjectionLab has no direct linking but supports manual entry and plugins such as YNAB, Lunch Money and Monarch, and Meridary uses manual entry by design. For Boldin, check its current options for manual entry or supported imports.
- Looking for a retirement budgeting tool?
- Start with our free retirement budget calculator. It turns today's household spending into a phased retirement budget and an estimated earliest retirement age, with no signup. For taxes and market uncertainty, try the Meridary live demo.
- Can retirement planning software tell me when I can retire?
- It can estimate it, but results depend on your assumptions. Monte Carlo shows a range of outcomes, not a promise. Meridary's live demo shows a sample household, and our validation page explains how we check the calculations. For a quick first estimate, try our free when-can-I-retire calculator. These are educational estimates, not tax or financial advice.
- One-time purchase or subscription for retirement planning software?
- A one-time purchase is paid once; a subscription recurs. At current prices over five years, Boldin PlannerPlus for a new subscriber is $840 and ProjectionLab Premium is $645. Meridary is $149 once at the founding price, or $720 at $12 a month. Prices change; check each vendor.
- Is Monte Carlo analysis worth it?
- Monte Carlo runs a plan through many randomized market sequences to show a range of outcomes instead of one number. It is a model, not a forecast. Meridary uses 1,000 simulated paths, ProjectionLab includes it in free Basic, and Boldin includes it in PlannerPlus only.
How we compared these tools
We reviewed public pricing and feature pages for Meridary, Boldin, ProjectionLab, and Empower on October 16, 2026. Competitor claims come from each vendor's own site; where a detail is not listed publicly, we say so rather than guessing. Meridary product scope comes from the live planner and validation documentation. Spot an error? Contact us and we will correct it.
Sources
- Meridary: Pricing · Accessed October 16, 2026
- Boldin: Pricing · Accessed October 16, 2026
- Boldin: How much does Boldin cost? · Accessed October 16, 2026
- Boldin: PlannerPlus price increase October 2026 · Accessed October 16, 2026
- ProjectionLab: Pricing & subscriptions · Accessed October 16, 2026
- ProjectionLab: Billing in ProjectionLab · Accessed October 16, 2026
- ProjectionLab: Plugins · Accessed October 16, 2026
- ProjectionLab: Update About You details · Accessed October 16, 2026
- Empower: Retirement planner · Accessed October 16, 2026
- Boldin: NewRetirement · Accessed October 16, 2026
- WealthTrace: WealthTrace planning software features · Accessed October 14, 2026
See the real planner on a sample household. Nothing is saved.
Educational estimate, not tax or financial advice.
See pricing — $149 founding price (one-time lifetime) or $12/month