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Head-to-head · Retirement Planning Software

The Complete Retirement Planner vs RetireePlan

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score The Complete Retirement Planner #5 in Retirement Planning Software 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit The Planner
RetireePlan #8 in Retirement Planning Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit RetireePlan

The Complete Retirement Planner leads on 0 checks, RetireePlan on 1, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreThe Complete Retirement Planner · 8.9/10
  • Free planonly RetireePlan
  • Most featuresThe Complete Retirement Planner · 5 of 5

The Complete Retirement Planner scores higher on our rubric for retirement planning software: 8.9 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

RetireePlan offers free plan; The Complete Retirement Planner doesn't. On account synchronization, RetireePlan gives you Read_only where The Complete Retirement Planner offers None.

The Complete Retirement Planner is the better fit for U.S. households wanting a low-cost one-time purchase. RetireePlan is the better fit for canadian households needing tax-specific planning.

  • The Complete Retirement Planner fits best

    U.S. households wanting a low-cost one-time purchase

  • RetireePlan fits best

    Canadian households needing tax-specific planning

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature The Complete Retirement Planner 8.9/10 Visit ↗ RetireePlan 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.6
Ranking #5 in Retirement Planning Software #8 in Retirement Planning Software
Best for U.S. households wanting a low-cost one-time purchase Canadian households needing tax-specific planning
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price $89.99 one-time Free plan
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Cloud, Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms Windows, macOS Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
Integrations 1 integrations 3 integrations
Features The Complete Retirement Planner 5/5 · RetireePlan 4/5
Income projection ✓ ✓
Savings growth projection ✓ ✓
Withdrawal planning ✓ ✓
Social Security modeling ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Scenario analysis ✓ ✓
Specs
Tax modeling Detailed Detailed
Account synchronization None Read_only
Our review
Pros
  • Projects income, expenses, savings, taxes, and distributions year by year
  • Models Social Security, RMDs, Roth conversions, Medicare, and healthcare costs
  • Supports what-if scenarios and sequence-of-returns testing
  • Models CPP/QPP, OAS/GIS, RRIF rules, and provincial and federal taxes
  • Compares named scenarios with projections, net worth, and tax outcomes
  • Runs on web, desktop, or self-hosted, with local data storage
Cons
  • Requires paid Microsoft Excel 2016 or later
  • Uses user-entered financial information rather than account syncing
  • Available as a downloadable Excel tool, not a cloud-based planner
  • Canadian-focused modeling may not suit households planning outside Canada
  • YNAB is the documented data-import integration
  • Broad planning features may be more than needed for basic projections
Our verdict

The Complete Retirement Planner is downloadable Microsoft Excel software for households planning before or during retirement. It builds year-by-year projections from user-entered financial information, covering income, expenses, savings,…

Read the review →

Retirement plans in Canada hinge on more than investment growth: public benefits, tax rules, withdrawals, and estate events shape the outcome. RetireePlan is an open-source planning application for Canadian households that models those…

Read the review →
  1. The Complete Retirement PlannerRetirement Planning Software 8.9Paid
  2. RetireePlanRetirement Planning Software 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • The Complete Retirement Planner — where it wins

    • Projects income, expenses, savings, taxes, and distributions year by year
    • Models Social Security, RMDs, Roth conversions, Medicare, and healthcare costs
    • Supports what-if scenarios and sequence-of-returns testing

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires paid Microsoft Excel 2016 or later
    • Uses user-entered financial information rather than account syncing
    • Available as a downloadable Excel tool, not a cloud-based planner

  • RetireePlan — where it wins

    • Models CPP/QPP, OAS/GIS, RRIF rules, and provincial and federal taxes
    • Compares named scenarios with projections, net worth, and tax outcomes
    • Runs on web, desktop, or self-hosted, with local data storage

    Where it doesn't

    • Canadian-focused modeling may not suit households planning outside Canada
    • YNAB is the documented data-import integration
    • Broad planning features may be more than needed for basic projections

More comparisons

All retirement planning software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update