The Complete Retirement Planner vs WealthTrace

TCThe Complete Retirement Planner8.9Visit WealthTrace8.4Visit

Higher score TC The Complete Retirement Planner #5 in Retirement Planning Software 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit The Planner

vs

WealthTrace #10 in Retirement Planning Software 8.4/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit WealthTrace

• The Complete Retirement Planner fits best

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

• WealthTrace fits best

  People comparing linked accounts and detailed tax scenarios

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	TCThe Complete Retirement Planner 8.9/10 Visit ↗	WealthTrace 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.4
Ranking	#5 in Retirement Planning Software	#10 in Retirement Planning Software
Best for	U.S. households wanting a low-cost one-time purchase	People comparing linked accounts and detailed tax scenarios
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	$89.99 one-time	$229/yr
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Cloud
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Web
Integrations	1 integrations	2 integrations
Features The Complete Retirement Planner 5/5 · WealthTrace 5/5
Income projection	✓	✓
Savings growth projection	✓	✓
Withdrawal planning	✓	✓
Social Security modeling	✓	✓
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	Projects income, expenses, investments, taxes and Social Security benefits Combines Monte Carlo analysis with what-if and multi-variable scenarios Supports linked or manually entered accounts and customizable withdrawals
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	Individual plans start at $229 per year, billed annually Linked accounts are read-only rather than editable through WealthTrace Web-only access may not suit people seeking a desktop or mobile app
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 →	WealthTrace brings retirement income planning, investment projections and tax analysis into a web-based tool for individuals, advisors and employers. It models income, expenses, investment balances, taxes, Social Security benefits and… Read the review →

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

• WealthTrace — where it wins

  • Projects income, expenses, investments, taxes and Social Security benefits
  • Combines Monte Carlo analysis with what-if and multi-variable scenarios
  • Supports linked or manually entered accounts and customizable withdrawals

  Where it doesn't

  • Individual plans start at $229 per year, billed annually
  • Linked accounts are read-only rather than editable through WealthTrace
  • Web-only access may not suit people seeking a desktop or mobile app

• TCThe Complete Retirement Planner8.9/10 · Paid

  A one-time Excel planner for year-by-year retirement, tax, and Social Security modeling.

  Visit The PlannerFull verdict →
• WealthTrace8.4/10 · Paid

  Detailed retirement projections and tax scenarios, starting at $229 per year.

  Visit WealthTraceFull verdict →