A Boldin alternative for Canada and the US.
Boldin (formerly NewRetirement) is one of the deepest DIY US retirement planners. It's US-only, though, and its real tax engine and Monte Carlo sit behind PlannerPlus. cinder.fi gives you real federal and provincial/state tax math for Canada and the US, budgeting that feeds your projection, and a public API. It's free to start.
For you, it’s cinder.fi.
Your real spending moves your retirement date in cinder.fi. None of the other tools here do that.
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Last verified: 2026-06-13. Boldin's features and pricing change — links go to their own pages.
Side by side
Showing the tools that fit what you told us.
| Feature | cinder.fiThat’s us | BoldinChecked June 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price | $12/mo or $99/yr | $12/mo or $144/yr (PlannerPlus) |
| Free to use | Full planner: real projections, budgeting, charts, Plaid (1 institution), no account required | Basic: build a plan and run what-if scenarios (no account linking) |
| Trial | Free tier, plus a 7-day trial on yearly Pro | 14-day free trial |
| Country & tax coverage | ||
| Canada support (RRSP/TFSA, CPP/OAS)Registered accounts + benefits for Canadians | Yes (13 provinces) | No |
| US tax (federal + state)Real marginal brackets, all 50 states | Yes (50 states + DC) | Yes (PlannerPlus) |
| Real tax brackets on the free planvs a blended-average estimate | Yes | No |
| Roth conversion modelingConvert Traditional → Roth in low-bracket years | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| Dedicated Roth Conversion ExplorerGuided, step-by-step conversion tool | Via optimizer | Yes |
| Multi-objective tax optimizerSearches SS timing, withdrawal order and conversions at once | Yes | Limited |
| Planning & stress testing | ||
| Monte Carlo simulation1,000+ randomized market paths | Yes | Yes (PlannerPlus) |
| Historical backtestTest the plan against real market history | Yes (1928–present) | Not stated |
| Withdrawal strategiesTax-aware sequencing, not just pro-rata | 4 built-in + custom | Yes |
| Spending strategiesGuyton-Klinger guardrails, VPW, custom | Yes | Limited |
| Budgeting & data | ||
| Budget categoriesSpending limits inside the plan | Yes (16) | Yes (75+, manual) |
| Spending feeds the projection"Over-spending delays retirement by X months" | Yes | No |
| Transaction import (CSV/OFX/YNAB)Bring real history in | Yes (6 formats) | No |
| Plaid bank syncAuto-sync balances + transactions | Yes (1 free) | Yes (PlannerPlus) |
| Platform & extras | ||
| Works without an accountUse immediately, no sign-up | Yes | No |
| MCP API for AI agents100+ tools for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, with an undo for every change | Yes | No |
| Live classes + CFP® accessEducation + optional human guidance | No | Yes |
| PDF exportShareable report for spouse or advisor | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
Prices and features were checked on the dates shown. They change, so each name links to its own site. “Not stated” means we couldn’t confirm it from their public pages.
Where Boldin is better
- You're in the US and want the most granular DIY planner — 100+ inputs and 75+ expense categories.
- You value live classes, a community, and optional CFP® access alongside the software.
- You want a long-established tool with a dedicated, guided Roth Conversion Explorer.
Pick cinder.fi if…
- You're in Canada (or split CA/US). Boldin has no RRSP/TFSA, CPP/OAS, or provincial tax. cinder.fi covers all 13 provinces and 50 states.
- You want real tax brackets on the free tier. Boldin's free plan uses a blended-average tax table.
- You want your budget and real transactions to drive your projection (Plaid, YNAB, CSV) instead of a static plan.
- You want to run projections inside Claude or ChatGPT via cinder.fi's MCP server.
- You'd rather start free with no account and no trial timer on the free plan.
The short version
Boldin
The deepest DIY US retirement planner: 100+ inputs, a dedicated Roth Conversion Explorer, live classes, and optional CFP® access. The real tax engine, account linking and Monte Carlo need PlannerPlus ($12/mo). US-only.
cinder.fi
Real federal + provincial/state tax brackets for both Canada and the US, budgeting that feeds your projection, Plaid bank sync, and an MCP server for AI agents. The free tier is usable on its own and needs no account.
Keep reading
Bringing your data over
Bring your history with you. cinder.fi syncs live with YNAB, imports Copilot exports, and reads CSV and OFX files from Canadian and US banks (Pro). You can try the whole planner before you make an account.
Checking our numbers against theirs
Put your numbers into cinder.fi and compare its answer with the tool you use now. If they disagree, the “How we got” section shows every rule behind ours.
Try it with my numbersFrequently asked questions
Is cinder.fi a good Boldin alternative?
Yes, especially if you want real tax math on the free tier, a budget that feeds your projection, or you plan across Canada and the US. Boldin is US-only and its real state-by-state tax engine, Monte Carlo, and account linking sit behind PlannerPlus ($12/mo). Boldin is the better choice if you want the deepest US-only planner with 100+ inputs, live classes, and optional CFP® access.
Boldin vs ProjectionLab: which is better?
Boldin suits near-retirees in the US who want to be guided step by step, with 75+ expense categories, a dedicated Roth Conversion Explorer and live classes. ProjectionLab suits visual planners and the FIRE crowd, with the most flexible scenario branching and Monte Carlo on its free tier. Neither links your budget to the plan: cinder.fi does, with real federal and state or provincial tax on the free plan, in Canada and the US.
Does Boldin work in Canada?
No. Boldin is built entirely around US retirement: Social Security, Medicare/IRMAA, and US federal and state taxes. It has no RRSP, TFSA, RRIF, CPP, OAS, GIS, or provincial tax modeling. cinder.fi was built for both countries and covers all 13 Canadian provinces and territories plus all 50 US states with real tax brackets.
Is Boldin's free plan enough?
Boldin's free (Basic) plan lets you build a plan and run what-if scenarios, but it estimates taxes with a blended federal-state average rather than real brackets, and it has no account linking, Monte Carlo, or Roth Conversion Explorer; those need PlannerPlus. cinder.fi's free tier includes real federal + provincial/state tax brackets, full projections, budgeting, and one Plaid-linked account, with no account required.
How much does Boldin cost vs cinder.fi?
Boldin PlannerPlus is $12/mo or $144/year after a 14-day free trial; its free Basic tier is limited. cinder.fi is free to start, and the free plan is a usable planner on its own. Pro is $12/mo or $99/yr. Pricing verified 2026-06-13.
Can I use Claude or ChatGPT with these planners?
cinder.fi exposes 100+ tools over the Model Context Protocol, so Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor can read your plan and budget, make changes you can undo, and run your projections and optimizer directly in a conversation. Boldin launched an in-app AI assistant in 2026 but does not offer a public API for external AI agents.
Built by the cinder.fi team. Where Boldin does something we don't, this page says so plainly. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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