Boldin alternative
A Boldin alternative for Canada and the US.
Boldin (formerly NewRetirement) is one of the deepest DIY US retirement planners — but it's US-only, and its real tax engine and Monte Carlo live behind PlannerPlus. cinder.fi gives you real federal + provincial/state tax math for both Canada and the US, budgeting that feeds your projection, and a public API — free to start.
Last verified: 2026-06-13. Boldin's features and pricing change — links go to their own pages.
The short version
Boldin
The deepest DIY US retirement planner — 100+ inputs, a dedicated Roth Conversion Explorer, live classes, and optional CFP® access. PlannerPlus ($12/mo) unlocks the real tax engine, account linking, and Monte Carlo. 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 — with a genuinely usable free tier and no account required.
Honest trade-offs
Where each tool wins
Pick Boldin if…
- → 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) — not 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 14-day timer.
Pricing
What you actually pay
Boldin
Free tier
Basic — build a plan + what-if scenarios (no account linking)
Paid
$12/mo or $144/yr (PlannerPlus)
Trial
14-day free trial
cinder.fi
Free tier
Full planner — real projections, budgeting, charts, Plaid (1 account), no account required
Paid
$12/mo
Trial
Free tier is the trial
Prices verified 2026-06-13.
Feature comparison
cinder.fi vs Boldin, feature by feature
Country & tax coverage
Canada support (RRSP/TFSA, CPP/OAS)
Registered accounts + benefits for Canadians
cinder.fi
yes (13 provinces)
Boldin
—
US tax (federal + state)
Real marginal brackets, all 50 states
cinder.fi
yes (50 states + DC)
Boldin
yes (PlannerPlus)
Real tax brackets on the free plan
vs a blended-average estimate
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
—
Roth conversion modeling
Convert Traditional → Roth in low-bracket years
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
✓
Dedicated Roth Conversion Explorer
Guided, step-by-step conversion tool
cinder.fi
via optimizer
Boldin
✓
Multi-objective tax optimizer
Sweep SS timing, withdrawal order, conversions at once
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
Limited
Planning & stress testing
Monte Carlo simulation
1,000+ randomized market paths
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
yes (PlannerPlus)
Historical backtest
Test the plan against real market history
cinder.fi
yes (1871–present)
Boldin
Unknown
Withdrawal strategies
Tax-aware sequencing, not just pro-rata
cinder.fi
4 built-in + custom
Boldin
✓
Spending strategies
Guyton-Klinger guardrails, VPW, custom
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
Limited
Budgeting & data
Budget categories
Spending limits inside the plan
cinder.fi
yes (16)
Boldin
yes (75+, manual)
Spending feeds the projection
"Over-spending delays retirement by X months"
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
—
Transaction import (CSV/OFX/YNAB)
Bring real history in
cinder.fi
yes (6 formats)
Boldin
—
Plaid bank sync
Auto-sync balances + transactions
cinder.fi
yes (1 free)
Boldin
yes (PlannerPlus)
Platform & extras
Works without an account
Use immediately, no sign-up
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
—
MCP API for AI agents
19 tools for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor
cinder.fi
✓
Boldin
—
Live classes + CFP® access
Education + optional human guidance
cinder.fi
—
Boldin
✓
PDF export
Shareable report for spouse or advisor
cinder.fi
yes (Pro)
Boldin
✓
| Feature | cinder.fi | Boldin |
|---|---|---|
| Country & tax coverage | ||
| Canada support (RRSP/TFSA, CPP/OAS) Registered accounts + benefits for Canadians | yes (13 provinces) | — |
| US tax (federal + state) Real marginal brackets, all 50 states | yes (50 states + DC) | yes (PlannerPlus) |
| Real tax brackets on the free plan vs a blended-average estimate | ✓ | — |
| Roth conversion modeling Convert Traditional → Roth in low-bracket years | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dedicated Roth Conversion Explorer Guided, step-by-step conversion tool | via optimizer | ✓ |
| Multi-objective tax optimizer Sweep SS timing, withdrawal order, conversions at once | ✓ | Limited |
| Planning & stress testing | ||
| Monte Carlo simulation 1,000+ randomized market paths | ✓ | yes (PlannerPlus) |
| Historical backtest Test the plan against real market history | yes (1871–present) | Unknown |
| Withdrawal strategies Tax-aware sequencing, not just pro-rata | 4 built-in + custom | ✓ |
| Spending strategies Guyton-Klinger guardrails, VPW, custom | ✓ | Limited |
| Budgeting & data | ||
| Budget categories Spending limits inside the plan | yes (16) | yes (75+, manual) |
| Spending feeds the projection "Over-spending delays retirement by X months" | ✓ | — |
| Transaction import (CSV/OFX/YNAB) Bring real history in | yes (6 formats) | — |
| Plaid bank sync Auto-sync balances + transactions | yes (1 free) | yes (PlannerPlus) |
| Platform & extras | ||
| Works without an account Use immediately, no sign-up | ✓ | — |
| MCP API for AI agents 19 tools for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor | ✓ | — |
| Live classes + CFP® access Education + optional human guidance | — | ✓ |
| PDF export Shareable report for spouse or advisor | yes (Pro) | ✓ |
Frequently 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.
› 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 require 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?
Both are $12/month. 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 (a genuinely usable planner) with Pro at $12/mo. Pricing verified 2026-06-13.
› Can I use Claude or ChatGPT with these planners?
cinder.fi exposes 19 calculation tools over the Model Context Protocol, so Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor can run your projections, score your plan, and optimize strategies 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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