MaxiFi Planner alternative
Retirology vs. MaxiFi Planner
MaxiFi Planner comes from economist Laurence Kotlikoff and takes a distinctive approach: it works out the steady living standard your resources can support. Retirology works the other way round — from your budget to a target and a withdrawal plan. Both are serious tools; they answer different questions.
Updated October 2026
The short version
| Retirology | MaxiFi Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19+ once; every update free | $149/year (Unlocked); 14-day trial |
| 10 years of use | $19–$65 total | $1,490 |
| Where it runs | Desktop app — macOS, Windows, Linux | Online, with an account |
| Approach | Your budget → FI target → withdrawal plan | Your resources → sustainable living standard |
| Roth conversions | 4 ladder modes + Optimize my plan | Roth Conversion Optimizer (Unlocked) |
| Social Security | Claim-age preview incl. spousal; claim-age checks | Social Security Maximizer (Unlocked) |
| Monte Carlo | Success rate, percentiles, historical stress tests | Living Standard Monte Carlo (Unlocked) |
| ACA subsidies & early retirement | ACA cap, 72(t) SEPP, Rule of 55, per-conversion 5-year clock | Not a focus of the published feature list |
MaxiFi details are from its public pricing page as of October 2026. Check maxifi.com for current plans.
Where Retirology is different
- Pay once. No annual renewal; every future version is free.
- Local and private. No account; your plan stays in a file on your computer.
- Built for retiring early. Getting at Traditional money before 59½ (Roth ladders, SEPP, Rule of 55) while managing the 2026 ACA subsidy cliff is the core of the app, not an add-on.
- Starts from your real budget. Spending comes from a category-by-category budget, with lifestyle changes over time, and drives a plan-based FI target and date.
When MaxiFi is the better choice
- You want an economics-based answer to "how much can I safely spend every year for life?"
- Social Security claiming strategy is your main question and you want the most thorough optimizer for it.
- You want life-insurance planning built in.
Common questions
How much does MaxiFi Planner cost?
MaxiFi's pricing page lists a 14-day trial (card required) and the Unlocked plan at $149 a year, which adds the Roth Conversion Optimizer, Social Security Maximizer, Retirement Withdrawal Optimizer and Living Standard Monte Carlo.
What is consumption smoothing?
An economics approach that finds the highest steady living standard your lifetime resources can sustain, rather than starting from a spending figure you choose.
Does Retirology optimize Social Security?
Retirology shows what each claim age pays, including spousal benefits, compares claim ages across your whole plan, and flags a claim-age change when it's worth it. It doesn't attempt MaxiFi's full living-standard optimization.