Quick Comparison
| Evernest | MaxiFi | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99/mo annual ($47.88/yr) or $7.99/mo monthly | $149/year (one plan, all features) |
| Free tier | Full projection engine — simple scenarios free forever | 14-day free trial; no free tier |
| AI on your data? | No | No |
| Account linking | None — your credentials stay with you | None |
| Monte Carlo | Up to 50,000 scenarios with histograms ($48/yr) | Included in its single paid plan |
| Approach | Visual year-by-year cash flow chart — see your money over time | Consumption smoothing — calculates your “sustainable living standard” |
| Setup | Guided wizard, presets, helper screens — minutes | Detailed inputs, academic concepts — steep learning curve |
| Created by | Built by a retired engineer who plans his own retirement | Laurence Kotlikoff, BU Economics Professor |
Competitor prices as of October 2026 — check MaxiFi's site for current pricing.
Two Different Answers to the Same Question
Ask both tools “will my money last?” and you'll get two very different kinds of answers.
MaxiFi uses an economics theory called “consumption smoothing” — the idea that households get more value from a stable spending level than one that varies year to year. It calculates the highest steady spending level your income and assets can support for the rest of your life. The output is a number: your “sustainable living standard.”
Evernest shows you a year-by-year cash flow chart. You see your portfolio balance, income streams, Social Security, and spending — stacked as bars, year by year, all the way through retirement. You can see when money runs short, where income overlaps, and what happens when you change a variable. The picture tells the story.
Neither approach is wrong. But they serve different people. If you want an economist's answer to “how much can I spend?” — MaxiFi. If you want to see your money over time and draw your own conclusions — Evernest.
Getting Started: Minutes vs. Hours
MaxiFi was designed by an economics professor, and it shows. The terminology is academic (“discretionary spending,” “living standard per adult,” “special receipts”), the input screens are dense, and the tool expects you to understand concepts like consumption smoothing before you can interpret the output. Reviews consistently note a steep learning curve that filters out casual planners.
Evernest: Up and Running in Minutes
Walk through a few focused screens — age, savings, spending, income. No academic jargon.
Common situations pre-filled with one click. Start from a template, then adjust.
Each input has context — what it means, what's typical, why it matters.
Your chart updates as you enter data. No “save and run” step — the picture builds live.
Most people have their first complete retirement projection within 5 minutes. MaxiFi's learning curve means planning for a longer investment of time before you can interpret the results with confidence.
Try Before You Buy: Free Forever vs. a 14-Day Trial
This is a significant difference: MaxiFi has no free-forever tier — only a 14-day free trial with limited features. After that, you pay for its single paid plan to keep using it, so you have two weeks to decide whether the tool's consumption-smoothing approach even makes sense for how you think about retirement.
Evernest Free
- ✓ Full projection engine
- ✓ Your data is saved
- ✓ Simple scenarios free forever
- ✓ No credit card required
- ✓ Upgrade only for advanced features
MaxiFi
- ✗ No free-forever tier
- ✗ Free trial ends after 14 days
- ✗ Trial has limited features
- ✗ Paid plan costs about 3x Evernest's annual price
- ✗ Must pay to keep using it after the trial
With Evernest, you can build your first retirement projection, see your cash flow chart, and keep using it for simple scenarios — without ever spending a dollar. MaxiFi gives you two weeks before you have to pay.
The Price Difference
Annual Cost Comparison
Both tools include Monte Carlo simulation in their paid plans (Evernest's free plan also runs it, at 500 iterations). Evernest runs up to 50,000 scenarios with full histogram output at $48/year. MaxiFi includes Monte Carlo in its single paid plan — which costs about three times Evernest's annual price.
Data Safety: Common Ground
Both Evernest and MaxiFi take data privacy seriously. Neither uses AI on your financial data. Neither requires linking to bank or brokerage accounts. Neither sells your data or runs an advisory upsell.
- ✓No account linking — your credentials stay with you
- ✓No AI processes your financial data
- ✓No advisory upsell or data brokering
Evernest goes further: you can delete your data permanently at any time, and we never sell your data — ever. Read our full privacy policy →
Where MaxiFi Wins
Honest comparison — here's where MaxiFi has an edge:
- •Academic rigor: MaxiFi is the most economically rigorous retirement planner available to consumers. If you want your plan grounded in peer-reviewed economic theory, it's the only tool built by a macroeconomics professor.
- •Tax optimization depth: MaxiFi models federal and state taxes, Medicare Part B IRMAA premiums, and Social Security benefit calculations holistically. Its Roth Conversion Optimizer automates conversion strategy.
- •Consumption smoothing: If you specifically want to know your maximum sustainable spending level — not a chart, but a number — MaxiFi's approach is unique in the market.
- •Social Security optimization: MaxiFi calculates the optimal filing strategy across all claiming ages, including spousal and survivor benefits.
If you're comfortable with economic theory and want the most academically rigorous output available, MaxiFi is a serious tool. But for most people, a visual cash flow chart answers the same questions more intuitively — and at a fraction of the cost.
Where Evernest Wins
Evernest answers the same core questions — will my money last, what can I spend, when should I take Social Security — with a visual, intuitive approach that doesn't require an economics degree.
Monte Carlo Simulation
50,000 randomized scenarios with full histogram output — percentile breakdowns, median and worst-case ending balances. Included at $48/year. MaxiFi's plan with Monte Carlo costs about three times as much.
Multiple Portfolios
Model multiple portfolios with independent return assumptions — traditional, fixed income, income investing. Each with its own draw strategy and draw order. Enter your total and expected return range — the engine projects your money by portfolio type using historical data.
Visual Cash Flow Chart
Year-by-year stacked bar chart showing portfolio balance, Social Security, and other income against spending. See at a glance when money runs short and where the pressure points are — no economic theory required.
Detailed Data Views
Full data tabs showing year-by-year breakdowns of portfolio balances, income, spending, Social Security, and financial events. The actual numbers behind the chart so you can verify the math yourself.
Financial Events
Model one-time and recurring events — home sales, inheritances, college tuition, car purchases, Roth conversions. See exactly how each event impacts your long-term projection.
Spend Tapering
Model realistic spending patterns — most retirees spend less as they age. Your projection reflects how people actually live, not a flat line that overstates late-retirement costs.
- ✓Price: $47.88/year — about a third of MaxiFi's price, and every feature above is included.
- ✓Free tier: Full projection engine free forever for simple scenarios. MaxiFi offers only a 14-day free trial.
- ✓5-minute setup: Guided wizard with presets and helper screens vs. academic terminology and a steep learning curve.
- ✓Visual output: See your money year by year — no economics degree needed to interpret the results.
The Bottom Line
Choose Evernest if:
- → You want to see your money over time, not read an economic analysis
- → You want a free tier that never expires — no credit card
- → You want 50K Monte Carlo scenarios at $48/year
- → You value guided simplicity over academic depth
- → You want answers in minutes, not hours
Choose MaxiFi if:
- → You want economically rigorous consumption smoothing
- → Tax optimization (including IRMAA, Roth conversion) is central to your plan
- → You want automated Social Security filing strategy optimization
- → You're comfortable with academic financial concepts
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