Coastline vs Fidelity
Fidelity offers solid, free retirement calculators and a Planning & Guidance Center — excellent if you’re a Fidelity customer, though the richest features expect a login and the projections lean on simplified, conservative assumptions. Coastline is brokerage-agnostic, requires no account, and shows the full calculation behind every number.
Coastline vs Fidelity, feature by feature
| Coastline | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Yes | Yes |
| No login / customer account needed for full use | Yes | Best with a Fidelity login |
| Brokerage-agnostic | Yes | Fidelity-centric |
| Year-by-year projection you can inspect | Yes | Limited |
| Detailed federal + state tax math | Yes | Simplified |
| Roth conversion / withdrawal-order strategy | Yes | Limited |
| Shows the exact math behind every number | Yes | No |
| Canada support | Yes | No |
When to use Fidelity
Fidelity’s tools are a great, trustworthy starting point — especially if your accounts are already at Fidelity, where the calculators can pull in your real balances and give quick, guided guidance.
When to use Coastline
Choose Coastline when you want brokerage-independent modeling with detailed tax math, strategy comparisons, and a transparent, inspectable projection — no login, no product ecosystem, and the reasoning behind every figure laid out.
Both tools are free. This comparison is written by Coastline, so weigh it accordingly — try both and use whichever answers your question. Fidelity is a well-regarded tool; the differences below are about focus, not quality.
Common questions
Is the Fidelity retirement calculator free?
Yes. The most complete experience is geared toward Fidelity customers and a login, whereas Coastline is free to anyone with no account.
Which is more detailed?
Coastline exposes more of the underlying math — detailed federal/state taxes, Roth-conversion and withdrawal strategy, and a full year-by-year table — while Fidelity favors quick, guided, conservative estimates.
Do I need to be a Fidelity customer to use Coastline?
No. Coastline is independent of any brokerage and works the same for everyone.