Comparison

FedsRetireWise vs ZBee

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

FedsRetireWise

Features
Read full description

FedsRetireWise is a comprehensive retirement planning tool designed specifically for federal employees. This powerful calculator helps you determine if your current savings strategy will sustain you through retirement by analyzing your unique federal benefits package. Key Features: Calculate your FERS pension based on years of service and salary Estimate Social Security benefits with age-based optimization Model TSP/401(k) withdrawals across different retirement periods Account for temporary expenses like mortgages that end during retirement Simulate your retirement plan against 100+ years of historical market data Analyze annuity purchase options for guaranteed income View detailed year-by-year cash flow projections Adjust for state tax rates based on retirement location The app uses sophisticated Monte Carlo simulations based on actual historical market returns from 1926 onwards to stress-test your retirement plan. See exactly how your savings would have performed across every possible retirement period in history, giving you confidence in your retirement readiness. Whether you're years away from retirement or ready to submit your papers, FedsRetireWise provides the detailed analysis federal employees need to make informed decisions about their financial future. The intuitive interface guides you through entering your information step-by-step, then presents results in clear, actionable visualizations. Perfect for FERS employees, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other federal workers looking to optimize their retirement strategy and ensure financial security throughout their golden years.

About

ZBee

Estimate your safe annual retirement spending after taxes. This tool simulates market histories to provide a realistic withdrawal figure, accounting for various account types and early withdrawal penalties. It offers detailed projections and spending flexibility insights.

Highlights
  • Estimate safe annual retirement spend
  • Accounts for taxes on withdrawals
  • Models different account types (401k, Roth, brokerage)
  • Simulates market histories for stress-testing
  • Visualizes savings projections and spending flexibility
  • Compares retirement age impacts
Features
Read full description

ZBee — estimate your safe yearly spend in retirement, after tax, right on your iPhone or iPad. How much can you safely spend each year in retirement? ZBee gives you a quick, private estimate — on your device, in seconds. Enter your savings, your age, and when you plan to retire, and ZBee estimates the most you can safely spend each year, stress-tested across 600 simulated market histories. No account, no sign-up, nothing to configure. After tax, not before: Most calculators hand you a withdrawal figure and leave the tax bill to you. ZBee works out federal income tax on every year of every simulation — so the number you see is money to actually live on. • It knows the difference between a 401(k), a Roth, and a brokerage account, and taxes each one as you draw it down. • It works out how much of your Social Security is taxable, using the provisional-income rule. • It counts the 10% penalty on retirement money drawn before 59 — so an early retirement gets an honest answer. See the whole picture, not just a number: • A live estimate that updates as you adjust any input, and a risk setting for how cautious you want to be. • Could you afford a specific number? Enter what you want to spend and see how often it lasted. • Your savings, projected. Watch your money grow until you retire and draw down after — charted through a poor market, not a flattering average one. • What waiting buys you. Compare your estimate side by side at earlier and later retirement ages. • When to claim Social Security. See what claiming at 62, 67, or 70 does to your safe spend, each age calculated against your own plan. • Married? Add your spouse's age and Social Security benefit, and ZBee counts both benefits, including the spousal amount when it is larger. • How your spending would flex. Real plans don't spend a fixed number forever — see how much you'd trim after bad markets, and how much more you could spend after good ones. • Still saving? Add what you put away each year and watch it compound into the answer. • Your estimate over time. ZBee remembers each day's estimate on your device, so you can see which way your number is moving. Private by design: • Everything runs entirely on your device. Nothing you enter is sent to us or anyone else. • No account. No tracking. No analytics. The app makes no network requests at all. • No permissions needed. The only prompt you will ever see is if you choose to turn on an optional check-in reminder. ZBee is a measurement and planning tool, not financial advice. Estimates are hypothetical, will not match actual results, and are for U.S. investors. The app estimates federal tax only — it does not model state income tax, Medicare surcharges, or required minimum distributions, and explains what it leaves out in the app.

Screenshots

FedsRetireWise4 screens
ZBee4 screens

Verdict

The call

FedsRetireWise and ZBee are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
FedsRetireWise versus ZBee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFedsRetireWiseZBee
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnthony Reilly NewellZBee LLC

In-app purchases

None

FedsRetireWise

No in-app purchases

None

ZBee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FedsRetireWise free?
FedsRetireWise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ZBee free?
ZBee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do FedsRetireWise or ZBee have ads?
Neither FedsRetireWise nor ZBee shows ads.

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