Roth vs Traditional IRA Calculator
Compare Roth and Traditional IRA after-tax growth side by side. Enter your age, contribution, and tax brackets to see which retirement account keeps more money.
Roth vs Traditional comparisons are done in your browser; no account or contribution details are transmitted.Try: Current age=30, Retirement age=65, Annual contribution=7000, Current tax bracket=22, Expected retirement bracket=15, Expected annual return=7 → $822,509, $754,773, $67,736
How to use
Fill in your current age, retirement age, yearly contribution, and your marginal tax rate today versus the rate you expect in retirement. Press Calculate — everything runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
A Roth IRA is funded with after-tax dollars and grows tax-free; a Traditional IRA is funded pre-tax and is taxed when you withdraw. The calculator projects both after-tax futures using the future-value-of-an-annuity formula.
FAQ
What is the core difference between Roth and Traditional IRA?
A Traditional IRA is funded with pre-tax dollars: you may deduct the contribution now, but withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income. A Roth IRA is funded with money you already paid tax on, so qualified withdrawals are tax-free.
Which one gives me more money at retirement?
It depends on your tax bracket now versus in retirement. If your bracket is higher today, Traditional usually wins; if it will be higher later, Roth usually wins. The calculator shows the after-tax future value of both.
What is the 2026 IRA contribution limit?
For 2026 the IRA contribution limit is $7,500, or $8,600 if you are age 50 or older. Contributions above that stop receiving the account’s tax treatment.
Can high earners use a Roth IRA?
Direct Roth contributions phase out at higher incomes (roughly $165,000 single / $246,000 married filing jointly for 2026). Above those limits people use a Backdoor Roth — contribute to a Traditional IRA and convert.