What are the 2025 contribution limits for each retirement account?

For 2025: 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) each allow $23,500 in employee deferrals (+$7,500 at age 50+, +$11,250 at ages 60–63). Traditional and Roth IRAs share a $7,000 limit (+$1,000 at 50+). A 403(b) can add a 15-years-of-service catch-up (up to $3,000/yr); a governmental 457(b) can add a final-3-years catch-up of up to $47,000. Source: IRS Notice 2024-80, verified 2026-06-18.

Which retirement account is best?

There's no single best account — the right one depends on access and taxes. The usual priority is: (1) workplace plan up to the full employer match, (2) a Roth or Traditional IRA for wider investment choice, (3) back to the workplace plan to use its larger limit. Public employees offered both a 403(b) and 457(b) can stack them for double the room.

Can I use more than one of these accounts at once?

Yes. A workplace plan and an IRA have separate limits, so you can fund both. Public-sector workers offered both a 403(b) and a 457(b) can contribute the full $23,500 to each in 2025. The one shared limit is between a Traditional and Roth IRA — those two split a single $7,000 cap.

What's the difference between pre-tax and Roth accounts?

Pre-tax (Traditional 401(k)/403(b)/457(b)/IRA) gives a tax deduction now and taxes withdrawals in retirement. Roth (Roth IRA, Roth 401(k)) takes after-tax dollars now but pays out tax-free later. Roth wins when your retirement tax rate is higher than today's; pre-tax wins when it's lower. The calculator on this page shows the after-tax difference for your own rates.

What is the 401(k) vs 403(b) vs 457(b) vs IRA vs Roth IRA: Full 2025 Comparison?

Every major US retirement account, side by side, with the real 2025 IRS limits, catch-ups, tax treatment and withdrawal rules — plus a Roth-vs-Traditional calculator. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

401(k) vs 403(b) vs 457(b) vs IRA vs Roth IRA: Full 2025 Comparison

Name: 401(k) vs 403(b) vs 457(b) vs IRA vs Roth IRA: Full 2025 Comparison
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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401(k) vs 403(b) vs 457(b) vs IRA vs Roth IRA

There are five workhorse US retirement accounts — the 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), Traditional IRA and Roth IRA — and the right one depends on your employer, your income and your tax outlook. This page puts all five side by side with the real 2025 IRS limits, catch-ups, tax treatment, match availability and withdrawal rules, then gives you a Roth-vs-Traditional break-even calculator to settle the tax question.

The table below compares each account on the rows that actually differ — the 2025 IRS contribution limits, catch-ups, employer match, income limits, early-withdrawal rules and required minimum distributions. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent to any server.

2025 limits used: 401(k)/403(b)/457(b) employee deferral $23,500 (+$7,500 at 50+, +$11,250 at 60–63); IRA $7,000 (+$1,000 at 50+); Roth IRA MAGI phase-out single $150,000–$165,000, MFJ $236,000–$246,000. Source: IRS Notice 2024-80 + IRS Newsroom IR-2024-285, verified 2026-06-18. Always confirm the current year’s figures at irs.gov.