PPF vs NPS vs EPF — the retirement math, compared
Latest declared figures per EPFO and the PPF small-savings notification; both are reviewed periodically. NPS has no fixed rate at all — the dashed bar is the honest drawing of that.
PPF allows partial withdrawal after year 7; EPF allows partial withdrawal for set reasons; NPS is very limited until 60.
| EPF | PPF | NPS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can open | Salaried, automatic | Anyone | Anyone 18–70 |
| Tax on maturity | Tax-free, with conditions | Fully tax-free (EEE) | Partly taxed; annuity taxed |
| 80C benefit | Yes | Yes | Yes, plus an extra ₹50,000 |
| Liquidity | Partial withdrawal | Partial after year 7 | Very limited till 60 |
| At exit | Lump sum | Lump sum | 60% lump sum, 40% must buy an annuity |
| Cost | None to you | None | Very low fund charges |
Salaried, zero effort
EPF is already running. Top up PPF.
Self-employed, want safety
PPF as the core — sovereign, tax-free, certain.
Young, want growth
NPS for the equity exposure and the extra ₹50,000 deduction.
Near retirement
PPF and EPF over market-linked NPS.
The mistake is watching three passbooks separately — an EPFO login, a PPF passbook at the bank, an NPS statement from the CRA — and never seeing the combined number. Hundo keeps all three as one retirement passbook, month by month, with the employee, employer and pension split intact.
See your family’s whole picture in one ledger.
Hundo reconciles every account, watches every renewal, and keeps every document safe. Free while it is in beta.