When I first reviewed ProjectionLab in 2025, I gave it a five-star rating.
At the time, I was impressed by the visual planning tools, retirement projections, and the ability to model different financial scenarios. It felt like a major upgrade from simpler retirement calculators and tools like Empower.
Nearly two years later, my opinion has evolved.
Not because ProjectionLab got worse.
But because the retirement planning software market has become more competitive.
Over the past year, I've used both ProjectionLab and Boldin to evaluate my family's retirement plans, Coast FIRE status, Social Security assumptions, and long-term spending decisions.
ProjectionLab remains one of the most visually appealing retirement planning tools I've ever used. In fact, I still think it's one of the best options available for visual learners and DIY retirement planners.
But if someone forced me to choose between ProjectionLab and Boldin today, I'd choose Boldin.
That doesn't mean ProjectionLab isn't worth considering.
It simply means that after nearly two years of experience, I've found that ProjectionLab shines in a specific area: helping people visualize their retirement journey.
If you're a newer investor, an aspiring early retiree, or someone who wants to experiment with retirement scenarios in a free sandbox environment, ProjectionLab may be exactly what you're looking for.
Here's what I like, what I don't like, and whether I think ProjectionLab is still worth using in 2026.
ProjectionLab Review: My Quick Verdict
ProjectionLab Pros
- Beautiful retirement planning visualizations
- Excellent scenario modeling
- Strong Coast FIRE and early retirement planning tools
- Robust free version
- Monte Carlo analysis included
- No sales calls or advisor upsells
- Easy to understand for visual learners
ProjectionLab Cons
- No automatic account syncing
- Limited innovation over the past year
- No AI assistant
- Less robust than Boldin for advanced planning
- Premium version may not be necessary for many users
My Rating: 4.5 Out of 5 Stars
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Visualizations | 10/10 |
| Retirement Planning | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 9/10 |
| Value | 9/10 |
| Innovation | 7/10 |
| Overall | 4.5/5 |
Best For: Visual learners, DIY retirement planners, Coast FIRE seekers, and aspiring early retirees.
Not Ideal For: Investors seeking account syncing, advisor support, or more advanced retirement planning features.
What Is ProjectionLab?
ProjectionLab is a retirement planning software platform designed to help users model their financial future through interactive visual projections and scenario planning.
Unlike traditional retirement calculators that provide a single estimate, ProjectionLab allows you to experiment with different life decisions and see how those choices may impact your financial future.
You can model:
- Retirement timing
- Coast FIRE plans
- Early retirement
- Social Security benefits
- Spending changes
- Career breaks
- Part-time work
- Major life milestones
What makes ProjectionLab unique is its visual approach.
Rather than presenting retirement planning as a spreadsheet exercise, ProjectionLab creates an interactive timeline that shows how your financial life may evolve over time.
As you move through the timeline, you'll see key milestones such as:
- Children's milestones
- Retirement dates
- Social Security eligibility
- Portfolio drawdown phases
- Life expectancy assumptions
For visual thinkers, this approach can make retirement planning feel far more intuitive than traditional calculators.
The software currently offers three plans:
| Plan | Cost |
|---|---|
| Basic | Free |
| Premium | $129/year (~$11/month) |
| Pro | $549/year (~$45/month) |
Most individual users will be deciding between the free Basic plan and the $129/year Premium plan. The Pro plan is designed primarily for financial professionals.
I have used the Premium version since November 2024. Full transparency: my Premium subscription was provided by ProjectionLab.
Even after nearly two years of use, I still believe the free version is one of the strongest free retirement planning tools available today.
The bigger question is whether the Premium version is worth paying for.
We'll get into that shortly.
Why I Initially Loved ProjectionLab
When I first discovered ProjectionLab, I had already spent years using retirement planning tools like Empower.
Empower did a solid job tracking my investments and net worth, but it never gave me a clear picture of how my financial life might unfold over time.
ProjectionLab felt different.
Instead of focusing on where I was today, it helped me visualize where I was going.
The Visual Timeline Immediately Clicked For Me
The first thing that stood out was ProjectionLab's timeline view.
Rather than looking at a spreadsheet or a collection of charts, I could literally scroll through my future and see important milestones unfold over time.
I could see:
- When my kids would reach certain ages
- When retirement might begin
- When Social Security benefits would start
- How my investments could change over time
- The impact of different financial decisions
For visual learners like me, this made retirement planning feel far more intuitive.
It Helped Me Think Beyond My Investment Accounts
Many retirement tools focus heavily on your portfolio balance.
ProjectionLab encouraged me to think about the bigger picture.
- How much would I spend?
- When would I retire?
- What role would Social Security play?
- What happens if I work part-time for a few years?
- What happens if I retire earlier than expected?
Instead of focusing on a single retirement number, ProjectionLab helped me understand the many variables that influence retirement success.
I Appreciated The Social Security Flexibility
One feature I've continued to appreciate is the Social Security modeling.
Many people either ignore Social Security entirely or assume they'll receive 100% of their projected benefit.
Personally, I don't make either assumption.
ProjectionLab allows me to adjust the percentage of expected Social Security benefits I plan to receive.
For example, I currently model approximately 77% of my projected benefit rather than assuming I'll receive 100% of today's estimate.
I appreciate having that flexibility because it allows me to build a retirement plan that reflects my own assumptions rather than someone else's.
It Was A Great Coast FIRE Planning Tool
ProjectionLab was one of the first tools that helped me think more deeply about Coast FIRE.
By adjusting retirement ages, spending assumptions, and investment growth projections, I could quickly test different paths and compare outcomes.
For example, I modeled scenarios where my wife Nicole and I retired at our traditional target age of 59½ and compared those results with a more aggressive retirement age of 55.
The exercise helped me realize that fully retiring at 55 probably isn't realistic based on our current lifestyle and financial goals.
While that wasn't necessarily the answer I wanted, it was helpful to see the tradeoffs clearly.
Why It Earned Five Stars From Me
When I wrote my original review in 2025, ProjectionLab felt like a major leap forward from the retirement planning tools I had used previously.
The visual experience was excellent.
The scenario planning was powerful.
The free version was surprisingly robust.
And perhaps most importantly, it made retirement planning feel approachable.
That's why I gave it five stars at the time.
Today, I still appreciate all of those strengths.
The difference is that I've now spent nearly two years comparing ProjectionLab against newer competitors and more advanced tools.
What I Still Like About ProjectionLab
Even though my rating has dropped from five stars to 4.5 stars, there is still a lot to like about ProjectionLab.
In fact, there are a few areas where I think it remains one of the best retirement planning tools available.
1. The Visualizations Are Outstanding
If you're a visual learner, ProjectionLab is hard to beat.
Most retirement planning software presents information through spreadsheets, reports, and charts.
ProjectionLab tells a story.
The timeline view makes it easy to understand how your financial life may unfold over time and how different decisions impact your future.
Whether you're evaluating retirement timing, Social Security benefits, spending changes, or investment growth, the visual experience is excellent.
This remains ProjectionLab's biggest strength.
2. The Free Version Is Surprisingly Powerful
One thing I appreciated when I first reviewed ProjectionLab in 2025 is still true today: the free version is genuinely useful.
With the free plan, you can:
- Build retirement projections
- Run Monte Carlo simulations
- Model different scenarios
- Test Coast FIRE assumptions
- Visualize future outcomes
Most retirement tools reserve their best features for paid users.
ProjectionLab gives you a lot to work with before asking you to spend a dollar.
That's one reason I still recommend it to newer investors and DIY planners.
3. Scenario Planning Remains Excellent
One of the most valuable aspects of retirement planning is testing assumptions.
ProjectionLab makes it easy to answer questions like:
- What happens if I retire at 55 instead of 60?
- What if my spending increases?
- What if I work part-time for a few years?
- What if I delay Social Security?
I've used the platform to compare different retirement ages and spending scenarios for my own family.
While the answers weren't always what I wanted to hear, the ability to test those assumptions has been extremely valuable.
4. It Stays Focused On DIY Planning
One thing I've always appreciated about ProjectionLab is that it stays focused on helping users build their own retirement plans.
There are no advisor sales calls.
No pressure to move your investments.
No assets-under-management pitch waiting around the corner.
Instead, ProjectionLab gives you the tools to explore different scenarios and make your own decisions.
As someone who enjoys understanding the numbers behind major financial decisions, I appreciate that approach.
For DIY investors, the platform feels more like a retirement planning laboratory than a financial services company.
You can test assumptions, compare outcomes, and build confidence in your plan without feeling like you're being guided toward a specific product or service.
That independence remains one of ProjectionLab's most appealing qualities.
Why These Features Still Matter
Retirement planning isn't about predicting the future perfectly.
It's about understanding your options.
ProjectionLab continues to do a great job helping users explore different paths and visualize potential outcomes.
For newer retirement planners and visual learners, that value proposition remains very strong.
What I Like Less About ProjectionLab Today
ProjectionLab is still a very good retirement planning tool.
But after nearly two years of use, there are a few areas where I think it has fallen behind some of its competitors.
1. I Wish Account Syncing Were More Seamless
One area where I think ProjectionLab still trails some competitors is how it handles financial data.
ProjectionLab doesn't sync directly with your bank and investment accounts the way tools like Boldin or Monarch Money do. Instead, it integrates with budgeting apps like Monarch Money, YNAB, and Lunch Money to bring your financial data into your retirement plan.
For me, that's an extra step.
That's not necessarily a dealbreaker. After all, I only review my retirement projections a few times per year.
But once you've experienced direct account syncing, it's hard to go back. I personally prefer having my balances update automatically inside the retirement planning tool itself rather than relying on a separate integration.
2. Innovation Has Slowed
One of the interesting things about using software for multiple years is that you start to notice how quickly products evolve.
In ProjectionLab's case, I haven't noticed major changes since I began using it.
That's not necessarily bad.
The platform works well.
The visualizations remain excellent.
The retirement planning tools are still useful.
But when I compare ProjectionLab with other fintech tools I've used recently, it feels like the pace of innovation has slowed.
3. An AI Assistant Would Be A Huge Improvement
One of my favorite additions to Boldin over the past year has been its AI assistant.
Retirement planning software can become complicated.
Sometimes you know what you want to change, but you don't know where to find the setting.
An AI assistant solves that problem.
ProjectionLab doesn't currently offer anything similar.
I think adding an AI guide could significantly improve the user experience, especially for newer investors who may feel overwhelmed by retirement planning concepts.
4. The Premium Version Isn't Essential For Everyone
I've used ProjectionLab Premium since November 2024. Full disclosure: my subscription was provided by ProjectionLab.
The Premium features are helpful, but I've realized I don't revisit my retirement plan often enough to get the full value from an annual subscription.
As a passive index fund investor, I typically update my retirement projections every six to twelve months—not every week or even every month.
For many DIY investors, the free Basic plan will provide everything they need to build a retirement plan, test different scenarios, and check in periodically.
If you're someone who enjoys regularly refining your assumptions and exploring new retirement strategies, Premium may be worth the upgrade. But for my investing style, I wouldn't feel the need to pay for it myself.
5. I've Outgrown It
This is probably the biggest change since my original review.
When I first started using ProjectionLab, it felt like exactly what I needed.
It helped me visualize retirement, explore Coast FIRE scenarios and think beyond my portfolio balance.
Today, I find myself wanting more depth.
More planning tools.
More automation.
More guidance.
That's one reason I've spent more time using Boldin recently.
ProjectionLab helped me better understand my retirement path.
But as my financial situation has become more complex, I've found myself gravitating toward tools that offer more robust planning capabilities.
That doesn't mean ProjectionLab is worse.
It simply means I've moved beyond its ideal use case.
Is This A Dealbreaker?
Not at all.
In fact, many people will see some of the things I've listed above as strengths rather than weaknesses.
ProjectionLab remains one of the best retirement planning tools available for visual learners and DIY planners.
I just think there are now stronger options available for investors looking for more advanced retirement planning capabilities.
ProjectionLab vs Boldin
After using both ProjectionLab and Boldin for more than a year, this is the comparison I get asked about most often.
The good news is that both are excellent retirement planning tools.
The bad news is that choosing between them isn't always easy.
While there is a lot of overlap between the two platforms, I've found that they appeal to slightly different types of users.
Where ProjectionLab Wins
Better Visualizations
This is ProjectionLab's superpower.
The timeline view, milestone markers, and overall user experience make retirement planning feel more intuitive and engaging.
If you're a visual learner, ProjectionLab is one of the best tools available.
Stronger Free Version
ProjectionLab gives users access to a surprisingly robust set of retirement planning tools at no cost.
You can model scenarios, run Monte Carlo simulations, and experiment with retirement assumptions without paying for a subscription.
That's a significant advantage for newer investors and DIY planners.
Simpler Experience
ProjectionLab generally feels less overwhelming.
The interface is cleaner.
The planning process feels more approachable.
And the visual nature of the platform makes it easier to understand what's happening.
Where Boldin Wins
More Comprehensive Planning
Boldin simply goes deeper.
The retirement planning tools are more robust.
The tax planning capabilities are stronger.
And there are more opportunities to customize your plan.
As my financial life has become more complex, I've found myself appreciating those additional layers of detail.
Account Syncing
This is a big one.
Boldin allows users to sync accounts directly through Plaid and other aggregators.
That means less manual work and more up-to-date projections.
ProjectionLab takes a different approach by integrating with budgeting apps like Monarch Money, YNAB, and Lunch Money rather than syncing directly with financial institutions.
Personally, I prefer Boldin's direct account syncing because it keeps everything in one place with less setup.
AI Assistance
One of my favorite additions to Boldin over the past year has been its AI assistant.
Whenever I need help finding a setting or adjusting a scenario, I can simply ask a question.
That functionality has made the platform much easier to use.
ProjectionLab currently doesn't offer anything similar.
Advisor Access
One advantage Boldin offers is the ability to connect with fee-only fiduciary financial advisors directly through the platform.
ProjectionLab also maintains a directory of independent advisors and coaches, but I appreciate Boldin's built-in approach for users who may want professional guidance alongside their retirement planning.
ProjectionLab vs Boldin Comparison
| Feature | ProjectionLab | Boldin |
|---|---|---|
| Visualizations | Excellent | Good |
| Free Version | Excellent | Good |
| Scenario Planning | Excellent | Excellent |
| Monte Carlo Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Account Syncing | Via Integrations | Yes |
| AI Assistant | No | Yes |
| Tax Planning | Good | Excellent |
| Advisor Access | Advisor Directory | Yes |
| Ease of Use | Excellent | Good |
| Overall Planning Depth | Very Good | Excellent |
Which One Would I Choose Today?
If you had asked me in 2025, my answer might have been different.
Today, if I could only keep one platform, I would choose Boldin.
That doesn't mean ProjectionLab isn't a great tool.
It absolutely is.
In fact, I still think ProjectionLab is one of the best retirement planning tools available for visual learners, Coast FIRE enthusiasts, and DIY investors who want a powerful free option.
But for my personal situation today, Boldin provides more of what I'm looking for.
The account syncing saves time.
The AI assistant makes navigation easier.
And the additional planning depth gives me more confidence when evaluating retirement decisions.
My Recommendation
Choose ProjectionLab if:
- You're a visual learner
- You prefer a simpler experience
- You want a powerful free retirement planning tool
- You're exploring Coast FIRE or early retirement
Choose Boldin if:
- You want account syncing
- You value AI-powered assistance
- You need deeper retirement planning tools
- You want access to fee-only fiduciary advisors
Both platforms are excellent.
I simply think Boldin has pulled ahead over the past year.
Who Should Use ProjectionLab?
ProjectionLab is a great fit for:
Visual Learners
If spreadsheets and retirement reports make your eyes glaze over, ProjectionLab's timeline view and milestone-based planning experience can make retirement planning much easier to understand.
Coast FIRE Seekers
ProjectionLab excels at helping users test different retirement ages, spending assumptions, and investment growth scenarios.
If you're trying to determine whether you're Coast FIRE or how close you are to reaching it, ProjectionLab can provide valuable insights.
DIY Retirement Planners
ProjectionLab gives users the tools to build and test retirement plans without needing an advisor.
If you enjoy understanding the numbers behind your financial decisions and making your own choices, you'll likely appreciate the platform.
Who Should Skip ProjectionLab?
ProjectionLab may not be the best fit if you:
- Want automatic account syncing
- Prefer access to financial advisors
- Need more advanced retirement planning tools
- Want AI-powered assistance
For those investors, I'd lean toward Boldin instead.
My Take
The ideal ProjectionLab user is someone who wants a visual understanding of their retirement future.
They're asking questions like:
- Can I retire early?
- Am I Coast FIRE?
- How much can I safely spend?
- What happens if I work a few extra years?
If those questions sound familiar, ProjectionLab is worth exploring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ProjectionLab free?
Yes. ProjectionLab offers a free version that allows users to build retirement projections, test scenarios, and explore their financial future.
Is ProjectionLab worth paying for?
It depends on how often you plan to use it.
The free Basic plan is surprisingly capable and gives most DIY investors a great way to build, save, and revisit their retirement plan.
If you're regularly updating your projections, testing new scenarios, and refining your assumptions, the Premium version can be worth the annual cost.
Personally, I only revisit my retirement plan every 6 to 12 months. For my investing style, the free Basic plan would likely meet my needs.
Is ProjectionLab better than Boldin?
For visualizations and ease of use, I give the edge to ProjectionLab.
For planning depth, account syncing, AI assistance, and advanced retirement analysis, I prefer Boldin.
If I could only keep one tool today, I would choose Boldin. However, ProjectionLab remains an excellent option for visual learners and DIY retirement planners.
Does ProjectionLab connect to bank accounts?
Not directly.
Unlike tools such as Boldin or Monarch Money, ProjectionLab doesn't sync directly with your bank or investment accounts.
However, it does integrate with budgeting apps like Monarch Money, YNAB, and Lunch Money, allowing you to import financial data into your retirement plan.
I still prefer the convenience of direct account syncing, but if you don't mind using an integration or updating your information manually, ProjectionLab works well.
Is ProjectionLab good for Coast FIRE planning?
Absolutely.
In my experience, ProjectionLab is one of the best tools available for evaluating Coast FIRE scenarios.
The platform makes it easy to test different spending levels, retirement ages, investment returns, and Social Security assumptions so you can better understand whether you're on track.
Final Thoughts: Is ProjectionLab Worth It?
When I first reviewed ProjectionLab in 2025, I gave it a perfect five-star rating.
After nearly two years of experience with the platform, I'd lower that rating slightly to 4.5 out of 5 stars.
That's not because ProjectionLab has become worse.
It's because the retirement planning software landscape has become more competitive.
ProjectionLab still offers some of the best visual retirement planning tools available today. The timeline view, scenario planning features, and user-friendly design make retirement planning easier to understand than many competing platforms.
For visual learners, Coast FIRE seekers, and DIY retirement planners, it's still an excellent choice.
That said, I believe Boldin has pulled ahead over the past year with deeper planning capabilities, account syncing, AI-powered assistance, and access to fee-only fiduciary advisors.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2025 Rating: 5.0 / 5
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2026 Rating: 4.5 / 5
Although my rating has dropped slightly since my original review, ProjectionLab remains one of the best retirement planning tools for visual learners and DIY investors.
If you're just getting started and want a powerful visual retirement planning tool, ProjectionLab is absolutely worth trying.
After nearly two years of using ProjectionLab, I'd still recommend it to visual learners and DIY investors. But if I were starting from scratch today and could only choose one platform, I'd choose Boldin.
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