Boldin vs ProjectionLab for retirement planning in 2026

Free plans and trials

On the free plan, ProjectionLab wins, because its Basic plan includes Monte Carlo simulations and historical backtesting, and Boldin's comparison table puts Monte Carlo in PlannerPlus.³ Boldin Basic gives you 100+ inputs, scenarios, two interactive explorers, limited questions to Boldin AI, and up to five alerts.

On the trial, Boldin wins with 14 days vs ProjectionLab's 7, and both bill their consumer plans once a year. ProjectionLab sells Premium annually only, so a monthly Premium price you see quoted elsewhere isn't on offer. ProjectionLab reviews refund requests case by case, and Boldin says you can cancel anytime.

Build the same plan in both free plans before you pay, and check which one answers your question. Start the paid trial only once the plan is built, so the trial days go to the paid features.

Linking your accounts

On linking your accounts, Boldin wins, because PlannerPlus links accounts through the top three aggregators and ProjectionLab doesn't support linking financial accounts directly.⁴ ProjectionLab's plugins sync balances from YNAB, budgeting data from Lunch Money, and imports from Monarch Money, so if you already use one of those, you get part of the way there. ProjectionLab says account linking is on its public roadmap and still up for debate in its community, so plan on entering balances by hand.

Roth conversions and tax planning

On Roth conversions and tax planning, it's close to a tie, because both put Roth conversion modeling and tax projections in the paid tier. Boldin PlannerPlus lists a Roth conversion explorer and state and federal tax projections, and ProjectionLab Premium lists Roth conversions, tax optimization, tax estimation, capital gains harvesting, and ACA subsidies. For a 10-year conversion schedule without a subscription, run the Tweed Roth Conversion Plan.

Social Security and health care costs

On Social Security and health care costs, Boldin comes out ahead for most retirees, because PlannerPlus adds healthcare cost estimates and Boldin markets a Social Security explorer that compares claiming ages for you and a spouse. ProjectionLab estimates your Social Security benefit from your projected earnings and lets you change the claiming age, and Premium models ACA subsidies for the years before Medicare. To compare claiming ages on their own, use the Tweed Social Security Claiming Plan.

Help from a financial planner

On help from a financial planner, Boldin wins, because Boldin Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, sells a one-time plan checkup for a $3,200 flat fee.⁵ The checkup includes a written plan of action, portfolio analysis, withdrawal strategies, and Roth conversion recommendations, per Boldin's pricing page. ProjectionLab gives no financial advice, lists advisors who use its software in a directory, and sells one-on-one sessions that teach you the software.

If you pay for one year

If you pay for one year, you'll pay $168 for Boldin PlannerPlus and $129 for ProjectionLab Premium, a $39 difference.

If you keep it for five years

If you keep it for five years, you'll pay $840 for Boldin and $645 for ProjectionLab at today's prices, a $195 difference.

Either price can change at renewal, so read the renewal notice before the charge goes through.

If you want a CFP to check your plan

If you want a CFP to check your plan, you'll pay $3,200 for Boldin Advisors' flat-fee checkup, and ProjectionLab has no planner of its own to sell. A ProjectionLab user would pay an outside advisor, such as one from its directory, at a fee that advisor sets. Whether $3,200 once is worth it to you depends on how many decisions the review settles.

Choose Boldin if

• You want your accounts linked so balances update without manual entry
• You want the option of a one-time $3,200 plan checkup from an SEC-registered adviser
• You want an AI assistant that answers questions about your plan and updates it on request
• You'd like tax returns and estate documents kept in an encrypted vault that Boldin AI can reference

Choose ProjectionLab if

• You want Monte Carlo simulations and historical backtesting on a free plan
• You'd rather not link your accounts, or you already track balances in YNAB, Monarch Money, or Lunch Money
• You want to pay $39 a year less than a new Boldin subscription
• You plan in another country, or you want to model ACA subsidies before Medicare