4 best ProjectionLab alternatives in 2026
By Nicolas Straut
Key takeaways
- ProjectionLab costs $0 for Basic, $129 a year for Premium, and $549 a year for Pro, with no Lifetime plan on its pricing page as of October 26, 2026.1
- When choosing a ProjectionLab alternative, start with whether you want your accounts linked, because ProjectionLab doesn't link accounts and every software alternative here does.
- The best ProjectionLab alternatives are Boldin for linked accounts and tax planning at $168 a year, Empower for a free planner, and Facet if you want a person to build the plan.
In this article
- Why look for a ProjectionLab alternative?
- Best ProjectionLab alternatives at a glance
- The best ProjectionLab alternatives reviewed
- Other ProjectionLab alternatives people compare
- Methodology for choosing the best ProjectionLab alternatives
- How to choose a ProjectionLab alternative in 4 steps
- Frequently asked questions about ProjectionLab alternatives
Key takeaways
- ProjectionLab costs $0 for Basic, $129 a year for Premium, and $549 a year for Pro, with no Lifetime plan on its pricing page as of October 26, 2026.1
- When choosing a ProjectionLab alternative, start with whether you want your accounts linked, because ProjectionLab doesn't link accounts and every software alternative here does.
- The best ProjectionLab alternatives are Boldin for linked accounts and tax planning at $168 a year, Empower for a free planner, and Facet if you want a person to build the plan.
The closest ProjectionLab alternatives are Boldin, Empower, Origin, and Facet: the first three link your accounts, which ProjectionLab doesn't do, and Facet hands the plan to a person.2 Boldin is the nearest match as DIY planning software, Empower is free, and Origin adds budgeting. This guide compares four alternatives on price, linking, and Monte Carlo access.
Why look for a ProjectionLab alternative?
People look for a ProjectionLab alternative for three reasons: they're tired of entering balances by hand, they want to pay differently, or they want a person to check the plan. ProjectionLab doesn't link financial accounts directly, though its plugins sync YNAB balances and import Monarch Money and Lunch Money data. If you already use one of those apps, try the plugin before you switch, and read our ProjectionLab review for how it works.
Premium bills once a year at $129, and new customers can't buy a Lifetime plan. Boldin bills yearly too, at $168 for new subscriptions since October 15, 2026, so a switch to save money only works toward Empower's free planner or Origin's $99. Our Boldin vs ProjectionLab comparison prices the two side by side.
If you'd rather pay once for one answer, the Tweed retirement withdrawal plan orders your withdrawals, Roth conversions and Social Security filing ages for $79, paid once. It doesn't replace a planner you keep updating.
ProjectionLab calls its tools educational and has no planner of its own. Boldin sells a $3,200 plan checkup, and Facet charges a yearly flat fee.
Best ProjectionLab alternatives at a glance
The best ProjectionLab alternatives at a glance, with ProjectionLab in the first row for comparison.
| App | Best for | Kind | Links your accounts | Monte Carlo on the free plan | Yearly price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProjectionLab | Detailed what-if planning you build by hand | Planning software | No; plugins for YNAB, Monarch Money, and Lunch Money | Yes | Basic $0; Premium $129; Pro $549 |
| Boldin | Linked accounts and tax planning | Planning software | Yes, on PlannerPlus | No, PlannerPlus only | Basic free; PlannerPlus $168 |
| Empower | A free planner with linked accounts | Free dashboard with paid advice | Yes | Empower doesn't say | Free; advice 0.89% of assets from $100,000 |
| Origin | Budgeting with a forecast | Money app with an AI advisor | Yes | No free plan | $99 after a $1 first year |
| Facet | A person to build the plan | Flat-fee financial planning firm | Not a software plan | Not applicable | $2,600 to $8,700 |
Prices as each company published them, observed October 26, 2026, and subject to change.
The best ProjectionLab alternatives reviewed
Each ProjectionLab alternative below gets the same five facts, so you can compare them on the points that decide a switch.
1. Best for linked accounts and tax planning: Boldin
Ideal for
A pre-retiree who likes ProjectionLab's depth but wants balances to update on their own, with Social Security and Medicare modeled for a couple.
Our take
Boldin is the ProjectionLab alternative for linked accounts and tax planning, because PlannerPlus links your accounts and adds a Roth conversion explorer, a Social Security explorer, and Medicare and IRMAA planning.3 PlannerPlus costs $168 a year for new subscriptions since October 15, 2026, up from $144, while current subscribers keep their price.4 That makes it $39 a year more than ProjectionLab Premium for a new subscriber, not the $15 older comparisons quote.
Boldin Advisors, an SEC-registered adviser, sells a one-time plan checkup for $3,200. Our Boldin review covers each plan, and Boldin vs ProjectionLab runs the head to head.
| Spec | Boldin |
|---|---|
| Kind | Planning software |
| Best for | Linked accounts and tax planning |
| Links your accounts | Yes, on PlannerPlus |
| Monte Carlo on the free plan | No, PlannerPlus only |
| Yearly price | Basic free; PlannerPlus $168 |
Pros
- Links your accounts on PlannerPlus
- Roth conversion, Social Security, and Medicare planning
- An optional checkup from a registered adviser
Cons
- Monte Carlo is on the paid plan only
- Costs more than ProjectionLab Premium for new subscribers
- Basic leaves out tax insights and the Roth and Social Security explorers
2. Best free planner with linked accounts: Empower
Ideal for
Someone who used ProjectionLab mainly to check whether they're on track and would rather link accounts than keep inputs current.
Our take
Empower is the ProjectionLab alternative for a free planner, because its dashboard links your accounts and includes a retirement planner at no cost. Its advisory tiers start at $100,000 at 0.89% a year, with dedicated advisors from $250,000.5 Linking $100,000 or more often brings calls from its advisors.
Our Empower review covers the dashboard and each advisory tier, and Empower alternatives lists apps that replace it.
| Spec | Empower |
|---|---|
| Kind | Free dashboard with paid advice |
| Best for | A free planner with linked accounts |
| Links your accounts | Yes |
| Monte Carlo on the free plan | Empower doesn't say |
| Yearly price | Free; advice 0.89% of assets from $100,000 |
Pros
- The planner and dashboard cost nothing
- Accounts update on their own
- Shows what your funds charge in fees
Cons
- Far fewer what-if controls than ProjectionLab
- Sales calls after you link larger balances
- Advice costs a percentage of assets
3. Best for budgeting with a forecast: Origin
Ideal for
A household that wants spending, net worth, and a long-range forecast in one app, with a partner included.
Our take
Origin is the ProjectionLab alternative for budgeting with a forecast, because it adds a budget built from your spending to net worth tracking and a forecast of 1,000 Monte Carlo simulations. It costs $99 after a $1 first year, and a partner joins at no extra cost. Its AI Advisor runs through Origin Investment Advisory LLC, an SEC-registered adviser (CRD 305353), and CFP sessions cost extra.
Our Origin Financial review covers the renewal price and what leaving costs.
| Spec | Origin |
|---|---|
| Kind | Money app with an AI advisor |
| Best for | Budgeting with a forecast |
| Links your accounts | Yes |
| Monte Carlo on the free plan | No free plan |
| Yearly price | $99 after a $1 first year |
Pros
- Budgeting and planning in one app
- $99 a year with a partner included
- A registered adviser behind the AI Advisor
Cons
- No free plan to keep
- The forecast centers on one growth rate you set
- CFP sessions are paid add-ons
4. Best for a person to build the plan: Facet
Ideal for
Someone who built the model and now wants a Certified Financial Planner to check it and act on it.
Our take
Facet is the ProjectionLab alternative for a person, because it pairs you with a CFP for a flat $2,600, $5,500, or $8,700 a year. Every membership is annual and non-refundable.
Range is the other flat-fee firm Tweed has reviewed. Our Facet review and Range review cover each firm's tiers and terms.
| Spec | Facet |
|---|---|
| Kind | Flat-fee financial planning firm |
| Best for | A person to build the plan |
| Links your accounts | Not a software plan |
| Monte Carlo on the free plan | Not applicable |
| Yearly price | $2,600 to $8,700 |
Pros
- A CFP who acts as a fiduciary
- A flat fee, not a percentage of assets
- Planning and investing in one place
Cons
- Costs about 20 times ProjectionLab Premium at the lowest tier
- An annual, non-refundable commitment
- You don't run the scenarios yourself
Other ProjectionLab alternatives people compare
Other ProjectionLab alternatives people compare are planners and tools Tweed hasn't reviewed yet, plus AI apps that answer questions about your current balances. MaxiFi and Pralana model taxes and Social Security in detail, and WealthTrace is another paid planner.
FICalc and cFIREsim test withdrawals against past markets for free. Ghostfolio and Ignidash are open-source tools you can host yourself, and FinancialAha sells spreadsheet templates.
CFO Silvia and Mezzi answer questions about the accounts you have today, not a 30-year plan, and our CFO Silvia review and Mezzi review cover both. Monarch Money is a budgeting app with a ProjectionLab import plugin.
Methodology for choosing the best ProjectionLab alternatives
We started from the apps named by Google's AI Overview, the r/Bogleheads thread at the top of the results, and the comparison pages on the first page. We dropped software sold only to advisors, such as RightCapital, and kept tools a US individual can use.
We checked each pick's price on its own pricing page or terms and its adviser registration on the SEC's adviser register, then picked one app per reason a ProjectionLab user would switch. Prices were read on October 26, 2026.
How to choose a ProjectionLab alternative in 4 steps
To choose a ProjectionLab alternative, decide whether you want your accounts linked, then compare free plans, five-year cost, and how you'll move your plan.
Step 1: Decide whether you want your accounts linked
Linking saves you the updates, but it shares your logins with an aggregator. ProjectionLab's no-linking design is the reason some people chose it, so switch only if manual entry is the problem.
Step 2: Check what each free plan includes
ProjectionLab Basic includes Monte Carlo for free, Boldin keeps it on PlannerPlus, and Origin has no free plan. Empower's planner is free, though Empower doesn't say how it models returns. Build the same plan in each free tier before you pay.
Step 3: Price each planner over five years
Five years at today's list prices runs from $0 for Empower's planner to $840 for Boldin PlannerPlus. Any of these prices can change at renewal.
| Planner | Five years at list price |
|---|---|
| ProjectionLab Premium | $645 |
| Boldin PlannerPlus | $840 |
| Origin, with its first-year offer | $397 |
| Empower's planner | $0 |
Step 4: Export your ProjectionLab plan before you cancel
Export a JSON backup and a PDF report before you cancel, because you'll re-enter your inputs in the next app. The ProjectionLab review covers cancelling and refunds.
Before you pay for any planner, run your numbers in the free Tweed Monte Carlo retirement calculator, which needs no account. Then check single decisions with the Tweed Roth Conversion Plan and the Tweed Social Security Claiming Plan. The retirement withdrawal plan puts both in one year-by-year schedule with which account to spend from first.
Year one free
Plan which account to spend from first
Frequently asked questions about ProjectionLab alternatives
Is there a free alternative to ProjectionLab?
There is a free alternative to ProjectionLab for most uses, starting with ProjectionLab's own Basic plan, which includes Monte Carlo simulations. Empower's retirement planner is free and links your accounts. The Tweed Monte Carlo retirement calculator runs without an account, and FICalc and cFIREsim test withdrawals against past markets for free.
Is a spreadsheet a good ProjectionLab alternative?
A spreadsheet is a good ProjectionLab alternative if you want to see every formula and keep your data in your own files. You'll build the Monte Carlo trials, tax brackets, and Roth conversion logic yourself, which takes hours and is easy to get wrong. Templates help, but you still update every balance by hand.
Can you import a ProjectionLab plan into another app?
We found no way to import a ProjectionLab plan into Boldin, Empower, Origin, or Facet, so plan on rebuilding it. Export a JSON backup and a PDF report from ProjectionLab first. Then link your accounts in the new app and re-enter income, expenses, and milestones by hand.
Sources
- https://projectionlab.com/pricing
- https://projectionlab.com/help/plugins
- https://www.boldin.com/retirement/pricing/
- https://www.boldin.com/retirement/plannerplus-price-increase-october-2026/
- https://www.empower.com/products-solutions/wealth-management
Prices and plans are as each company published them on October 26, 2026, and can change. Tweed describes these apps and doesn't recommend one for your situation.
Personal finance writer, former Forbes contributor and This Week in Fintech writer. He isn't a financial advisor or a CPA.
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