ProjectionLab

Overview

ProjectionLab is a personal finance and retirement planning tool for people who want to explore how life changes, taxes, investments and withdrawals may affect their finances over time. It suits individuals who are comfortable entering and maintaining their own financial inputs, and advisors or coaches who need a separate client-oriented tier. Its breadth of scenario modeling is a strength; the lack of direct account connections is a meaningful trade-off.

Key features

ProjectionLab brings life milestones, cash flow, estimated taxes, investment strategies, account types, withdrawals and estate outcomes into a flexible planning model. Monte Carlo simulations and historical backtesting offer two ways to examine possible outcomes, rather than treating a single forecast as certain. That makes the product relevant to users comparing strategies, though results depend on the assumptions they supply.

Premium expands the model with tax optimization, Roth conversions, ACA subsidies, tax estimation, capital gains harvesting and advanced analytics. International tax presets and account types cover examples including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands, which can help users planning outside a U.S.-only framework. Plugins can sync Lunch Money and YNAB data, import Monarch Money data, or support custom automations; they are made by third parties, so they are not the equivalent of native account linking.

ProjectionLab does not directly connect to bank or brokerage accounts. Users can plan without sharing account numbers, but must bring financial inputs into the model themselves. The maker says data is encrypted in transit with HTTPS/TLS and at rest with AES-256, uses multifactor authentication and SOC 2 aligned controls, does not sell user data or share planning data for advertising or marketing, and allows users to export or delete their planning data.

Pricing

The freemium structure gives individuals a way to start without a subscription, while the paid tiers add depth and an advisor-facing option.

• Basic — $0 / year. Includes forecasting, financial planning, Monte Carlo simulations, historical backtesting and flexible modeling. It is a useful starting point for core scenario work, but omits the Premium additions such as tax optimization, withdrawal strategies, estate planning, multiple plans, advanced analytics and international planning.
• Premium — $129 / year. Includes everything in Basic plus cash-flow projections, tax optimization, withdrawal strategies, estate planning, multiple plans, advanced analytics, international planning, flexible spending and premium support. It is the fit for individuals who want a more complete planning model and tax-oriented tools. A 7-day trial gives prospective subscribers a short evaluation period.
• Pro — $549 / year. Includes everything in Premium, 10 client seats and a directory listing; additional clients cost $2/month. It is designed for financial advisors and coaches who need client management tools, rather than for a household simply planning its own finances.

Platforms

ProjectionLab is a web app that can be installed on a mobile device as a Progressive Web App. Despite Android and iOS platform labels, the maker says it does not currently offer a formal mobile app. That distinction matters for users who require a dedicated native app; the web-based approach may still suit those comfortable accessing a mobile browser experience. The platform list also includes API.

Who it's for

Basic and Premium are aimed at personal financial planning, especially for users who want to compare retirement and other life scenarios with detailed tax, savings, income and withdrawal projections. International presets broaden its relevance, and third-party plugins offer some routes to bring in data. It is less suitable for users who expect automatic bank or brokerage synchronization or want a dedicated mobile app. Pro is the appropriate tier for advisors and coaches who need client management, with its 10 included seats and paid additional clients.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A broad model spans milestones, cash flow, tax, investments, withdrawals and estate outcomes, with Monte Carlo simulations and historical backtesting for exploring uncertainty.
• Pros: Premium adds tax and international planning capabilities, while Pro extends the product to client-oriented advisor and coach workflows.
• Pros: Users can plan without giving ProjectionLab account numbers or connecting financial accounts, and the maker says users can export or delete planning data.
• Cons: There is no direct account synchronization, so users must manage inputs themselves; third-party plugins are only a partial alternative.
• Cons: Mobile access is through an installable web app, not a formal native app.
• Cons: Basic lacks several of the more advanced planning tools, making Premium the more relevant choice for users who need tax optimization, multiple plans or estate planning.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of options, compare Financial Planning Software and Retirement Planning Software. For business-oriented advisor requirements, Xplan offers packages and modules selected to fit business requirements, with pricing by contacting Iress. Orion Portfolio Accounting is a paid option whose Foundation plan starts at $13,000 annually and includes billing and reporting, Orion Planning, and a client portal and mobile app.

eMoney Advisor is another paid option with a Pro plan whose pricing varies by organizational needs; it offers cash flow planning, CoPlanner and a client portal. AstuteWheel may suit web-based adviser workflows, with a free Admin subscription that requires adviser subscriptions and a $25.00 AUD per user monthly Paraplanner plan, plus GST. myprosperity is a freemium alternative with a free Starter client subscription that includes one-time bank and credit card sync and one-time property and car valuations.

Betterment is a freemium alternative with Digital and Premium plans tied to eligible deposit or investment balance thresholds. MyPlan offers a free individual plan covering net worth and portfolio tracking, goal planning and projections, expense tracking and budgeting, secure document storage, and estate planning tools. Boldin is a freemium alternative whose Basic plan includes 100+ inputs, two interactive explorers, 10+ charts and up to five Boldin AI questions per day; PlannerPlus costs $144.00 per year.

Verdict

ProjectionLab is a strong fit for individuals who want flexible, detailed financial and retirement scenario modeling without linking bank or brokerage accounts, and for advisors or coaches who can use Pro's client seats. Its central advantage is the range of planning dimensions and analysis methods in one model. Look elsewhere if automatic account synchronization or a formal mobile app is essential.