Best DIY Retirement Planning Tools & ProjectionLab Alternatives
ProjectionLab sets the standard for DIY retirement planning with its 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations, historical backtesting, and privacy-first design. But depending on your planning needs, budget, and technical comfort level, these alternatives each offer unique advantages — from free community tools to comprehensive financial planning suites with AI coaching.
TL;DR — Quick Answer
Our #1 pick: Boldin (NewRetirement) — Complex financial situations with multiple income streams, rental properties, and phased retirement. (Free basic / $144/yr PlannerPlus). Also worth considering: Empower and Monarch Money.
At a Glance — 6 Tools Compared
Rankings based on hands-on testing by the Velocity AI Insights editorial team. Factors include features, pricing, ease of use, and customer support. Last updated 2025-06-23.
Quick Summary
Boldin (NewRetirement)
Complex financial situations with multiple income streams, rental properties, and phased retirement
Empower
Free portfolio tracking with built-in retirement planning — best starting point
Monarch Money
Couples and families who need budgeting, account tracking, and basic financial planning in one tool
cFIREsim
Quick FIRE calculations and historical backtesting without creating an account
RightCapital
Financial advisors who need client-facing reports, compliance tools, and practice management
Fidelity Planning & Guidance
Fidelity customers who want integrated retirement planning without additional cost
Why People Are Leaving ProjectionLab
ProjectionLab is a privacy-first retirement simulation platform offering 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations, historical backtesting against 150+ years of market data, and tax optimization tools for DIY investors and FIRE seekers.
ProjectionLab Premium at $129/yr may exceed your budget for financial planning tools
You want automatic account aggregation instead of manual data entry
Your financial situation requires 250+ planning variables that ProjectionLab doesn't cover
You need advisor-grade reporting and client-facing presentation tools
You prefer a free tool for basic FIRE calculations before investing in a premium platform
You want AI-powered coaching and recommendations alongside planning tools
Quick Comparison
6 Best ProjectionLab Alternatives — Detailed Reviews
1. Boldin (NewRetirement)
Free basic / $144/yr PlannerPlus
Best for: Complex financial situations with multiple income streams, rental properties, and phased retirement
Boldin offers 250+ financial variables — significantly more than ProjectionLab. If your retirement involves rental income, self-employment, phased work reduction, or complex pension structures, Boldin's granularity captures nuances that simpler tools miss. The AI coaching feature also provides personalized recommendations.
Key Advantage: 250+ input variables for modeling the most complex financial situations available
Pros
Most affordable premium retirement planner at just $12/mo ($144/yr)
250+ data points provides advisor-level modeling depth for DIY users
Boldin AI assistant answers questions in plain language — no financial jargon needed
Free tier is genuinely useful with core projections and Social Security explorer
Cons
Free version uses conservative default assumptions that can skew projections pessimistically
Customizing inflation and rate-of-return assumptions requires the paid PlannerPlus tier
Not tailored for niche financial paths like medical professionals with high student loans
$3,200 advisor service is expensive for a single checkup
2. Empower
Free dashboard / Advisory at 0.49-0.89% AUM
Best for: Free portfolio tracking with built-in retirement planning — best starting point
Empower's free dashboard is unmatched for passive wealth monitoring. Automatic account aggregation, investment fee analysis, and a built-in Retirement Planner give you a solid overview without spending a dollar. While the planning depth can't match ProjectionLab, the free price and automatic tracking make it the perfect companion tool.
Key Advantage: Completely free investment tracking, fee analysis, and retirement planning in one dashboard
3. Monarch Money
$14.99/mo or $99.99/yr
Best for: Couples and families who need budgeting, account tracking, and basic financial planning in one tool
If you need day-to-day budgeting alongside long-term planning, Monarch Money fills the gap ProjectionLab leaves. Beautiful transaction categorization, collaborative features for couples, and investment tracking make it the best Mint replacement. Retirement planning is basic, but daily financial management is exceptional.
Key Advantage: Best all-in-one budgeting and account management for households — replaced Mint for millions
4. cFIREsim
Completely free and open-source
Best for: Quick FIRE calculations and historical backtesting without creating an account
cFIREsim is the FIRE community's go-to free tool for historical success rate analysis. If you just need to answer "will my money last?" without tax optimization or complex scenario planning, cFIREsim delivers immediate results with zero cost. It's also open-source, so the community can verify its methodology.
Key Advantage: 100% free, open-source FIRE calculator trusted by the financial independence community
5. RightCapital
$149/mo Advisor Core / $249/mo Advisor Plus
Best for: Financial advisors who need client-facing reports, compliance tools, and practice management
If you're a financial advisor, RightCapital offers comprehensive client-facing planning that ProjectionLab Pro can't fully match. Beautiful presentation-ready reports, CRM integrations, estate planning modules, and compliance features make it the industry standard for advisory practices serving high-net-worth clients.
Key Advantage: Industry-leading advisor platform with client reporting, compliance, and CRM integration
6. Fidelity Planning & Guidance
Free for Fidelity account holders
Best for: Fidelity customers who want integrated retirement planning without additional cost
If you're already a Fidelity customer, their free Planning & Guidance Center automatically syncs with your investments and provides a guided retirement planning experience. While it lacks ProjectionLab's simulation depth, the zero cost and automatic account integration make it the easiest starting point for Fidelity users.
Key Advantage: Free and automatically integrated with Fidelity accounts — zero setup required
Our Verdict
Best for complexity: Boldin — if your financial life involves multiple income streams, real estate, or phased retirement, Boldin's 250+ variables handle nuances others can't.
Best free option: Empower + cFIREsim — use Empower for daily portfolio tracking and cFIREsim for quick FIRE calculations, then graduate to ProjectionLab for serious execution planning.
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