Financial PlanningUpdated 2025-06-23
ProjectionLab vs Empower
ProjectionLab and Empower represent fundamentally different approaches to retirement planning. ProjectionLab is a dedicated simulation engine built for DIY investors who want mathematical rigor and complete privacy. Empower (formerly Personal Capital) is a free wealth management dashboard that aggregates all your accounts and offers retirement planning as part of a broader financial overview. Choosing between them depends on whether you prioritize planning depth or account aggregation convenience.
TL;DR — Quick Verdict
ProjectionLab → wins this comparison with a score of 47.5 vs 45.5. Privacy-conscious DIY investors who want deep retirement simulations without linking accounts. Empower is better if you need: investors who want free portfolio tracking with built-in retirement planning as a starting point.
Quick Facts — ProjectionLab vs Empower
Winner: ProjectionLab
ProjectionLab Rating: 4.7/5
ProjectionLab Pricing: Free - $129/yr
ProjectionLab Best For: Privacy-conscious DIY investors who want deep retirement simulations without linking accounts
Score: 47.5 vs 45.5
Empower Rating: 4.4/5
Empower Pricing: Free / Advisory 0.49-0.89% AUM
Empower Best For: Investors who want free portfolio tracking with built-in retirement planning as a starting point
Categories compared: Simulation Depth, Portfolio Tracking, Privacy & Security, Tax Optimization, Ease of Use, Value for Money. Analysis by the Velocity AI Insights editorial team. Last updated 2025-06-23.
OVERALL WINNER
📊
ProjectionLab
Privacy-First Retirement Simulation Engine
4.7
Free - $129/yr
Basic free (ad-hoc projections, no saving). Premium $129/year with unlimited plans and advanced features. Lifetime $1,199 one-time payment. Pro for advisors $549/year.
Best For
Privacy-conscious DIY investors who want deep retirement simulations without linking accounts
Strengths
10,000 Monte Carlo simulations for statistically robust projections
Historical backtesting against market data from 1871
Privacy-first — zero account linking required
Compare Mode for side-by-side scenario analysis
Roth conversion and ACA subsidy optimization
Lifetime option eliminates recurring costs forever
Weaknesses
$129/yr to save plans — free tier is limited
Manual data entry for all accounts
Steep learning curve for beginners
No automatic portfolio tracking or rebalancing
💰
Empower
Free Wealth Management Dashboard
4.4
Free / Advisory 0.49-0.89% AUM
Dashboard completely free with investment tracking, fee analysis, and retirement planner. Advisory services start at 0.89% AUM for accounts under $1M, dropping to 0.49% for $10M+.
Best For
Investors who want free portfolio tracking with built-in retirement planning as a starting point
Strengths
Completely free investment tracking and net worth dashboard
Automatic account aggregation via Plaid
Investment fee analyzer identifies hidden costs
Retirement Planner included at no cost
Asset allocation analysis and rebalancing suggestions
Large advisor team available for managed accounts
Weaknesses
Retirement Planner lacks depth of dedicated tools
Aggressive upselling to paid advisory services
Account linking requires sharing credentials via Plaid
Limited tax optimization and Roth conversion modeling
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Scores out of 100 based on capability depth, market feedback, and implementation quality.
ProjectionLab
Empower
Simulation Depth
ProjectionLab: 9.5vsEmpower: 6
Portfolio Tracking
ProjectionLab: 4vsEmpower: 9.5
Privacy & Security
ProjectionLab: 9.5vsEmpower: 6
Tax Optimization
ProjectionLab: 9vsEmpower: 5.5
Ease of Use
ProjectionLab: 7vsEmpower: 9
Value for Money
ProjectionLab: 8.5vsEmpower: 9.5
47.5
Total Score
ProjectionLab wins 2 points
45.5
Total Score
Ready to Try ProjectionLab?
ProjectionLab scored 47.5 vs 45.5 — privacy-conscious diy investors who want deep retirement simulations without linking accounts.
Not Sure Yet?
See all 3 tools compared — Best Retirement Planning Tools
Side-by-side pricing, features, and our #1 pick
Detailed Analysis
Our Verdict
Based on hands-on analysis across 6 categories by the Velocity AI Insights editorial team.
ProjectionLab wins for serious retirement planning — its Monte Carlo engine, historical backtesting, and tax optimization tools are in a different league. Empower wins for passive portfolio monitoring — its free dashboard is the best way to track net worth and investment fees across all accounts. The ideal setup: use Empower for daily account tracking and ProjectionLab for deep retirement scenario planning.
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