Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center vs ProjectionLab

Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center9.3Visit ProjectionLab9.0Visit

Higher score Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center #2 in Retirement Planning Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Fidelity

vs

ProjectionLab #4 in Retirement Planning Software 9.0/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit ProjectionLab

• Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center fits best

  Fidelity customers wanting free, connected planning

• ProjectionLab fits best

  Visual planners wanting free scenario analysis

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Side by side

Feature	Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center 9.3/10 Visit ↗	ProjectionLab 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.0
Ranking	#2 in Retirement Planning Software	#4 in Retirement Planning Software
Best for	Fidelity customers wanting free, connected planning	Visual planners wanting free scenario analysis
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free	$129/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	7 days
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Integrations	3 integrations	4 integrations
Features Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center 5/5 · ProjectionLab 5/5
Income projection	✓	✓
Savings growth projection	✓	✓
Withdrawal planning	✓	✓
Social Security modeling	✓	✓
Scenario analysis	✓	✓
Specs
Tax modeling	Detailed	Detailed
Account synchronization	Read_only	None
Our review
Pros	Models retirement income, savings growth and withdrawal strategies Estimates federal, state and local taxes and Social Security benefits Connects Fidelity and external accounts through Full View	Free Basic plan includes forecasting, Monte Carlo, and historical backtesting Premium adds tax optimization, withdrawal strategies, and estate planning Compare what-if plans and model Social Security and legacy outcomes
Cons	Plans are informational and hypothetical, not actual tax calculations External account data is read-only; manually entered accounts do not update Investment expenses and trading or transaction fees may still apply	Financial information must be entered manually Direct financial-account linking is not supported Pro costs $549 per year, above Premium at $129 per year
Our verdict	Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center gives Fidelity customers and workplace-plan participants a free way to assess retirement readiness and plan other financial goals. It considers savings, future contributions, income sources, expenses,… Read the review →	ProjectionLab is web-based financial and retirement planning software for individuals, couples, and financial advisors who want to model long-term plans. It covers income, expenses, investments, taxes, withdrawals, and estate outcomes,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center — where it wins

  • Models retirement income, savings growth and withdrawal strategies
  • Estimates federal, state and local taxes and Social Security benefits
  • Connects Fidelity and external accounts through Full View

  Where it doesn't

  • Plans are informational and hypothetical, not actual tax calculations
  • External account data is read-only; manually entered accounts do not update
  • Investment expenses and trading or transaction fees may still apply

• ProjectionLab — where it wins

  • Free Basic plan includes forecasting, Monte Carlo, and historical backtesting
  • Premium adds tax optimization, withdrawal strategies, and estate planning
  • Compare what-if plans and model Social Security and legacy outcomes

  Where it doesn't

  • Financial information must be entered manually
  • Direct financial-account linking is not supported
  • Pro costs $549 per year, above Premium at $129 per year

• Fidelity Planning & Guidance Center9.3/10 · Free plan

  A free planner with tax, Social Security, withdrawal and what-if analysis.

  Visit FidelityFull verdict →
• ProjectionLab9.0/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A visual retirement planner with free projections and paid tax, withdrawal, and scenario tools.

  Visit ProjectionLabFull verdict →