Projection Lab is built by and for spreadsheet people — and we mean that as a compliment. Its scenario modeling is detailed, thoughtful, and deeply customizable. The limitation isn't depth, it's connectivity: every number is manually entered. Rikdom connects your projections to your actual accounts, budgets, and transactions so your model updates itself.
Two philosophies
Projection Lab is a sophisticated financial model. Rikdom is a financial operating system. They solve adjacent problems — here's the distinction:
"If you love modeling edge cases — Roth conversion ladders with specific marginal tax brackets across 30 years — Projection Lab may have more granular controls. Rikdom's advantage is that it stays current without you lifting a finger."
— The honest trade-offBeyond projections
Most Projection Lab users also use a separate tool for budgeting and a separate tool for investment tracking. Rikdom consolidates all three.
Banks, brokerages, and real assets update automatically. Your net worth and projection inputs are always current — no manual entry required.
YNAB-style envelope budgeting built in. Your actual spending informs your projections — no more guessing at your annual expenses.
Projection Lab models future taxes. Rikdom also helps you reduce them today by scanning for harvestable losses and tracking wash sale windows.
Ask questions across your budgets, investments, and projections. "What if I increase my 401k contribution by 5%?" gets answered with your real data.
| Capability | Projection Lab | Rikdom Essentials | Rikdom Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Projections | |||
| Monte Carlo simulations | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Scenario comparison | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Detailed tax modeling (Roth, SS) | ✓ | — | Basic |
| Live data integration | — | — | ✓ |
| Day-to-Day Management | |||
| Automatic account sync | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zero-based budgeting | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transaction categorization | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Net worth dashboard | Manual | ✓ | ✓ |
| Optimization | |||
| Tax-loss harvesting detection | — | — | ✓ |
| Smart rebalancing alerts | — | — | ✓ |
| AI-powered insights | — | — | ✓ |
| Community benchmarks | — | — | ✓ |
| Retirement Planning | |||
| Roth conversion analysis | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Social Security optimization | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Withdrawal strategy modeling | Basic | — | ✓ |
| Financial health report (PDF) | — | — | ✓ |
| Pricing | |||
| Annual cost | $129 | $80 | $140 |
Beyond projections, Rikdom's Community Benchmarks show where you stand relative to your income peers — savings rate, emergency fund depth, and six other metrics. Differentially private, anonymous, and gated behind a minimum contributor threshold.