Net Worth

$385KTop 42%

PeakWorth

$4.2M+$182K

FI Age

50y 1m-11mo

2 min

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Comparisons Decision

PeakWorth™ vs ProjectionLab — The Two Modern FI Planning Tools

ProjectionLab is the power-user spreadsheet replacement for the FIRE community. PeakWorth covers the same lifetime projection job with a faster onboarding, dual-income-first design, and a built-in AI advisor.

Key facts

ProjectionLab price

$108/yr or $228 lifetime

ProjectionLab strength

Power-user depth

PeakWorth strength

Speed + dual-income + AI

Quick Start time

ProjectionLab ~30 min, PeakWorth ~2 min

What ProjectionLab does well

ProjectionLab earned its strong reputation in the FIRE community. It's the closest thing to 'replace your retirement planning spreadsheet with a real app.' Deep configurability, probabilistic simulation, custom asset classes, and a UI that respects the user's intelligence.

  • Highly configurable — almost every input can be tuned
  • Probabilistic simulation with historical data
  • Strong scenario comparison
  • Active development and engaged community

Where PeakWorth differs

PeakWorth is opinionated where ProjectionLab is configurable. That's a deliberate trade-off: most users don't want to spend 30 minutes tuning simulation seed values — they want to know their FI Age in 2 minutes. PeakWorth picks sensible defaults, gets you to a real answer fast, then lets you refine.

  • 2-minute onboarding (vs 30+ in ProjectionLab) with no signup required
  • Dual-income household modeling as a first-class concept (not bolted on)
  • The Decision Hub (buy vs rent, debt payoff order, bonus allocation, retirement account optimization, etc.)
  • AI advisor that explains the projection and tradeoffs in plain English
  • PeakWorth — your highest projected lifetime net worth, not just FI age
  • Free Quick Start with no credit card or email

Which one is right for you

Choose ProjectionLab if you're a spreadsheet power-user who wants every dial. Choose PeakWorth if you want fast, opinionated answers, dual-income support, and an AI advisor explaining tradeoffs. Some serious planners use both — ProjectionLab for deep what-ifs, PeakWorth for the daily 'how does this decision affect my plan' question.

How PeakWorth gets you to a dated FI Age in minutes

ProjectionLab reaches a similar destination — a modeled FI age — but expects you to configure the route first. PeakWorth front-loads sensible defaults so the year-by-year deterministic simulation to age 95 (taxes, employer match, Social Security, inflation, dual incomes) runs on the handful of numbers you can give it in two minutes, then lets you refine.

Either way the output is the same kind of answer: your FI Age, the calendar year your portfolio reaches ~25× the expenses it must cover after Social Security — roughly 20× your total annual expenses. The difference is you see that dated year before you've finished your coffee, and every refinement updates it live.

PeakWorth vs ProjectionLab — head to head

Two modern FI planners. ProjectionLab is the configurable power-user tool; PeakWorth is fast, dual-income-first, and includes an AI advisor. Some serious planners use both. Confirm current terms on ProjectionLab's site.

PeakWorth
ProjectionLab
Annual fee
Flat $119.88/yr (~$9.99/mo); free Quick Start, no signup
$108/yr or $228 lifetime
Account minimum
$0 — free Quick Start, no signup
$0 — doesn't custody assets
Automated portfolio management
No — it's the planning layer, not a custodian
No — planning only, doesn't hold assets
Onboarding time
~2 minutes on sensible defaults
~30+ minutes of configuration
Retirement output type
Dated FI Age — plus a year-by-year projection to age 95
Modeled FI age (highly configurable)
Simulation method
Deterministic year-by-year + stress-test scenarios
Probabilistic (Monte Carlo, historical data)
Decision modeling (buy-vs-rent, bonus, debt payoff)
Yes — the Decision Hub scores each decision's dollar-and-year impact
Limited — via hand-built custom scenarios
Dual-income household modeling
Yes — first-class (separate incomes, accounts, and goals)
Supported, but configured manually
AI advisor
Yes — explains the projection and tradeoffs in plain English
No
Data export
Yes — CSV import/export of your data
Yes — data export supported
Personalized to YOU

See exactly how this changes YOUR PeakWorth™ and FI Age

Generic articles can only go so far. PeakWorth runs every scenario against your real income, expenses, and goals — so you see the dollar-and-year impact of every decision before you make it.

Run it through PeakWorth

Frequently asked questions

Both tools compute an FI age — what's actually different about PeakWorth's?

The path to it. PeakWorth reaches your dated FI Age — the year your portfolio hits ~25× the expenses it must cover after Social Security — roughly 20× your total annual expenses — in about two minutes on sensible defaults, with dual incomes modeled out of the box, where ProjectionLab expects deeper up-front configuration. Same destination, far faster first answer.

Is ProjectionLab worth $108/year?

For FIRE power-users who want maximum control, yes. For most dual-income households who want a clear answer in minutes, the depth is overkill.

How does PeakWorth model market risk?

PeakWorth uses a deterministic year-by-year projection layered with stress-test scenarios (crash, layoff, sustained inflation). It's faster to interpret and matches how most financial advisors actually plan.

Which is better for couples?

PeakWorth — dual-income household modeling is the core design assumption, including separate income, separate retirement accounts, and joint goals.

Can I export my data?

Yes — both tools support data export. PeakWorth exports projections as CSV.

If you liked this, keep exploring

Calculators, true-cost pages, and audience playbooks across the PeakWorth network.

Ready to model this against your real numbers?

PeakWorth is the financial decision engine for households — your Personal Financial Strategy OS, a real-time engine that calculates every decision's impact on your future. The Decision Hub, an AI advisor, and a live projection that show you exactly how each move shapes your wealth and your FI Age.