Alternatives
A ProjectionLab alternative you buy once
ProjectionLab is a beautifully made planner. In 2026 it retired its lifetime tier and went subscription-only. Meridary is the lifetime alternative.
Updated July 11, 2026
The lifetime slot ProjectionLab left open
ProjectionLab sold a one-time lifetime license for five years, then retired it in April 2026 and moved to a subscription. If a lifetime deal is exactly what drew you to it, that option is gone there.
Meridary is built around that model on purpose: a one-time license, everyone grandfathered, no recurring bill. You buy the planner once and keep it.
Legible over infinitely configurable
ProjectionLab is deep and highly configurable — a flexible plot builder and a lot of dials. That's a genuine strength if you enjoy building the model yourself.
Meridary makes a different bet: curate the entanglement instead of exposing every knob. We model the interactions that actually change whether your money lasts — federal tax plus a flat state rate, account types, RMDs, Social Security, Roth conversions — at a depth chosen to stay readable. Fewer dials, a clearer answer.
What both get right
Like ProjectionLab, Meridary runs the projection and Monte Carlo in your browser, so sliders respond instantly and your plan data stays with your account. The engine is checked against published IRS figures — see how we validate.
Meridary vs ProjectionLab, at a glance
| Feature | Meridary | ProjectionLab |
|---|---|---|
| Lifetime license | Yes — $149–$199 once | Retired in April 2026 (subscription only now) |
| Approach | Curated, legible — fewer dials | Deep, highly configurable plot builder |
| Compute | In-browser (Web Worker) | In-browser |
| Tax scope | Federal + flat state rate, stated in-product | Federal + state |
| Guarantee | 30-day money-back | Free tier + subscription |
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Frequently asked
- Does ProjectionLab still offer a lifetime plan?
- No. ProjectionLab retired its one-time lifetime license in April 2026 and now sells subscriptions. Meridary offers a one-time lifetime license.
- Is Meridary a copy of ProjectionLab?
- No. It shares the client-side, whole-life projection approach, but Meridary deliberately keeps depth shallow and the interface legible rather than exposing an open-ended plot builder.