Empower Review (2026): What Is Empower and Is It Worth Using?

Managing your money often means juggling multiple apps, spreadsheets, and accounts. For many people, it’s hard to get a clear picture of where their money actually stands.

Empower is a personal finance platform designed to solve that problem. It offers a free financial dashboard that lets you track net worth, spending, investments, and retirement progress in one place, with no subscription required.

In this review, we’ll break down how Empower works, what’s included for free, when you might pay, and whether it’s worth using in 2026.

What Is Empower?

Empower is a personal finance dashboard that helps users understand their complete financial picture. By connecting your financial accounts, Empower pulls everything into a single view — including bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investment portfolios.

Unlike many budgeting apps, Empower focuses heavily on net worth tracking and investment analysis, making it especially useful for long-term financial planning.

Is Empower Free?

Yes, Empower’s core dashboard is completely free.

You can use Empower’s tracking tools without paying a subscription fee. There is no “premium” dashboard tier required to access features like net worth tracking or investment checkups.

Empower only charges fees if you choose to use its optional wealth management service, which includes working with human financial advisors.

What You Get for Free with Empower

Empower’s free tools are robust compared to most personal finance apps.

Net Worth Tracking

View all your financial accounts in one place, including:

• Checking and savings accounts
• Credit cards and loans
• Investment accounts
• Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA)

This gives you a real-time view of your total net worth.

Investment Checkup

Empower analyzes your investment portfolio to help you:

• Understand asset allocation
• Identify overexposure or under-diversification
• Spot high-fee funds that may be hurting returns

This feature alone makes Empower stand out from basic budgeting apps.

Budgeting and Cash Flow Tools

Empower offers basic budgeting tools that track:

• Income vs spending
• Monthly cash flow
• Transaction history

While not as detailed as some budgeting-first apps, these tools are useful for monitoring spending trends.

Retirement Planner

Empower’s retirement planner helps you:

• Estimate future retirement income
• Model different retirement scenarios
• See whether you’re on track for long-term goals

This is a rare feature for a free financial dashboard.

Track Your Net Worth, Spending, and Investments — Free

Empower is a free personal finance dashboard that lets you track net worth, spending, investments, and retirement progress in one place. You only pay if you choose optional wealth management.

Try Empower’s Free Dashboard

Net worth tracking • Investment checkups • Budgeting & retirement tools

*Empower is a financial technology company, not a bank. Advisory services are optional and provided for a fee.

When Do You Pay for Empower?

You only pay for Empower if you opt into wealth management services.

Empower Wealth Management Fees

• Designed for users with higher asset balances
• Includes personalized investment advice from human advisors
• Fees are typically a percentage of managed assets (commonly around 0.49%–0.89%)

If you never opt into advisory services, you can continue using the dashboard for free.

Is Empower Legit?

Yes, Empower is a legitimate financial platform with a long track record. It’s widely used by individuals who want better visibility into their finances and investments.

Account data is protected using bank-level security practices, and users can choose which accounts to connect.

Empower Pros and Cons

Empower vs Other Popular Financial Apps

Empower stands out for its free net worth and investment tracking, but other personal finance apps may be a better fit depending on whether you prioritize budgeting, investments, or hands-on financial planning.

Which is best for you?

• Empower is best if you want a free, high-level view of your finances, especially investments and retirement.
• Monarch Money is better for users who want hands-on budgeting and category control and don’t mind paying.
• YNAB is ideal for people who want a strict, rules-based budgeting system.

Who Should Use Empower?

Empower is a great fit if you:

• Want to track net worth and investments
• Prefer long-term financial visibility over strict budgeting
• Don’t want to pay for a finance app
• Are planning for retirement

Who Should Skip Empower?

Empower may not be ideal if you:

• Want envelope-style budgeting
• Don’t want to link accounts
• Need real-time bill management tools

Final Thoughts: Is Empower Worth It in 2026?

Empower isn’t trying to be everything, and that’s honestly what makes it good.

For anyone who wants a free, powerful view of their finances, especially investments and net worth, Empower remains one of the best options available in 2026 (in our opinion). You only pay if you choose to, and the free tools alone are strong enough for most users.

FAQs About Empower

1. Is Empower really free?

Yes. Empower’s dashboard tools are free to use. Fees only apply if you choose wealth management services.

2. Does Empower charge a subscription?

No. There is no paid subscription required to use the dashboard.

3. Is Empower safe to use?

Empower uses bank-level security and allows you to control which accounts are connected.

4. Is Empower better than other budgeting apps?

Empower is better for investment and net worth tracking, while budgeting apps may offer more detailed expense controls.