Wealthy PotMonarch Money vs Empower (2026)
Empower is free and best for tracking net worth and investments; Monarch is paid and better for hands-on budgeting and shared household finances. Use Empower to watch your portfolio, Monarch to actually run a budget.
By Wealthy Pot · Last updated June 2026
| Feature | Monarch Money | Empower |
|---|---|---|
| Price | No free tier; $14.99/mo · $99.99/yr (Plus $199/yr) | Free dashboard; wealth mgmt 0.89% AUM ($100k min) |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Method | Flexible / aggregation | Aggregation / net worth |
| Bank sync | Yes | Yes |
| App Store | 4.9★ (95k) | — |
| Google Play | 4.7★ (22k) | — |
| Best for | Couples/households wanting budgeting + net worth + investments in one dashboard | Investors wanting a free net-worth + portfolio dashboard |
Where Monarch Money wins
- Top-rated app with budgeting + net worth + investments in one place
- Unlimited household members at no extra cost
- Strong shared dashboards with privacy controls
Where Empower wins
- Genuinely free, unlimited account aggregation
- Excellent net-worth and investment dashboard
- No trial expiration on the free dashboard
Which should you choose?
Empower is free and best for tracking net worth and investments; Monarch is paid and better for hands-on budgeting and shared household finances. Use Empower to watch your portfolio, Monarch to actually run a budget.
Compare these against every option in our budgeting apps comparison, and set your category targets with the free budget calculator.
Ratings are summarized from public App Store / Google Play listings (as of June 2026); we don't reprint user reviews. Pricing and features change often and are re-checked monthly. Some outbound links may be affiliate links — that never affects our comparisons.