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Offline-first by design
Every record is in an encrypted SQLite database on your phone. Works in airplane mode.
MoneyWise vs Empower
MoneyWise vs Empower
Empower (formerly Personal Capital) is a free financial planning platform built around investment dashboards, net worth tracking, and retirement planning. MoneyWise focuses on privacy-first, local-first budgeting with multi-currency support and BYOK AI — complementing rather than competing with Empower's investment tools.
Two ways to track your money. Empower is a free investment dashboard and net worth tracker. MoneyWise is local-first, multi-currency, and brings your own AI key.
At a glance
| MoneyWise | Empower | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $6.99/mo · $49.99/yr | Free |
| Platforms | ||
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
| macOS | — | — |
| Windows | — | — |
| Linux | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Multi-currency | ✓ | — |
| Offline-first | ✓ | — |
| Local encryption | ✓ | — |
| Optional cloud sync | ✓ | — |
| BYOK AI (your key) | ✓ | — |
| Built-in AI (no key) | ✓ | — |
| Investments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Budgets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Receipt photos | ✓ | — |
| Voice input | ✓ | — |
| Automatic bank sync | — | ✓ |
| Family sharing | ✓ | — |
| No ads | ✓ | ✓ |
| No trackers | ✓ | — |
| Open source | — | — |
Where MoneyWise is different
▲
Bring your own AI key
Plug in your Anthropic or OpenAI key. Insights run with no extra subscription. Or use pooled credits in Pro.
●
Multi-currency from day one
Hold accounts in any currency. Convert with daily rates. No 'home currency only' lock-in.
★
No ads, no trackers
Nothing leaves your device unless you turn on optional encrypted sync. We literally cannot read your data.
AI you control
An advisor that runs on your terms
Most finance apps either don't have AI, or send your transactions to a vendor's server. MoneyWise lets you choose: bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI key, or use Pro's pooled credits. Either way, the AI sees only what you ask it to see.
- → Keys stored in iOS Keychain — never on our servers
- → Daily Brief, monthly summaries, and ad-hoc Q&A
- → Skip AI entirely — every other feature still works
Privacy, not a feature
Your data stays on your phone.
MoneyWise is built local-first. No ads, no trackers, no data sale — ever.
Offline-first
Every record is stored locally in an encrypted SQLite database. Works with airplane mode on.
Optional cloud sync
Sync across your own devices when you turn it on. Rows are encrypted at rest; we can't read them.
BYOK AI
Bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI key. Keys live in the iOS keychain and never transit our servers.
Which one is right for you?
Choose MoneyWise if MoneyWise
You want day-to-day spending control, privacy for your transaction data, support for multiple currencies, or an AI financial advisor that uses your own API key rather than processing your data on a third-party server.
Choose Empower if
You are primarily focused on growing and monitoring investments, retirement readiness, and net worth across brokerage and retirement accounts, and you want a free cloud-based dashboard to see it all in one place.
Pricing
Free for everyday use. Pro when you need more.
No trial games. No dark patterns. Cancel any time in the App Store.
Free
Everything you need on a single device.
$0
- ✓ Unlimited records, accounts, and budgets
- ✓ Investments and portfolio tracking
- ✓ AI advisor (bring your own key)
- ✓ Local encrypted storage
Pro
Pro
Sync, backup, and more across every device.
7-day free trial
$49.99 /yr
or $6.99/mo
- ✓ Everything in Free
- ✓ Multi-device encrypted cloud sync
- ✓ Automatic cloud backup
- ✓ Receipt and attachment photos
- ✓ Pooled AI credits (no API key needed)
Take back control of your money.
Free to download. Pro subscription optional.
Android · Direct download
APK · Android 8+ · Pro upgrade via Play Store
Mac App Store
Coming soon · Mac App Store
iPad
In development
Apple Watch
In development
Frequently asked questions
Is Empower really free? +
Yes — Empower's financial planning tools (net worth, portfolio analysis, retirement planner, budgeting) are completely free to use. The optional Wealth Management advisory service is a paid offering starting at accounts of $100k+.
How does Empower differ from MoneyWise? +
Empower is built around investment portfolios and retirement planning — it shines for wealth tracking. MoneyWise is built around everyday budgeting, manual entry for privacy, multi-currency accounts, and a local-first encrypted database. They serve different primary needs.
Does Empower store my financial data on their servers? +
Yes. Empower syncs all linked accounts to their cloud servers to power its dashboards. MoneyWise stores your data locally on your device in an encrypted database, with optional end-to-end encrypted cloud sync.
Does Empower support multiple currencies? +
Empower is designed for US-based accounts in USD. Multi-currency support is not offered. MoneyWise supports accounts in any currency with daily exchange rates built in.
Can I use both Empower and MoneyWise together? +
Many users find they complement each other: Empower for the investment and retirement big picture, MoneyWise for day-to-day budgeting with privacy and multi-currency tracking.