Actual Budget vs Empower Personal Dashboard
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Actual Budget is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.2. Actual Budget wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Empower Personal Dashboard on 1, with 1 tied.
Hands-on budgeters who want YNAB-style envelopes without a subscription
Investors who want a free, big-picture view of net worth and retirement
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Actual Budget | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Money & Investing | Money & Investing |
| Category rank | #4 of 12 | #11 of 12 |
| Developer | Actual Budget community | Empower |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | — | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Actual Budget better than Empower Personal Dashboard?
Actual Budget is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.2. Actual Budget wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Empower Personal Dashboard on 1, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Empower Personal Dashboard?
Actual Budget: Free and open source; syncing needs a server you host or rent, such as PikaPods. Empower Personal Dashboard: Free dashboard and tools; Empower sells optional paid wealth management. On value for money, Actual Budget scores higher.
Do Actual Budget and Empower Personal Dashboard work on the same devices?
Only Actual Budget runs on Mac, Windows, Linux. Only Empower Personal Dashboard runs on iPhone & iPad, Android.
Which is more private, Actual Budget or Empower Personal Dashboard?
Actual Budget scores higher on privacy (9.6/10). Local-first: your budget lives on your device and syncs through a server you control, with optional end-to-end encryption. Bank sync is optional and uses API keys you set up yourself.
Strengths and weaknesses
Actual Budget
- Free and open source, with no ads
- Data stays on your device unless you sync it
- Monthly releases keep adding features
- Sync needs a server you host or rent
- No app in the App Store or Google Play
- Bank sync means setting up your own provider keys
Actual Budget is envelope budgeting built by people who love it, then given away. You assign real income to categories, move money between them quickly, and lean on rules, split transactions and custom reports to keep things tidy. It's local-first and open source, with optional end-to-end encrypted sync and monthly releases. The catch is setup: syncing across devices means running a small server, and there's no app in the phone stores.
Full Actual Budget review
Empower Personal Dashboard
- Free, detailed investment and net worth tracking
- Retirement planner models different scenarios, even recessions
- Extra planners for savings, debt and emergency funds
- Expect sales outreach for paid advisory services
- Budgeting and categorization are basic
Empower Personal Dashboard, formerly Personal Capital, is still the best free tool for tracking net worth and investments. It now lives inside the main Empower app, which got a cleaner dashboard in 2026. Link your accounts and you see your assets, your allocation and whether retirement is on track. Budgeting is basic, and the free dashboard feeds Empower's advisory business, so expect sales pitches.
Full Empower Personal Dashboard review
