YNAB vs Empower Personal Dashboard
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
YNAB is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.2. YNAB wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Empower Personal Dashboard on 1.
People who want to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle with a hands-on method
Investors who want a free, big-picture view of net worth and retirement
Score by score
The details
| Feature | YNAB | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Money & Investing | Money & Investing |
| Category rank | #2 of 12 | #11 of 12 |
| Developer | You Need A Budget LLC | Empower |
| Pricing | Subscription | Free |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is YNAB better than Empower Personal Dashboard?
YNAB is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.2. YNAB wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Empower Personal Dashboard on 1.
Which is cheaper, YNAB or Empower Personal Dashboard?
YNAB: 34-day free trial, then $14.99/month or $109/year; share with up to 5 others. Empower Personal Dashboard: Free dashboard and tools; Empower sells optional paid wealth management. On value for money, Empower Personal Dashboard scores higher.
Do YNAB and Empower Personal Dashboard work on the same devices?
Yes, both run on iPhone & iPad, Android, Web.
Which is more private, YNAB or Empower Personal Dashboard?
YNAB scores higher on privacy (8.8/10). App Store label links financial info, purchase history, precise location, contact info and usage data to you, and uses your email for marketing. No tracking is declared and the app shows no ads.
Strengths and weaknesses
YNAB
- Changes how you think about spending, not just tracks it
- One subscription covers up to six people at no extra cost
- Excellent education through free workshops and guides
- Steep learning curve for the first month
- No free plan beyond the 34-day trial
- Investment tracking is basic
YNAB is a budgeting method as much as an app. You give every dollar a job before you spend it, and the app makes overspending obvious right away. Steady updates keep smoothing the routine, from photo attachments to a Plan Reset for starting fresh. The learning curve is real and there is no free plan, but if you want to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, no app teaches it better.
Full YNAB 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
