The best Empower alternative
focused purely on budgeting
Love Empower’s free dashboard but want a dedicated budgeting tool? CountAbout gives you powerful budgeting and account tracking as a standalone subscription app. Your data stays private, always.
Empower’s free tools come with a catch
Empower (formerly Personal Capital) offers free financial dashboards and net worth tracking. But Empower’s business model centers on its paid wealth management services, and free-tier users may receive outreach about those offerings.
CountAbout is a focused budgeting and finance tracking tool. You pay a fair subscription price, and in return you get complete privacy, zero sales pitches, and powerful features Empower’s free tier doesn’t offer — like Quicken import, receipt attachments, and Schedule C/E tracking.
6 reasons people switch from Empower to CountAbout
No sales calls or upsells
CountAbout is purely a budgeting tool — subscription-supported with no wealth management services attached. You won’t receive advisory sales outreach.
True data privacy
CountAbout is 100% subscription-supported. Your data is never shared with third parties or used for cross-selling. As an independent company, we answer only to our users.
Real budgeting tools
Empower focuses on investment tracking and net worth. CountAbout gives you full zero-based budgeting, spending plans, and projected register balances for day-to-day money management.
Import from Quicken & Simplifi
CountAbout is the only app that imports your complete Quicken and Simplifi data. Empower doesn’t offer any data import from other platforms.
Receipt attachments
Attach receipts and documents to transactions for tax prep, warranties, and expense tracking. Empower’s dashboard doesn’t support attachments.
Schedule C & E tracking
Freelancers and landlords get IRS-aligned category tracking. Empower is focused on investments and high-net-worth individuals, not everyday budgeters.
CountAbout vs Empower — feature comparison
See exactly what you get with each app.
| Feature | CountAbout | Empower |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99–$54.99/yr | Free tier available |
| Free Trial | 45 days | Free tier available |
| Zero-Based Budgeting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automatic Bank Sync | ✓ | ✓ |
| Net Worth Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Import from Quicken | ✓ | ✗ |
| Projected Register Balance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Receipt Attachments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schedule C & E Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Investment Portfolio Analysis | ✓ (balances) | ✓ (full analysis) |
| Retirement Planner | ✗ | ✓ |
| Standalone Budgeting Focus | ✓ | Wealth mgmt is core business |
| Independent Company | ✓ | Part of Empower (wealth mgmt) |
| Free for Active Military | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile Apps (iOS & Android) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Loan Amortization Schedule | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Loan Payment Splitting | ✓ | ✗ |
Switching from Empower — what to know
Why pay for CountAbout when Empower is free?
Empower’s free tools are part of a business that also offers paid wealth management services. CountAbout is a standalone budgeting app — your subscription covers everything, and your financial data stays private.
Can I track investments with CountAbout?
Yes. CountAbout tracks investment account balances and includes them in your net worth calculations. For detailed portfolio analysis and retirement planning, Empower goes deeper — but most day-to-day budgeters don’t need that level of detail.
Will I get sales calls from CountAbout?
Never. CountAbout is a software company, not a financial services firm. We don’t offer wealth management, advisory, or lending services. No one will ever call you to pitch a financial product.
Is CountAbout really private?
Yes. CountAbout is 100% subscription-supported with no ads and no third-party data sharing. Your financial data is encrypted and stays yours alone.
Can couples or families use CountAbout together?
Yes. Many couples and families use CountAbout to manage their finances together. You can track joint and individual accounts in one place, set savings goals, monitor debt payoff progress, and get a complete picture of your household finances — all with total privacy.
Try CountAbout free
for 45 days
All features included. No credit card required. No sales calls — ever. See why people are switching to CountAbout.
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