Where Empower is better
Empower’s dashboard is free too, and it does several things Total Worth does not attempt.
- Automatic syncing. Once your accounts are linked, balances, holdings and transactions update on their own. With Total Worth you update every value by hand.
- Budgeting, cash flow and planning. Empower includes budgeting and cash flow, transaction categorization, a retirement planner, portfolio analysis and savings planning. Total Worth focuses only on net worth.
- Debts are part of the picture. Credit cards, loans and mortgages are included, so Empower shows a true net worth (assets minus debts). Total Worth tracks assets only.
- Automatic US home values. For homes listed on Zillow, Empower can pull the Zestimate and refresh it monthly. In Total Worth you set the price per m² yourself.
- Mobile apps and optional advice. There are iOS and Android apps, and if you want human help, Empower offers paid advisory services.
Where Total Worth is better
Total Worth suits people who want the net worth picture without handing over account access or personal details.
- No sign-up, no linking. You do not create an account or share an email, a phone number or bank access. You open the dashboard and type in what you own.
- Your data stays on your device. Everything lives in your browser’s local storage. There is no server holding your balances and no aggregator connected to your accounts.
- Built for life outside the US. Empower links only U.S. institutions in USD. Total Worth works in EUR, USD and RON with editable exchange rates, and values property by area × price per m², which fits markets where Zillow does not exist.
- A real household view. Create a profile for each person, then switch to Household to see combined wealth with a per-person breakdown.
- Inflation-adjusted history. Set yearly inflation rates and see real values alongside nominal ones, so you know whether your wealth actually grew.
- Rebuild past years. Because you enter values per year, you can fill in earlier years and see your net worth evolution from the start, with a month-level date range slider.
Total Worth’s limits, plainly
Total Worth is intentionally narrow. Before you switch, know that:
- Every value is entered by hand. There is no bank, brokerage or exchange syncing, so you update balances and prices yourself, typically once a month or once a year.
- Only three currencies are supported: EUR, USD and RON.
- It tracks assets (property, cash and investments). Debts, mortgages and loans are not tracked.
- There is no app-store app. It is a responsive web app that works in mobile browsers.
- Your data lives in one browser on one device. To move it or back it up, export a JSON file and import it elsewhere. Clearing your browser data deletes it.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Empower if you bank with U.S. institutions, want everything to update automatically, and would like budgeting, debt tracking and retirement planning in the same place. It is free, and it is very capable within the US.
Choose Total Worth if you would rather not link your accounts or share personal details, if your money is in euros or lei, or if your main assets are property and savings that no aggregator can see anyway. A few minutes of manual updates each month buys you complete privacy.
Some people use both: Empower for day-to-day US accounts, and Total Worth for a private, long-term view of a household’s property and savings abroad.
Learn more: How Total Worth works, Privacy policy, Total Worth vs Kubera.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an Empower alternative that does not require linking accounts?
Yes. Total Worth tracks your net worth from values you enter yourself: properties, cash in EUR, USD or RON, crypto and stocks. There is no account to create and nothing to link.
Is Empower Personal Dashboard still free?
According to Empower, at the time of writing the dashboard and its tools are free. Empower also offers paid advisory services, which are optional. Check empower.com for current details.
Does Empower work outside the US?
You can use the app from anywhere, but Empower says account linking supports only U.S.-based institutions in USD. International accounts can be added as manual accounts. Total Worth was built with EUR and RON in mind.
Is Empower the same as Personal Capital?
Yes. Personal Capital became part of Empower, and the Personal Capital app is now the Empower Personal Dashboard app.
Can Total Worth track budgets, transactions or debts?
No. Total Worth tracks assets over time: property, cash and investments. If you need budgeting, transaction history or debt tracking, Empower or a budgeting app is a better fit.