# Empower ® vs Optum Financial

Empower ® and Optum Financial both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 55% of Optum Financial's written reviews are positive against 17% of Empower ®'s. Optum Financial also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Empower ®'s advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (412K vs 29K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Empower ® against 4.7 for Optum Financial. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Empower ® has 412K ratings behind it against 29K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 17% of Empower ®'s written reviews are positive against 55% of Optum Financial's.

Empower ® ships an update fortnightly, Optum Financial every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Empower ® | Optum Financial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (412K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empower/id1001257338/reviews)** | [4.7 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optum-financial/id1303691237/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **412K** | 29K |
| Positive reviews | 17.0% of reviews | **55.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#48** | — |
| Size | 474 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Empower Retirement, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1001257337) | [Optum Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133706680) |

## What reviewers say

### Empower ®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/empower/id1001257338)

**Currently charting:** #48 Top Free · Finance (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive financial overview, consolidating all your accounts in one place. It offers tools to plan for retirement, manage budgets, track net worth, and simulate financial scenarios, making financial management clearer and simpler.

**Highlights:** Consolidated account view, Retirement planning, Budget tracking, Net worth tracking, Investment advice access, Financial scenario simulation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good product overall
- 🚀 Sleek design and robust performance
- 🔒 Excellent customer service and support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
- ⏱️ Slow loading times
- 🤔 Missing key features and functionality
- 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive navigation
- 💻 Forced to use app instead of website

**Reported bugs**

- Face ID/Touch ID not working consistently
- Beneficiary information not displaying correctly
- Crashes when trying to view balance over time
- Unable to enter correct birth dates for beneficiaries

**Requested features**

- Ability to view investment performance history
- Option to enter dollar amounts instead of just percentages
- Faster and more reliable login process
- Restore access to self-directed brokerage accounts
- Provide a way to submit feedback and suggestions within the app


### Optum Financial

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optum-financial/id1303691237)

Easily manage and pay for healthcare expenses on the go. Features include receipt capture, e-sign dependent care certification, and access to account details, transaction history, and balances for maximum control over your healthcare finances.

**Highlights:** Manage benefit accounts, View balances and transaction history, Pay providers or reimburse yourself, View and manage claims, Capture and upload documentation, Live customer care via mobile chat

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient mobile experience
- 💳 Ability to pay providers directly
- 📂 Straightforward claim submission
- 💰 Helpful for managing medical expenses

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy document upload and submission
- 🤔 Lack of explanations for claim rejections
- 🕰️ Slow processing and response times
- 🔍 Unintuitive navigation and UI
- 🤖 Poor customer service and support

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screens and app crashes
- Inconsistent behavior with photo uploads
- Login and account access issues
- Incorrect or missing account balance information
- Inability to add new documentation to existing claims

**Requested features**

- Ability to save provider information
- Option to submit multiple claims at once
- Automatic reimbursement based on insurance EOBs
- Clearer communication on claim status and issues
- Improved search and filtering for transactions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Empower ® free?

Empower ® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Optum Financial free?

Optum Financial is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Empower ® or Optum Financial?

Empower ® is rated higher. Empower ® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 412K ratings, while Optum Financial averages 4.7 from 29K ratings.

### Do Empower ® or Optum Financial have ads?

Neither Empower ® nor Optum Financial shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Empower ® or Optum Financial?

Empower ® ships an update fortnightly, and Optum Financial every 5 weeks. Most recently, Empower ® was updated on September 24, 2026 and Optum Financial on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*