Comparison

Empower ® vs Principal®

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Empower ®

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
Currently charting
Read full description

“The Empower Dashboard gives me a full picture of where I am financially without having to log in to all my accounts. It definitely makes my financial life clearer and easier.” – Benjamin D.*  You’re just a few taps away from downloading the app that Forbes gave 4.5/5 stars, describing its features as the “Best for Tracking Net Worth”.   According to CNBC, “If you’re looking for an app that lays out all your income and expenses while giving you access to professional investment advice, Empower may be the budgeting tool you’re looking for. **”   Get the industry-leading tools designed to help you map out your financial dreams and take the steps to reach them:  - Plan for retirement  - Adjust & compare scenarios  - Simulate recessions  - See all your accounts in one place  - Check for allocation imbalances  - Tackle debt  - Build an emergency fund   - Set & track budgets  - Secure your data with biometric and multi-factor authentication  - And more   Spend less time sorting through spreadsheets, filling out ledgers, and doublechecking individual accounts.   Experience more freedom to focus on what you enjoy. Financial clarity starts with the free Empower Dashboard.   Download today.   --  *Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other individuals and are not a guarantee of future performance or success.  **Sources: Forbes, March 2025; CNBC, January 2025.  Securities, when presented, are offered and/or distributed by Empower Financial Services, Inc. (EFSI), Member FINRA/SIPC. EFSI is an affiliate of Empower Retirement, LLC; Empower Funds, Inc.; and registered investment adviser Empower Advisory Group, LLC. This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide investment, legal, or tax recommendations or advice.    Advisory services are provided for a fee by Empower Advisory Group, LLC (EAG). EAG is a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and an indirect subsidiary of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. You may lose money. Advisory fees are calculated based upon the amount of assets being managed (as detailed further in the Empower Advisory Group, LLC Form ADV). “EMPOWER” and all associated logos and product names are trademarks of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America.  ©2025 Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America. All rights reserved.  RO4520594-0625

About

Principal®

Manage your retirement savings and financial goals from your mobile device. Track account balances, adjust contributions, and access educational resources to improve your financial confidence. Tools are available to help you assess your progress towards retirement.

Highlights
  • View account balances
  • Roll over funds
  • Change contributions
  • Adjust investments
  • Financial education resources
  • Retirement Wellness Score
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Keep up with your financial goals on the go. The updated Principal® app makes it easy to keep on top of your retirement savings and gain insights to help you reach your financial goals. Download and use the app to: • Complete simple transactions and quick check-ins: view account balances, roll over funds, change contributions, adjust investments, and more • Discover financial education to help build your confidence and make progress in budgeting, saving, debt payoff, and more • Learn from tools like our personalized Retirement Wellness Score to see how you’re tracking toward your retirement goals • Find your insurance information The availability of information and functionality will vary depending on your plan type(s). To make changes not available on the app, visit principal.com. Some screens may contain more information than is illustrated in the samples. This document is intended to be educational in nature and is not intended to be taken as a recommendation. Insurance products and plan administrative services provided through Principal Life Insurance Co., a member of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Visit our online privacy policy at https://www.principal.com/privacy-policies © 2025 Principal Financial Services, Inc. 3729939-072024

Screenshots

Empower ®4 screens
Principal®4 screens

Verdict

The call

Empower ® and Principal® both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 32% of Principal®'s written reviews are positive against 18% of Empower ®'s. Empower ®'s advantage is chart position (#38 vs #127). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Empower ® against 4.8 for Principal®. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 422K and 239K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of Empower ®'s written reviews are positive against 32% of Principal®'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Empower ® ships an update fortnightly, Principal® every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Empower ® versus Principal®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmpower ®Principal®
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (422K ratings)4.8 (239K ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.7% of reviews32.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings422K — better239K
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#38 — better#127
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size480 MB105 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmpower Retirement, LLCPrincipal Financial Group

Customer experience

Empower ®

All ratings418,858 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews1,607 reviews
Positive17.7%
Neutral7.0%
Negative75.2%

Principal®

All ratings238,897 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews325 reviews
Positive32.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative59.4%

User reviews

Empower ®

From 422K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Principal®

From 239K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Convenient mobile access
  • 💡 Helpful investment tools
  • 🔒 Secure login process

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • ⏱️ Slow and laggy performance
  • 📊 Lacking key account information
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation and UI

Bugs and requests

Empower ®

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Principal®

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unable to change contribution rates
  • Inconsistent login and logout functionality
  • Rollover check deposit not working as advertised
  • Certain account details not displaying properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved transaction history and reporting
  • Ability to deposit checks via the app
  • More customization options for the dashboard
  • Seamless integration with other financial accounts

In-app purchases

None

Empower ®

No in-app purchases

None

Principal®

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Empower ® free?
Empower ® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Principal® free?
Principal® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Empower ® or Principal®?
Principal® is rated higher. Empower ® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 422K ratings, while Principal® averages 4.8 from 239K ratings.
Do Empower ® or Principal® have ads?
Neither Empower ® nor Principal® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Empower ® or Principal®?
Empower ® ships an update fortnightly, and Principal® every 2 weeks. Most recently, Empower ® was updated on October 28, 2026 and Principal® on October 28, 2026.
Which is more popular, Empower ® or Principal®?
Empower ® currently peaks at #38 in the App Store charts, and Principal® at #127. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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