Empower ® vs Principal®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Consolidated account view
- Retirement planning
- Budget tracking
- Net worth tracking
- Investment advice access
- Financial scenario simulation
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“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
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.
- View account balances
- Roll over funds
- Change contributions
- Adjust investments
- Financial education resources
- Retirement Wellness Score
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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
Verdict
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
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 4.8 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.
Empower ® ships an update fortnightly, Principal® every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Empower ® | Principal® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (422K ratings) | 4.8 (239K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.7% of reviews | 32.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 422K — better | 239K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #38 — better | #127 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 480 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Empower Retirement, LLC | Principal Financial Group |
Customer experience
Empower ®
Principal®
User reviews
Empower ®
From 422K App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
Empower ®
No in-app purchases
Principal®
No in-app purchases







