Softwr

Software · head to head

Empower vs Sage 50

Empower logo

Empower

Software

All your finances. One app.

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Sage 50 logo

Sage 50

Software

Powerful desktop accounting for small businesses

From
$29/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Empower empower's managed advisory tiers require a minimum of $100,000 in investable assets for Personal Strategy and $1,000,000 for Private Client, with exact advisory fee percentages deferred to the Form ADV filing rather than published on the site.; Sage 50 sage 50 tiers as captured in 2022: Pro Accounting $595/year for 1 user, Premium Accounting $970/year for 1-5 users with multi-company support, Quantum Accounting $1,610/year for larger teams
  • They diverge on capability: Empower covers Net worth tracking, Sage 50 covers General ledger.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Empower and Sage 50 actually diverge.

Attributes where Empower and Sage 50 differ
AttributeEmpowerSage 50
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows
Founded20091981

Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Empower

  • Net worth tracking
  • Investment tracking
  • Retirement planner
  • Cash flow
  • 401k fee analyzer
  • Bank connections
  • Brokerage accounts
  • SOC 2

Only in Sage 50

  • General ledger
  • Invoicing
  • Inventory management
  • Job costing
  • Budgeting
  • Microsoft 365
  • Salesforce
  • Local encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Empower

  • Wealth trackingnot Sage 50
  • Retirement planningnot Sage 50
  • Investment analysisnot Sage 50

Sage 50

  • Desktop accountingnot Empower
  • Job costingnot Empower
  • Inventory trackingnot Empower

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Empower

  • Empower's managed advisory tiers require a minimum of $100,000 in investable assets for Personal Strategy and $1,000,000 for Private Client, with exact advisory fee percentages deferred to the Form ADV filing rather than published on the site.

Sage 50

  • Sage 50 tiers as captured in 2022: Pro Accounting $595/year for 1 user, Premium Accounting $970/year for 1-5 users with multi-company support, Quantum Accounting $1,610/year for larger teams

Pricing, plan by plan

Empower

$29/month
  • Free ToolsFree
    • Net worth tracking
    • Cash flow
    • Investment checkup
  • Wealth ManagementFree
    • 0.89% AUM fee
    • Dedicated advisor
    • Tax optimization

Sage 50

$29/month
  • Pro Accounting$50/month
    • Core accounting
    • 1 user
    • Basic reports
  • Premium Accounting$85/month
    • 5 users
    • Job costing
    • Inventory

Which should you pick?

Choose Empower if

  • You need net worth tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want investment tracking.

Choose Sage 50 if

  • You need general ledger.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want invoicing.

Questions people ask

Is Empower or Sage 50 better?
Neither clearly leads. Empower starts at $29/month and Sage 50 at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Empower or Sage 50?
Empower starts at $29/month and Sage 50 at $29/month.
Does Empower or Sage 50 run on more platforms?
Empower runs on Web, Ios, Android. Sage 50 runs on Windows.
What is Empower best used for?
Empower is most often used for wealth tracking, retirement planning, investment analysis. Of those, wealth tracking and retirement planning are not what Sage 50 is typically brought in for.
What can Empower do that Sage 50 cannot?
Empower covers Net worth tracking, Investment tracking, Retirement planner, Cash flow. Sage 50 covers General ledger, Invoicing, Inventory management, Job costing.

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