Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Empower vs Wealthfront

Empower logo

Empower

Accounting

All your finances. One app.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wealthfront logo

Wealthfront

Personal Finance

Automated investing for your money

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Empower specific advisory fees not published; Form ADV consultation required; Wealthfront the Automated Investing Account carries a 0.25% annual advisory fee on top of the underlying fund expenses
  • They diverge on capability: Empower covers Net worth tracking, Wealthfront covers Automated portfolio management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Empower and Wealthfront actually diverge.

Attributes where Empower and Wealthfront differ
AttributeEmpowerWealthfront
Pricing modelquotetransaction
CategoryAccountingPersonal Finance
Founded20092011

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Wealthfront

  • Automated portfolio management
  • Tax-loss harvesting
  • Financial planning
  • Index fund investing
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Empower

  • Wealth trackingnot Wealthfront
  • Retirement planningnot Wealthfront
  • Investment analysisnot Wealthfront

Wealthfront

  • Automated index fund investing with periodic rebalancingnot Empower
  • Tax loss harvesting in a taxable brokerage accountnot Empower
  • Buying fractional shares of individual stocks with no commissionnot Empower

Where each one falls short

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

Empower

  • Specific advisory fees not published; Form ADV consultation required
  • High minimum investment thresholds ($100,000 for Personal Strategy)
  • Detailed fee structure available only in Form ADV documents

Wealthfront

  • The Automated Investing Account carries a 0.25% annual advisory fee on top of the underlying fund expenses
  • Tax-Loss Harvesting and automated rebalancing apply to the Automated Investing Account, not the self-directed Stock Investing Account
  • It is a US brokerage product and is not offered to investors outside the United States

Pricing, plan by plan

Empower

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Empower review.

Wealthfront

On request
  • BasicFree
    • Automated investing
    • Tax-loss harvesting
    • Rebalancing
  • Premium Plus$50/month
    • All Basic features
    • Financial planning
    • Human advisor access

Which should you pick?

Choose Empower if

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

Choose Wealthfront if

  • You need automated portfolio management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want tax-loss harvesting.
Wealthfront review

Questions people ask

Is Empower or Wealthfront better?
Neither clearly leads. Empower starts at On request and Wealthfront at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Empower or Wealthfront?
Empower starts at On request and Wealthfront at On request.
Does Empower or Wealthfront run on more platforms?
Empower runs on Web, Ios, Android. Wealthfront runs on Web, IOS, Android.
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 Wealthfront is typically brought in for.
What can Empower do that Wealthfront cannot?
Empower covers Net worth tracking, Investment tracking, Retirement planner, Cash flow. Wealthfront covers Automated portfolio management, Tax-loss harvesting, Financial planning, Index fund investing. Both handle Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Empower: Does Empower have a minimum investment requirement?

Empower's advisory services require different minimums based on service level. Personal Strategy advisory requires a minimum of $100,000 in investable assets. Private Client services require $1,000,000 or more.

Source
Wealthfront: What fees does Wealthfront charge?

Wealthfront offers zero account fees on cash accounts and zero commissions on stock trades. The site indicates 'no minimum' requirement to get started with certain products.

Source
Empower: How are Empower's advisory fees calculated?

Advisory fees are calculated based on the amount of assets being managed under advice. Specific fee rates are not disclosed on the homepage.

Source
Wealthfront: Is the 3.30% APY rate guaranteed or promotional?

The 3.30% base APY is provided by program banks and subject to change. An APY Boost up to 4.20% is available for balances up to $150,000 through two easy methods.

Source
Empower: Is the high-yield cash account free?

Yes. Empower's high-yield cash account has no account fees and no minimum balance required.

Source
Wealthfront: What account types and features are included?

Wealthfront supports taxable accounts, retirement accounts (Traditional/Roth IRA, SEP), 529 education accounts, and joint accounts. Features include free 24/7 instant withdrawals and up to $8M FDIC insurance.

Source
Empower: Are there fees for stock and ETF trading?

Empower offers commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs with low fees.

Source
Wealthfront: What support resources are available?

Customers can access a help center at support.wealthfront.com, methodology whitepapers, and investor relations information. The platform emphasizes 24/7 access to account management.

Source
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