Personal Finance · head to head
Personal Capital vs Banktivity
The short version
- Only Personal Capital has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Personal Capital wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client; Banktivity runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
- They diverge on capability: Personal Capital covers Retirement calculator, Banktivity covers Account tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Personal Capital and Banktivity actually diverge.
| Attribute | Personal Capital | Banktivity |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, IOS, Android | Mac, IOS |
| Founded | 2010 | 2007 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).
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 Personal Capital
- Retirement calculator
- Fee analyzer
- Net worth tracking
- Real estate
- Web support
- Android support
Only in Banktivity
- Account tracking
- Bill management
- Budget forecasting
- Mac support
Both cover
- Investment tracking
- Bank accounts
- Investment accounts
- IOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Personal Capital
- Tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboardnot Banktivity
- Managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investorsnot Banktivity
- Retirement planning projections across linked accountsnot Banktivity
Banktivity
- Personal budgeting and money management on a Macnot Personal Capital
- Investment and net worth trackingnot Personal Capital
- Retirement planning projectionsnot Personal Capital
- Connecting to over 14,000 financial institutionsnot Personal Capital
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Personal Capital
- Wealth management requires a 100,000 USD minimum for Investment Services, 250,000 USD for Wealth Management and 1,000,000 USD for Private Client
- The annual advisory fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management on a tiered structure rather than a flat subscription
- Assets are custodied at Pershing Advisor Solutions rather than by the provider itself
Banktivity
- Runs on macOS, iPhone and iPad only, with no Windows, Android or web version
- Pricing is not shown on the product page and sits behind a separate plans page
Pricing, plan by plan
Personal Capital
Free- FreeFree
- Account tracking
- Net worth monitoring
- Investment analysis
- Premium$undefined/month
- Financial advisor access
- Personalized advice
Banktivity
On request- Monthly$4.99/month
- Full feature access
- Cloud sync
- Annual$39.99/month
- All monthly features
- Discounted rate
Which should you pick?
Choose Personal Capital if
- You need retirement calculator.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want fee analyzer.
Choose Banktivity if
- You need account tracking.
- You work on Mac, IOS.
- You also want bill management.
Questions people ask
- Is Personal Capital or Banktivity better?
- Neither clearly leads. Personal Capital starts at Free and Banktivity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Personal Capital or Banktivity?
- Personal Capital has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Personal Capital and On request for Banktivity.
- Does Personal Capital or Banktivity run on more platforms?
- Personal Capital runs on Web, IOS, Android. Banktivity runs on Mac, IOS.
- Can I use Personal Capital for free?
- Yes. Personal Capital has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Banktivity starts at On request.
- What is Personal Capital best used for?
- Personal Capital is most often used for tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboard, managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investors, retirement planning projections across linked accounts. Of those, tracking net worth and investment accounts in one dashboard and managed portfolio construction with tax loss harvesting for high balance investors are not what Banktivity is typically brought in for.
- What can Personal Capital do that Banktivity cannot?
- Personal Capital covers Retirement calculator, Fee analyzer, Net worth tracking, Real estate. Banktivity covers Account tracking, Bill management, Budget forecasting, Mac support. Both handle Investment tracking, Bank accounts, Investment accounts, IOS support.