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Avery vs Empower

The Empower alternative built for budgeting, not sales calls

A simpler, spreadsheet-first alternative to Empower for people who want bank sync, categorization, and Google Sheets control. Empower’s free dashboard is strong for investments — but budgeting is an afterthought, and signing up invites advisor sales calls. Avery focuses on budgeting: AI bank sync into a Google Sheet you own, no calls, no US-only limits.

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Last updated June 2026 · prices and bank coverage reviewed regularly

Avery running inside Google Sheets with a live financial dashboard

Connects to major US, UK & European banks

  • HSBCHSBC
  • BarclaysBarclays
  • LloydsLloyds
  • NatWestNatWest
  • SantanderSantander
  • RevolutRevolut
  • AIBAIB
  • NationwideNationwide
Comparison

Everything Empower does, and a lot more.

The same spreadsheet workflow — with smarter automation and wider bank coverage. See how Avery compares, feature by feature.

Avery
Empower
Built for budgeting & spending
Investment-focused
No sales calls from advisors
Your data lives in a Google Sheet you own
AI transaction categorization
Rule-based
Customizable spreadsheet formulas & dashboards
UK & European bank connections
US only
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Free to try — your data stays in your own Google Sheet.

Avery vs Empower

How Avery compares to Empower

Investment dashboard vs a budgeting tool

Empower (formerly Personal Capital) is genuinely strong at one thing: tracking investments and net worth across accounts. Budgeting, though, is an afterthought — it shows spending by category but lacks flexible per-category budgets. Avery is the opposite: purpose-built for day-to-day budgeting in a sheet you own.

  • Empower: best-in-class investment & net-worth tracking
  • Empower: thin, rule-based budgeting
  • Avery: built for budgeting and spending control
  • Avery: AI categorization in a Google Sheet you own

The advisory sales-call angle

Empower’s dashboard is free because it’s a funnel for its wealth-management service. Sign up and you can expect calls from advisors pitching a paid service (around 0.89% of assets under management for $100K+ portfolios). Avery has no sales team and nothing to upsell — it’s a budgeting tool, not a lead magnet.

  • Free Empower signups get advisor sales calls
  • Pitch is a ~0.89% AUM wealth-management service
  • Avery has no advisors and no sales calls
  • You just budget — no pressure to hand over investments

Avery is not an investment-management product

To be clear, Avery doesn’t manage investments, give financial advice, or track portfolio performance. If your main goal is watching your investments and net worth, Empower’s free dashboard is excellent. If you want to budget the money you actually spend, Avery is the better tool — and many people happily use both.

  • Avery is for budgeting & spending, not portfolio management
  • No investment advice or asset management
  • Use Empower for investments, Avery for budgeting
  • US, UK & European bank coverage for budgeting
Features

3 reasons Avery is better thanEmpower

• AI Categorization

Smart Sorting. While You Sleep.

Avery's AI automatically organizes and categorizes your transaction data based on your rules, keeping your budget updated without you lifting a finger.

  • Automated transaction tagging
  • Hands-free spending insights
Avery AI categorization view in Google Sheets

• Auto Update

Zero Manual Work.

Import every transaction across all your accounts with just two clicks, giving you an instant, accurate view of your finances going back two years.

  • Two-year historical retrieval
  • Multi-account transaction mapping
Avery dashboard view with financial charts

• Custom Rules

Set Your Rules. We'll Do The Rest.

Avery automatically categorizes your data and syncs your accounts daily while you sleep, so you stay updated without lifting a finger.

  • Custom categorization rules
  • Daily automated syncing
Avery custom rules and transactions screen
User Stories

What Our Users Say

Customer Note
GenYSolutions
As a software engineer, I value the flexibility to create my own charts and tables. The peace of mind knowing I own my data is critical.

GenYSolutions

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Empower Personal Dashboard really free?
Yes — the dashboard and tools are free. Empower makes money by having advisors call free users to sell its paid wealth-management service (around 0.89% of assets under management for $100K+ portfolios).
Can I use Empower outside the US?
No. Empower officially supports US-based financial institutions only. Avery supports open banking across the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, and Spain.
Does Empower export my data to Google Sheets?
No. Empower is a closed app — your data stays in their cloud with no Google Sheets sync. Avery writes every transaction into a Google Sheet you own and control.
Is Empower good for budgeting?
It’s strong for investment and net-worth tracking but weak for budgeting — it shows spending by category but lacks flexible per-category budgets, and categorization is rule-based rather than AI. Avery is built specifically for budgeting.
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