Quicken is a well-known, widely used, and successful financial software program developed by Intuit (INTU). The company sold its personal financial management tool to private equity firm H.I.G. Capital in 2016.

Quicken offers users account management, budgeting, portfolio analysis, and features like 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:capital gains tracking for Windows and Mac operating systems. While it remains popular with its North Americanﷺ base, its competitors are increasingly challenging its dominance—notably Empower and Banktivity.

1. Empower

Empower represents an attractive and less expensive alternative to Quicken for individuals who prefer a cloud-based program—and one that offers extensive investment management tools. As of February 2025, it had $1.8 trillion in 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:assets under management (AUM).

The basic Empower 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:financial services package, which includes account tracking, budgeting, bill paying, and other basic services, is free. However, Empower mak🎃es its money primarily from individuals with a minimum of $100,000 in assets who upgrade to the personal wealth 💎management services the company offers.

Fees begin at 0.89% for the first $1 million of assets managed and range down to 0.49% for accounts over $10 million per year. Empower's fees are significantly lower than average for full 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:wealth management services.

How Empower Works

Clients are assigned a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:personal financial advisor and receive all the usual services a client expects from a wealth management company, including tax and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:estate planning, tax-loss harvesting, advice on insurance, educational funds for children, and any other necessary services to provide full financial management for clients.

But even the free 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:personal finance services offered are extensive and competitive with what is offered by Quicken. Included are services, such as budgeting, a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:retirement planner, a net worth analyzer, and an investment allocation target checker. The budgeting component includes a cash flow tool that allows individuals to input income and spending, and then receive weekly, monthly, or annual analyses of their projected cash flows.

The retirement planner maps out a retirement plan and monitors how closely the user adheres to the plan. Users can set spending and savings goals, track income events, and project the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:future value of their investment portfolios. The 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:asset allocation feature determines a user's risk tolerance and makes appropriate investment allocation recommendations. The comprehensive features and the flexibility offered in this module compare favorably to any other service—free or paid.

Empower has received good reviews on multiple levels, notably that it offers better account synchronization than similar programs. It also receives high marks for 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:customer service, a rare plus for a free financial services software program. Empower offers much more in-depth 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:investment analysis and planning than Quicken. It also offers enhanced security through its use of multi-factor authentication.

2. Banktivity (iBank)

Launched in 2003, iBank was designed by IGG Software specifically for Apple's operating systems—at first, macOS (for desktops and laptops), and later iOS (for iPhones and iPads). IGG re-christened it Banktivity in 2016.

Users can choose a plan that's billed monthly or annually:

The bronze package has the most basic services, connecting bank accounts and credit cards with budgeting tools. The silver plan adds real estate tracking and investment reports while the gold package has the benefits of both plans and adds check printing and cryptocurrency to the mix. Bankivity comes with a 30-day free trial

How Banktivity Works

Aiming to serve as a personal or small business financial management program, Banktivity offers a myriad of financial services, including bank, credit card, loan, and investment account management. Features not included in Quicken but are standard with Banktivity include multicurrency functionality and variable loan 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:amortization.

Its platform for reviewing all of an individual's financial accounts can be found on one central dashboard: checking, savings, money market, equity and fixed-income investments, retirement accounts, loan accounts, and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:brokerage accounts.

With its continually updated charts, Banktivity stands out for the detailed income, expense, and investment performance analysis it offers, tracking buys and sells of stock shares, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:dividends, and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:stock options. The program also allows for easy production and printing of custom financial reports.

The Bottom Line

Quicken is a leader in personal financial management, offering a range of services at a reasonable price. But, there are other options available. Empower comes with good reviews, offering an extensive list of paid services for people with high net worths. Its free service doesn't sell short and is comparable to Quicken. Bankivity is a relatively new player with three tiers for people who want to budget, save, and invest. You can try the service for free for 30 days.