Privacy-First Alternative
Nova vs Empower
Empower (formerly Personal Capital) offers free tools to funnel you into paid advisory services. Nova gives you better tracking with zero upsells.
Your financial data should work for you — not for a sales team.
No credit card required • No advisor calls • Cancel anytime
The Fundamental Difference
Empower and Nova both track net worth, but their business models are fundamentally different — and that shapes everything about the experience.
Empower
Wealth Management Firm
Empower (formerly Personal Capital) is primarily a wealth management company. The free dashboard tools exist to identify potential advisory clients. If you have significant assets, expect persistent outreach from their advisory team.
The trade-offs:
- Advisor calls after connecting accounts
- Data used to assess advisory potential
- Free tools are a lead generation funnel
- Limited non-investment asset tracking
Nova
Privacy-First Net Worth Tracker
Nova is purely a financial tracking tool. We don't manage money, we don't employ advisors, and we don't use your data for sales. You pay a transparent subscription, and we build the best tracking experience possible.
What you get:
- Zero advisor calls or sales outreach
- AES-256 encryption, privacy-first
- AI insights without human advisor upsells
- 11 asset types with auto-valuations
Privacy You Can Trust
When a company offers free tools to access your financial data, ask yourself: what's the real product?
AES-256 Encryption
All financial data is encrypted at rest and in transit with bank-level AES-256 encryption.
No Data Monetization
We don't analyze your assets to sell advisory services. Your data is never used for sales targeting.
No Sales Calls
Connect your accounts without worrying about persistent phone calls from financial advisors.
Transparent Pricing
$9.99/month after your free trial. No hidden fees, no advisory upsells, no surprises.
AI, Not Advisors
Get financial insights from Charlie AI — instant, unbiased, and never trying to sell you anything.
Your Data, Your Control
Export your data anytime. Delete your account and all data is permanently removed.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
An honest comparison of Nova and Empower's free dashboard tools. Empower also offers paid advisory services (0.49%–0.89% AUM) not included here.
| Feature | Nova | Empower (free tier) |
|---|---|---|
| Net worth dashboard | ||
| Automatic bank syncing | ||
| 12,000+ bank connections | ||
| Investment tracking | ||
| AI-powered insights | ||
| Real estate auto-valuations | Manual only | |
| Vehicle value tracking | ||
| Cryptocurrency tracking | Limited | |
| Precious metals tracking | ||
| Credit score monitoring | ||
| Spending categorization | ||
| Historical net worth charts | ||
| Retirement planner | AI-powered | |
| Goal tracking with projections | Basic | |
| Debt payoff optimization | ||
| Cash flow forecasting | Basic | |
| No advisor upsells | ||
| No phone calls from sales | ||
| Privacy-first (no data monetization) | ||
| AI financial assistant | ||
| Multi-currency support | Limited | |
| Partner/household sharing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Empower the same as Personal Capital?
Yes — Empower acquired Personal Capital in 2020 and completed the rebrand in 2023. The free financial tools (net worth tracker, retirement planner) are largely the same, but Empower has increasingly pushed its paid advisory services. The free tools exist primarily to funnel users into Empower's wealth management services (0.49%–0.89% annual advisory fee).
Why do people switch from Empower to Nova?
The most common reasons are: (1) Empower's persistent sales calls from financial advisors after connecting accounts, (2) privacy concerns about how Empower uses financial data to target advisory services, (3) limited non-investment asset tracking (no auto-valuations for real estate/vehicles), and (4) wanting AI-powered insights without the human advisor upsell.
Does Empower sell my financial data?
Empower's free tools are a lead generation funnel for their paid advisory business. When you connect accounts, Empower gains insight into your investable assets and uses this to assess whether you're a good candidate for their advisory services. This isn't "selling data" in the traditional sense, but your financial information directly informs their sales outreach. Nova takes a fundamentally different approach: your data is encrypted with AES-256, we don't offer advisory services, and we never use your data for sales targeting.
Is Empower's free plan really free?
Empower's dashboard tools are technically free, but they come with persistent advisor outreach. Once you connect accounts showing significant assets, expect phone calls and emails from Empower advisors. The free tools exist to identify high-net-worth individuals for their paid wealth management service. Nova's pricing is transparent: free 14-day trial, then $9.99/month. What you see is what you get.
Does Nova offer financial advisory services like Empower?
No, and that's by design. Nova provides AI-powered insights via Charlie (your AI financial assistant) that can analyze your complete financial picture and suggest optimizations. But we don't manage your money, we don't employ human advisors, and we don't earn commissions on financial products. Nova is a tool for financial clarity — not a wealth management firm.
Other Comparisons
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