Updated September 29, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Betterment vs Empower Personal Dashboard
Empower Personal Dashboard
Betterment
Higher score in this comparison
Betterment vs Empower Personal Dashboard: the differences
| Compare | BettermentReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Empower Personal DashboardReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25% | 0%Lower |
| Minimum investment | $10 | $0Lower |
| Account types | IRA, Roth IRACovers more | IRA |
| Portfolio types | ETF, ESG, Cash, CryptoCovers more | ETF, Cash |
| Regulators | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registered investment adviser, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Betterment Securities broker dealer member, SIPC | Not confirmed |
| Investor protection | SIPC up to USD 500,000 | Not confirmed |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Key differences
- Betterment scores higher overall: 9.7 vs 9.3.
- Founded is lower at Betterment: 2008 vs 2014.
- Management fee is lower at Empower Personal Dashboard: 0% vs 0.25%.
- Minimum investment is lower at Empower Personal Dashboard: $0 vs $10.
- Account types: only Betterment offers Roth IRA.
- Portfolio types: only Betterment offers ESG, Crypto.
- Support channels: only Betterment offers Chat.
Our verdict on each
Betterment
Betterment suits US savers who want a managed portfolio and a cash sweep in the same app, charging a management fee of 0.25% on top of an account fee of $0. Cash earns a variable 3.5%, so the income side moves with policy rates, and its overall score is 7.9.
Empower Personal Dashboard
Empower Personal Dashboard suits US households that want cash and investments in one place, paying a variable headline rate of 3.5% and asking for a minimum deposit of $0. Deposits sit under FDIC up to USD 250,000, and the dashboard moves money with the ease of a checking account.
Score breakdown
| Area | Betterment | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.5Management fee of 0.25% ranks 18 of 49, and the account fee is $0. | 10.0HigherManagement fee 0%, account fee $0, stock trade fee $0, minimum investment $0. |
| Offer | 9.7Higher | 8.7 |
| Trust | 9.9Higher | 9.0 |
Pick Betterment if, pick Empower Personal Dashboard if
Pick Betterment if offer, trust, account types, and portfolio types matter most.
Pick Empower Personal Dashboard if cost, management fee, and minimum investment matter most.
The bill, worked out
10,000 invested for a year
Betterment
25
0.25% of 10,000
Empower Personal Dashboard
0
0% of 10,000
Empower Personal Dashboard comes out 25 lower in this example.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Sources behind this comparison
Betterment
- betterment.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- sipc.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Empower Personal Dashboard
- empower.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Betterment | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Savings | 56 of 1492 | 18 of 1492 |
| Savings accounts | 39 of 658 | 11 of 658 |
| Cash management accounts | 8 of 46 | 4 of 46 |
| Investing | 52 of 654 | 22 of 654 |
| Stock and ETF brokers | 30 of 358 | 13 of 358 |
| Robo-advisors | 7 of 154 | 2 of 154 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Betterment | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | MTG LLC | Empower Advisory Group, LLC |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Founded | 2008Lower | 2014 |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, Chat, Help centreCovers more | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Brokers
| Fact | Betterment | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10 | $0Lower |
| Stock trade fee | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Account fee | $0 | $0 |
| Markets | Stocks, ETFs, Bonds | Stocks, ETFs, Funds |
| Features | Not confirmed | Mobile app |
| Pricing model | No monthly fee | Commission free, Low fees |
| Deposit and withdrawal fees | No fees | Not confirmed |
| Interest on cash | 3.5% | Not confirmed |
Savings
| Fact | Betterment | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Rate type | Variable | Variable |
| Deposit protection | FDIC up to USD 250,000 | FDIC up to USD 250,000 |
| Access terms | Cash Reserve: no minimum balance ($10 minimum deposit), unlimited withdrawals, sweep cash held at FDIC-insured program banks up to $8M (joint) | Easy access like a checking account; deposit and withdraw through the Empower Dashboard via website and mobile app |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Account kind | Cash management | Cash management |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Betterment | Empower Personal Dashboard | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.25%below the median | 0%lowest quarter | 0.35% |
| Minimum investment | $10below the median | $0lowest quarter | $500 |
Median across 86 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Betterment
Pros
- A single app holds a managed portfolio and a cash sweep paying a variable 3.5%.
- The management fee of 0.25% sits under the site median management fee of 0.35%.
- The monthly fee is $0 and the minimum deposit is $10, so an account that is opened and left alone carries no standing charge.
Cons
- Cash pays a variable rate of 3.5%, so the income from the sweep can be cut without warning.
- Betterment ranks 18 of 49 on management fee, so cheaper robo-advice sits on the same list.
- Account types cover ira and roth ira, which rules out a UK ISA or workplace pension wrapper for most UK readers.
Empower Personal Dashboard
Pros
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so help is a phone call or an email away.
- The cash side sits under FDIC up to USD 250,000.
- Access suits everyday money: deposits and withdrawals run through the dashboard itself.
Cons
- The rate type is variable, so the 3.5% headline can move rather than being fixed for a term.
- Markets are limited to stocks, etfs and funds, with no foreign exchange, crypto or bond trading listed.
- Investing money carries risk: the share of retail accounts that lose money is 70.15%.
Who each suits
Betterment
Who it suits
- US savers who want automated investing and a variable cash yield handled from the same app.
- First-time investors who can begin from a minimum investment of $10 without a large opening balance.
- Retirement savers who want a traditional or Roth IRA built around automatic contributions.
Who should look elsewhere
- eToro, if you would rather choose individual markets yourself, since the portfolio options here are etf, esg and cash.
- Axos Invest, whose minimum investment of $100 suits readers who want a higher entry point and a managed portfolio.
- Empower Personal Dashboard, whose management fee is 0%, for readers who put the advisory charge ahead of a managed account with a cash sweep.
Empower Personal Dashboard
Who it suits
- US households who want a cash balance alongside a ira account in one place.
- Investors comfortable with a focused list of stocks, etfs and funds held in etf and cash.
- People who value phone and email help, since support runs on email, phone and help centre.
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers after a UK or European savings account: Empower is headquartered in the United States, and PiggyVest quotes its minimum investment as NGN 5,000 in another currency.
- Anyone who wants a stated entry floor before investing: eToro asks $500 and Axos Invest $100, against $0 here.
- People trading forex, crypto or bonds: the market list here is stocks, etfs and funds, so eToro or Axos Invest are the comparisons to read for wider classes.
Current offers
Betterment
Current offer
Bonus
Invest and earn up to $2,000: up to $2,000
Terms apply; new customers only; open any individual investing account and make a deposit
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
0.75% APY boost on Cash Reserve: 0.75% APY boost, 4.25% variable APY on balances up to $1M
New clients with a qualifying deposit; guaranteed through February 15; base variable APY 3.50% as of 9/21/2026; $10 min deposit for base APY
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
Discounted mortgage rate through Rate partnership: up to 0.75% off
Via partnership with Rate; terms apply
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Betterment | Empower Personal Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Betterment
What does Betterment charge to run an account?+
Two figures matter. The management fee is 0.25%, charged on the portfolio, and the monthly fee is $0, with an account fee of $0. Taking money in and out carries nothing, with the deposit and withdrawal fee reading No fees. Over a year the management fee is the line that reduces the balance, since nothing else here charges for holding the account open.
How much do I need to open an account and start investing?+
The minimum investment is $10 and the minimum deposit for the cash side is $10. The site median minimum deposit is €0.88 and the median minimum investment is €25, so the floor here sits inside the normal range rather than at either extreme. Neither figure asks for a large opening balance.
Empower Personal Dashboard
What does Empower Personal Dashboard charge?+
None of the listed fees apply. The management fee is 0%, the account fee $0, the monthly fee $0 and a stock trade costs $0. The pricing model is commission free and low fees, so the charge does not scale with the size of the holding.
Is the money in my account protected?+
The cash side is covered by FDIC up to USD 250,000, which applies to deposits rather than investments. Anything in the investment account carries market risk, and across the site the share of retail accounts that lose money sits at 70.15%. Keep emergency cash in the deposit account.
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Empower Personal Dashboard
Betterment