Empower vs PocketGuard:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, PocketGuard had more branded searches than Empower among personal budgeting apps worldwide. PocketGuard had about 19,600 branded searches, while Empower had 5,400. PocketGuard made up 5.6% of all personal budgeting app searches we track, and Empower accounted for 1.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about personal budgeting apps, Empower appeared in four of the five answers and PocketGuard in two. Empower was mentioned before PocketGuard in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
PocketGuard, about 4 searches for every 1 for Empower
Who does AI mention more?
Empower, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, PocketGuard in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Empower, named ahead of PocketGuard in 3 of 4 answers
Follow Empower vs PocketGuard and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top personal budgeting apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Empower was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. PocketGuard was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Empower was listed before PocketGuard in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Monarch Money1st
YNAB2nd
Quicken Simplifi3rd- Empower4th
Goodbudget5th- PocketGuard6th
Copilot Money7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- YNAB5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Monarch Money5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Quicken Simplifi4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Goodbudget4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Empower4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- PocketGuard2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Copilot Money1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about personal budgeting apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which personal budgeting app should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best personal budgeting apps?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best personal budgeting app for tracking spending?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best budgeting app”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“budget app”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Empower or PocketGuard more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Empower and PocketGuard by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven personal budgeting apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for PocketGuard, Empower. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | YNAB | Monarch Money | Quicken Simplifi | PocketGuard | Copilot Money | Goodbudget | Empower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43% | 24.8% | 12.1% | 8% | 3.5% | 6% | 2.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 45.5% | 22.4% | 12.3% | 8.8% | 3.8% | 5.3% | 1.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.8% | 23.6% | 13% | 7.6% | 6% | 5.6% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 43.9% | 23.4% | 14.6% | 5.3% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.9% | 23.1% | 14.3% | 8.2% | 4.7% | 4.4% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.2% | 22.5% | 14.1% | 9.9% | 5.6% | 4.3% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.2% | 22.4% | 14% | 9.9% | 5.6% | 3.5% | 1.3% |
| May 2026 | 45.3% | 23.9% | 12.9% | 7.5% | 6% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 47.3% | 24.7% | 13.5% | 5.5% | 5.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 39% | 33.7% | 12.4% | 4.8% | 5.8% | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.4% | 33.5% | 14.1% | 4.8% | 5.7% | 2.9% | 1.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 37.1% | 32.3% | 14.5% | 5.6% | 5.5% | 3.4% | 1.5% |
How has the Empower and PocketGuard comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- PocketGuard was ahead of Empower in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Empower’s share of searches among personal budgeting apps worldwide moved from 2.7% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 5.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PocketGuard’s share of searches among personal budgeting apps worldwide moved from 8% to 5.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 36.3K to 19.6K.
How did search popularity change for personal budgeting apps worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, PocketGuard overtook Copilot Money to rank 4th among personal budgeting apps worldwide, with 5.6% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Empower worldwide fell 55.4% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 5.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Empower’s and PocketGuard’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Empower
1 branded search term
- empower personal dashboard
PocketGuard
4 branded search terms
- pocket guard
- pocketguard app
- pocketguard budget
- pocketguard budget app
Other head-to-heads among personal budgeting apps
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.