Empower App

Overview

Empower App is a volunteer action hub for organizations that turn personal connections into organized outreach and action. It is best suited to groups coordinating canvassing with supporter-led contact across several channels. Approved nonprofit and labor organizations get organizer and activist smartphone apps at no cost, while campaign organizations face custom pricing.

Key features

Empower combines field canvassing with relational outreach. Volunteers can canvass openly or door to door, and organizers can use automatic turf cutting or request nearby turf. That makes it a practical fit for programs that need to connect neighborhood work with volunteers’ own networks; teams seeking only a standalone messaging tool may find the broader approach unnecessary.

Volunteers can take actions for recruiting, mobilization, events and fundraising, using calls, texts, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram or Signal. The channel range gives organizers flexibility across different outreach efforts, but the product is oriented toward coordinating volunteers rather than serving as a single-channel communications service.

English and Spanish support and in-app organizational branding help groups adapt the app to their programs. Listed data connections include NGP VAN, LAN, EveryAction, ActBlue, Tableau, SQL, JSON, AWS, BigQuery and CSVs; integrations and APIs are available. Empower says users own their data, can export it at any time, and that it will not sell the data. That ownership and portability matter to organizations that need control over supporter records.

Empower offers training, coaching and ongoing support for launching and running relational programs. Pen-and-paper options also accommodate volunteers who are less comfortable with technology. The maker says the app facilitated 9 million friend-to-friend conversations during its 2024 programs, a sign of the scale it says the platform has supported.

Pricing

501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and labor organizations: free for approved organizations, including access to organizer and activist smartphone apps. This is the clearest fit for eligible groups that want to coordinate relational outreach without a software charge.

Political parties, PACs and candidates: custom pricing; contact Empower for details. The maker describes campaign pricing as affordable, but without a published price, campaign teams should confirm the cost before deciding whether the platform fits their budget.

Platforms

Empower App is available on Android, iOS and the web. Its smartphone apps support organizers and activists, while web access broadens its reach beyond mobile devices.

Who it's for

Empower is a strong match for nonprofits, labor organizations and campaigns that want volunteers to canvass, contact people through multiple channels and activate personal networks. Its training and low-tech options make it more accommodating to varied volunteer experience. Organizations that need only basic texting or calling, or do not run volunteer-led relational programs, should consider a more focused service.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Approved 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and labor organizations can use the organizer and activist smartphone apps free.
• Pros: Canvassing, nearby turf requests and multiple relational communication channels support programs that combine field activity with supporter outreach.
• Pros: Users retain ownership of their data and can export it at any time; training, coaching and pen-and-paper options support volunteer adoption.
• Cons: Political parties, PACs and candidates must contact Empower for custom pricing, making costs harder to assess upfront.
• Cons: The breadth of canvassing and channel features may be unnecessary for organizations looking for a single-purpose messaging tool.

Alternatives

For a category-wide comparison, browse Peer-to-Peer Texting Software.

• TextNow is a freemium option with free talk and text and 5G data for select apps, but its free plan requires an active TextNow SIM.
• CallHub is worth considering for teams seeking a paid communications platform with a free trial and free starter credits.
• Impactive offers a freemium alternative with a $0 licensing fee and pay-as-you-go pricing, including 1,000 unique form responses per month.
• OutreachCircle offers a free Supporter Action Hub for organizations wanting that alternative.
• text+ is a freemium choice for users who want free texting and incoming calls, with outbound calling and premium features paid.
• FreeMessaging.ai may suit web-based messaging needs where there is no monthly software subscription or standard-service managed-sending fee; carrier and messaging costs still apply.
• UpVote Campaigns uses quote-based pricing for teams that prefer to request a campaign-specific quote.
• Blu Txt offers full-service and self-service plans with no setup fees or minimums, charging for usage.

Verdict

Choose Empower App if your organization needs volunteers to coordinate canvassing and relational outreach across multiple channels, especially if you qualify for its free nonprofit or labor access. Its combination of field tools, supporter actions, training and data portability is compelling for that work. Look elsewhere if your needs are limited to one messaging channel or your campaign requires a firm price before contacting a vendor.