Bluetti AC500 vs Growatt VITA 550
Side-by-side on the specs that decide it — surge, capacity, runtime and price.
Both models' specs verified against manufacturer listings · Last updated
The short answer
Growatt VITA 550 costs $1600 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- Bluetti AC500 holds 471% more energy (3072Wh vs 538Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- Bluetti AC500 has 8800W more surge headroom (10000W vs 1200W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- Growatt VITA 550 is 48.5 lb lighter (17.6 lb vs 66.1 lb).
- Bluetti AC500 is rated for 3,500 cycles vs 3,000 — meaningful if you cycle it daily.
Bluetti AC500
A modular home-backup system, not a portable unit — the AC500 has no internal battery at all until you add B300K packs.
Best for: Serious home-backup builds where you're designing a system, not buying an appliance.
Where it falls short:
- Requires separate battery packs to function at all — budget accordingly
- Total system cost climbs fast
Growatt VITA 550
A tidy half-kWh unit with fast charging and a 1,200W surge that lets it start small appliances a 600W rating wouldn't suggest.
Best for: Campers who want fast charging and a bit of surge headroom at half a kWh.
Where it falls short:
- 538Wh is weekend-scale
- 3-year warranty
| Spec | Bluetti AC500 | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1999 | $399 |
| Capacity | 3072 Wh | 538 Wh |
| Continuous output | 5000 W | 600 W |
| Surge output | 10000 W | 1200 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 3,500 | 3,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 66.1 lb | 17.6 lb |
| Max solar | 3000 W | 300 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h 45m | 1h |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | Bluetti AC500 | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 43.5 hrs | 7.6 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 82.9 hrs | 14.5 hrs |
| Chest freezer | 32.6 hrs | 5.7 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 65.3 hrs | 11.4 hrs |
| Sump pump | 3.3 hrs | ❌ |