DJI Power 500 vs Jackery Explorer 240
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
Jackery Explorer 240 costs $160 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- DJI Power 500 holds 113% more energy (512Wh vs 240Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- DJI Power 500 has 1600W more surge headroom (2000W vs 400W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- Jackery Explorer 240 is 9.7 lb lighter (6.6 lb vs 16.3 lb).
- DJI Power 500 uses LiFePO4 while the other uses NMC — roughly double the usable cycle life.
- DJI Power 500 is rated for 4,000 cycles vs 500 — meaningful if you cycle it daily.
If you plan to cycle the battery daily, think twice about the Jackery Explorer 240. Its NMC cells are rated for 500 cycles against the LiFePO4 rival's longer life — over years of regular use that's the more expensive unit, whatever the sticker says.
The smaller DJI unit: 512Wh and 1,000W make it a capable weekend companion, with fast charging and low noise as the standouts.
Best for: Weekend campers and creators who want a light, fast-charging half-kWh unit.
Where it falls short:
- 512Wh is a single-day capacity
- No expansion
A very old, very small unit still sold on price alone. The LiFePO4 Explorer 240 v2 beats it on cycles and charging for similar money.
Best for: Only if it’s markedly cheaper than the 240 v2.
Where it falls short:
- ~500 Li-ion cycles
- 200W output, no USB-C PD
| Spec | DJI Power 500 | Jackery Explorer 240 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $359 | $199 |
| Capacity | 512 Wh | 240 Wh |
| Continuous output | 1000 W | 200 W |
| Surge output | 2000 W | 400 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | NMC |
| Rated cycles | 4,000 | 500 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 16.3 lb | 6.6 lb |
| Max solar | 200 W | 65 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h 10m | 5h |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | DJI Power 500 | Jackery Explorer 240 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 7.3 hrs | ❌ |
| Mini fridge | 13.8 hrs | 6.5 hrs |
| Chest freezer | 5.4 hrs | ❌ |
| CPAP machine | 10.9 hrs | 5.1 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | ❌ |