EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max 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
EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max costs $100 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- Growatt VITA 550 holds 5% more energy (538Wh vs 512Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- Growatt VITA 550 has 200W more surge headroom (1200W vs 1000W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max is 4.4 lb lighter (13.2 lb vs 17.6 lb).
Neither of these will start a sump pump or well pump — both surge below the ~3,400W those motors need. If home backup with pumps is your use case, look at higher-surge models instead of either of these.
Double the River 2's capacity and output for $100 more. The sweet spot of EcoFlow's small line for anyone eyeing the occasional small appliance.
Best for: Campers who want headroom over a pure device charger without the size of a 1kWh unit.
Where it falls short:
- Still not enough output for heaters or compressors
- 220W solar input is modest
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 | EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | $399 |
| Capacity | 512 Wh | 538 Wh |
| Continuous output | 500 W | 600 W |
| Surge output | 1000 W | 1200 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 13.2 lb | 17.6 lb |
| Max solar | 220 W | 300 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h | 1h |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 7.3 hrs | 7.6 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 13.8 hrs | 14.5 hrs |
| Chest freezer | 5.4 hrs | 5.7 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 10.9 hrs | 11.4 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | ❌ |