EcoFlow RIVER 2 vs DJI Power 500
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 costs $160 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- DJI Power 500 holds 100% more energy (512Wh vs 256Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- DJI Power 500 has 1400W more surge headroom (2000W vs 600W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- EcoFlow RIVER 2 is 8.6 lb lighter (7.7 lb vs 16.3 lb).
- DJI Power 500 is rated for 4,000 cycles vs 3,000 — meaningful if you cycle it daily.
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.
The cheapest way into LiFePO4. 256Wh is a device charger, but at under $200 with a 60-minute recharge it's hard to argue with.
Best for: Budget campers who just need to keep phones, cameras and a laptop alive.
Where it falls short:
- 300W output runs devices only
- 256Wh is a single evening of real use
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
| Spec | EcoFlow RIVER 2 | DJI Power 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199 | $359 |
| Capacity | 256 Wh | 512 Wh |
| Continuous output | 300 W | 1000 W |
| Surge output | 600 W | 2000 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 3,000 | 4,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 7.7 lb | 16.3 lb |
| Max solar | 110 W | 200 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h | 1h 10m |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | EcoFlow RIVER 2 | DJI Power 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | ❌ | 7.3 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 6.9 hrs | 13.8 hrs |
| Chest freezer | ❌ | 5.4 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 5.4 hrs | 10.9 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | ❌ |