EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus 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 3 Plus costs $70 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- Growatt VITA 550 holds 88% more energy (538Wh vs 286Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus is 7.7 lb lighter (9.9 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.
Doubles the River 3's output for $90 more, and adds an expansion battery port. The better buy of the two unless weight is everything.
Best for: Campers who want one unit that covers devices plus the occasional small appliance.
Where it falls short:
- 286Wh alone is a single evening of real use
- 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 3 Plus | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329 | $399 |
| Capacity | 286 Wh | 538 Wh |
| Continuous output | 600 W | 600 W |
| Surge output | 1200 W | 1200 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 9.9 lb | 17.6 lb |
| Max solar | 220 W | 300 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h | 1h |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 4.1 hrs | 7.6 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 7.7 hrs | 14.5 hrs |
| Chest freezer | 3.0 hrs | 5.7 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 6.1 hrs | 11.4 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | ❌ |