EcoFlow RIVER 3 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 3 costs $120 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- DJI Power 500 holds 109% more energy (512Wh vs 245Wh), 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 3 is 8.5 lb lighter (7.8 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.
A glorified power bank with AC outlets — and that's fine if that's what you need. 245Wh runs devices, not appliances.
Best for: Weekend campers charging phones, cameras and a laptop.
Where it falls short:
- 300W output rules out anything with a heating element
- No expansion path
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 3 | DJI Power 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $239 | $359 |
| Capacity | 245 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) | 7.8 lb | 16.3 lb |
| Max solar | 110 W | 200 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h | 1h 10m |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | EcoFlow RIVER 3 | DJI Power 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | ❌ | 7.3 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 6.6 hrs | 13.8 hrs |
| Chest freezer | ❌ | 5.4 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 5.2 hrs | 10.9 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | ❌ |