EcoFlow RIVER 3 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 costs $160 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- Growatt VITA 550 holds 120% more energy (538Wh vs 245Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- Growatt VITA 550 has 600W more surge headroom (1200W vs 600W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- EcoFlow RIVER 3 is 9.8 lb lighter (7.8 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.
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
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 | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $239 | $399 |
| Capacity | 245 Wh | 538 Wh |
| Continuous output | 300 W | 600 W |
| Surge output | 600 W | 1200 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 7.8 lb | 17.6 lb |
| Max solar | 110 W | 300 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 1h | 1h |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | EcoFlow RIVER 3 | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | ❌ | 7.6 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 6.6 hrs | 14.5 hrs |
| Chest freezer | ❌ | 5.7 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 5.2 hrs | 11.4 hrs |
| Sump pump | ❌ | ❌ |