Jackery Explorer 5000 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
Growatt VITA 550 costs $3100 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on what you need to run.
- Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus holds 837% more energy (5040Wh vs 538Wh), so it runs the same load proportionally longer.
- Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus has 13200W more surge headroom (14400W vs 1200W) — that decides whether a fridge, pump or AC compressor will actually start.
- Growatt VITA 550 is 127.9 lb lighter (17.6 lb vs 145.5 lb).
- Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus is rated for 4,000 cycles vs 3,000 — meaningful if you cycle it daily.
Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus
A generator replacement in a box. 5040Wh and 7200W with 240V output — it competes with standby generators, not power stations.
Best for: Whole-home backup where a gas generator isn't an option.
Where it falls short:
- 145.5 lb — wheels required, not portable
- $3499
Growatt VITA 550
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 | Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3499 | $399 |
| Capacity | 5040 Wh | 538 Wh |
| Continuous output | 7200 W | 600 W |
| Surge output | 14400 W | 1200 W |
| Battery | LiFePO4 | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycles | 4,000 | 3,000 |
| Weight (lighter wins) | 145.5 lb | 17.6 lb |
| Max solar | 5400 W | 300 W |
| Recharge time (faster wins) | 2h | 1h |
Runtime head-to-head
| Appliance | Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | Growatt VITA 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 71.4 hrs | 7.6 hrs |
| Mini fridge | 136.0 hrs | 14.5 hrs |
| Chest freezer | 53.5 hrs | 5.7 hrs |
| CPAP machine | 107.1 hrs | 11.4 hrs |
| Sump pump | 5.4 hrs | ❌ |