Sticker price alone doesn’t tell you much when capacities range from about 1 kWh to 4 kWh. This page compares eight popular power stations two ways, using only the manufacturers’ published capacity, cycle ratings, and the prices on their official US stores on October 7, 2026.
Prices move constantly. Several of these were sale prices on the day we checked (it was a major fall sales event). The ranking can flip when a sale ends. Always check the current price. We’ll re-check and update the date.
Metric 1: dollars per kWh of capacity
The simplest value check: price ÷ rated capacity in kWh. It tells you what you pay for each kWh of battery today, but it ignores how long the battery lasts.
Metric 2: estimated cost per delivered kWh over rated life
This is a durability-adjusted yardstick:
$ per delivered kWh = price ÷ (capacity kWh × rated cycles × average capacity factor × 0.85)
- Rated cycles come from each manufacturer (for example “4,000 cycles to 80%+ capacity”).
- Average capacity factor is our simplifying assumption: the midpoint between 100% and the manufacturer’s end-of-life percentage. That’s 90% for a “to 80%” rating and 85% for a “to 70%” rating. Batteries don’t fade perfectly linearly. This is a rough average.
- 0.85 is our site-wide assumption for inverter efficiency (battery DC to AC outlet).
The comparison
| # | Model | Price checked | Capacity | $ per kWh of capacity | Rated cycles | Avg. capacity factor | Est. lifetime AC kWh | Est. $ per delivered kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus | $2,149 | 3,584 Wh | $600 | 6,000 to 70% | 85% | 15,537 | $0.138 |
| 2 | Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 | $864 | 2,042 Wh | $423 | 4,000 to 70% | 85% | 5,901 | $0.146 |
| 3 | Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | $499 | 1,070 Wh | $466 | 4,000 to 70% | 85% | 3,092 | $0.161 |
| 4 | BLUETTI AC180 | $499 | 1,152 Wh | $433 | 3,500 to 80% | 90% | 3,084 | $0.162 |
| 5 | Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | $599.99 | 1,024 Wh | $586 | 4,000 to 80% | 90% | 3,133 | $0.191 |
| 6 | EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | $674 | 1,024 Wh | $658 | 4,000 to 80% | 90% | 3,133 | $0.215 |
| 7 | EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | $2,799 | 4,096 Wh | $683 | 4,000 to 80% | 90% | 12,534 | $0.223 |
| 8 | Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | $2,699.99 | 3,840 Wh | $703 | 3,000+ (end % not stated) | 90%* | 8,813 | $0.306 |
* Anker lists the F3800 Plus at “3,000+ cycles” without an end-of-life capacity percentage, so we assumed 80% (a 90% average factor). If Anker publishes a figure, we’ll update it.
How to read this (and what it doesn’t say)
- Cycle-life value isn’t backup value. If you only use a power station during a few outages a year, you may never get close to 3,000–6,000 cycles. Calendar aging, warranty length, and whether the unit fits your loads matter more. For a backup-only buyer, Metric 1 plus the right size is usually the better guide. Metric 2 matters more if you cycle the battery often, for example with daily solar or time-of-use shifting.
- Cycle ratings aren’t standardized. One brand rates “to 70%,” another “to 80%,” and test conditions are set by each manufacturer. We use their published numbers as-is. We didn’t test them.
- Bigger isn’t automatically better value. In this snapshot, the ~2 kWh and ~3.6 kWh Jackery units ranked best on delivered-kWh cost, partly because of their sale prices and partly because of the HomePower 3600 Plus’s 6,000-cycle rating. The F3800 Plus ranks last on this metric, but it offers things the cheaper units don’t: 6,000 W of output, 240 V, a 3,200 W solar input, and expansion to multiple batteries.
- Features aren’t in the math. Solar input, 240 V output, expandability, UPS switchover time, weight, and warranty all matter. See the full spec table below and our sizing guide.
Full specs used
| Model | Capacity | AC rated / surge | Cycle rating | Max solar | 240V out | Price checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | 1,024 Wh | 1,800 W / 3,600 W | 4,000 to 80% | 1,000 W | No | $674 (list $799) | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 4,096 Wh | 4,000 W / 8,000 W | 4,000 to 80% | 2,600 W | Yes | $2,799 (list $3,699) | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | 1,070 Wh | 1,500 W / 3,000 W | 4,000 to 70% | 400 W | No | $499 (list $589) | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 | 2,042 Wh | 2,200 W / 4,400 W | 4,000 to 70% | 400 W | No | $864 (list $999) | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
| Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus | 3,584 Wh | 3,600 W / 7,200 W | 6,000 to 70% | 1,000 W | No | $2,149 (list $2,729) | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
| BLUETTI AC180 | 1,152 Wh | 1,800 W / 2,700 W | 3,500 to 80% | 500 W | No | $499 | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | 1,024 Wh | 2,000 W / 3,000 W | 4,000 to 80% | 600 W | No | $599.99 | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | 3,840 Wh | 6,000 W / not listed | 3,000+ | 3,200 W | Yes | $2,699.99 | Official page, checked 2026-10-07 |
Methodology notes
- We used the price shown for the standalone unit (no panels or bundles). For Anker, we used the base price in the official store’s product data; checkout promotions may differ.
- Capacity is the rated figure from the spec page. Usable AC energy is lower because of inverter losses, which our 85% assumption covers.
- Specs and prices live in a single dataset that also powers our runtime calculator and other guides, so every page shows the same numbers.
Sources
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus · EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 · Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 · Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus (specs via Jackery FAQ)
- BLUETTI AC180
- Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 · Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus
- All checked October 7, 2026.