Head-to-head test
Anker SOLIX C800 vs DJI Power 500
256Wh more tank on the Anker against a DJI that's now half the price — $299 to the C800's $599 — plus 7.7 lb lighter, 20dB quieter, and rated for a thousand more charge cycles. This is capacity versus price-and-refinement, and the capacity now costs nearly double to get.
Written by Wenny ZhengUpdated
Portable Power Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
Anker
SOLIX C800
2,245Power Score · Appliance Class
$599.00 list · direct from Anker
DJI
Power 500
2,341Power Score · Appliance Class
$299.00 list · direct from DJI
Spec deltas
The Power 500 now costs $300 less than the SOLIX C800 — $299 against $599 — while holding 256Wh less, 512Wh against 768Wh. That's the trade the whole page turns on: the C800 buys you more tank, but at roughly double the money, and only the runtime scenarios reward the extra capacity.
DJI's case starts with price and runs through everything above the battery. The Power 500 runs at 25dB, quiet enough that reviewers call it near-silentB2, against the C800's 45dB fan under load. Its LFP cells are rated for 4,000 cycles against the Anker's 3,000, and it's 7.7 lb lighter at 16.1 lb. What it doesn't have is DJI's own solar controller — panels need a separate proprietary adapterB4 — and, on the day-one capacity number, less than two-thirds of the Anker's tank.
This isn't a rout. The Anker is the one you refill less often and drain out later, thanks to its bigger tank. But the DJI is the quieter, lighter, longer-lived unit — and now the one that costs half as much to start.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
cost / lifetime kWh
The Anker's premium now buys capacity and little else on the cost side: the cheaper Power 500 still brings a 4,000-cycle rating and a quiet fan, and reviewers even found it more efficient than DJI's own larger Power 1000B3. Paying double for the C800 gets you watt-hours, not better economics.
Price: $599 (C800) vs $299 (Power 500)Capacity: 768Wh (C800) vs 512Wh (Power 500) — 256Wh more on the AnkerLifetime cost: $0.26/kWh (C800) vs $0.15/kWh (Power 500)
Why it mattersIf the deciding question is how much power you're carrying in one charge, the Anker's bigger tank is the reason to pay up; on every dollar metric, the arithmetic now favors the DJI.
rated cycles
The 20dB gap is the difference between a running refrigerator and something closer to a quiet library — noticeable if the unit is anywhere near where people sleep or work. But cycle life and noise are about how pleasant the unit is to own, not how far it gets you on any single outing, which is the C800's stronger case.
Noise: C800 45dB vs Power 500 25dB — a 20dB spec gapCycle life: C800 3,000 vs Power 500 4,000 cyclesC800's fans stay quiet under 500W but audibly ramp near its 1,200W ceilingA7
Why it mattersIf the unit lives in a bedroom, office, or anywhere quiet matters daily, the DJI's 20dB edge settles it — and it's the cheaper unit anyway. If it lives in a garage or trunk, this pair of specs barely registers.
The C800's 300W solar input is middling for its sizeA5, but it works the day you unbox it. The Power 500 needs a DJI-specific adapter before a panel does anything — one more part to buy, pack, and not lose on a trip.
DJI Power 500 has no built-in solar charge controller — panels require a separate proprietary adapterB4C800 takes 300W of solar directly, no adapterA5Power 500 ships with only a wall plug includedB4
Why it mattersOff-grid solar buyers should price in the adapter before comparing DJI's specs to the Anker's — it's an unlisted cost that changes the math.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: The DJI is now both cheaper to buy and cheaper per kWh; the Anker's higher price buys capacity alone.
cost / lifetime kWh
$0.26 per lifetime kilowatt-hour on the C800 against $0.15 on the Power 500 — and the DJI is the cheaper unit up front now too, by $300. Cost-per-warranty-year tells the same story: $120 against $60, a clean win for the DJI over the same 5-year term. There's no lifetime-value framing here where the bigger, now-pricier C800 comes out ahead; its case is capacity, not cost.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: Noise, surge ratio, and cycle life all fire, splitting cleanly between the two units.
rated cycles
Three cards fire and none of them favor the Anker outright. DJI wins noise (25dB against 45) and cycle life (4,000 against 3,000) clean. Surge ratio actually goes to the Anker here — 1.33x against the Power 500's flat 1.0x, since DJI's 1,000W surge cap matches its 1,000W continuous rating exactly, meaning it has no headroom above its own number. That's the one card in this section where the Anker's inverter is genuinely the safer bet for a hard-starting appliance.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: The 256Wh gap shows up as a real margin difference across every basket, not just on paper.
Every basket in our model overshoots both units, but the margins diverge with the tank size. On an 8-hour blackout needing 1,645Wh, the C800 falls short at 252% of its own capacity used against demand, the Power 500 at 378% — worse by a wide margin because the smaller tank simply runs out sooner. Even on a CPAP night, both pass, but the Anker uses 49% of its tank to the DJI's 74%. The bigger battery keeps winning even in scenarios where technically both units fail.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: 7.7 lb gap is DJI's most tangible everyday advantage.
weight
16.1 lb against 23.8 is a real difference — the DJI is a one-hand carry where the Anker asks for two. That's the honest tradeoff for the extra 256Wh: you're either carrying more energy or less weight, and DJI chose weight.
Brand Trust
Selected because: Cross-brand pair; DJI is a two-year-old entrant with a proprietary streak worth flagging against Anker's deeper track record.
DJI has been building power stations since 2024 — barely two years — leveraging its drone-era support network and 700-plus battery patents, but with no dedicated power-station community yet and an app score (3.5/5) that reflects the whole DJI catalog, drones included, rather than this unit specifically. Anker's SOLIX line is older and broader, with a stronger dedicated app rating (4.5 iOS) and an active community, though its support quality is reportedly trending down from a historically excellent standard. Both brands have a real caveat; DJI's is inexperience with proprietary accessories, Anker's is a service reputation in decline.
Strengths & trade-offs
Anker SOLIX C800
Strengths
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Higher AC output
Trade-offs
- –Substantially more expensive (+$300) than the Power 500.
- –Shorter-lived battery — rated for 3,000 charge cycles vs the Power 500's 4,000, so it wears out sooner.
DJI Power 500
Strengths
- +Costs $300 less
- +Lighter by 7.7 lb
- +Rated for 4,000 charge cycles — much longer battery lifespan
Trade-offs
- –No major technical downsides compared to rival.
Will It Power Your Gear?
Scenario math and per-appliance runtimes, modeled from the spec record.
Scenario verdicts
We ran the math on six real-world scenarios. Here's which unit survives your actual life.
SCN-01 · 2 nights · needs 2,100Wh
Weekend Camping
Two nights off-grid with essential comfort
Neither unit
A 2,100Wh weekend needs nearly three times the C800's tank and more than four times the Power 500's. Neither is built for this basket, but the gap is starker for DJI's smaller battery — plan on a bigger unit or solar refill for a real weekend off-grid.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Phone Charger 15W×6h · LED Lights 40W×8h · Box Fan 75W×14h · CPAP Machine 40W×16h
SCN-02 · 8 hours · needs 1,645Wh
8-Hour Blackout
Keep the essentials running through a night without power
Neither unit
Same shortfall pattern at 1,645Wh: the C800 falls short by a smaller margin than the Power 500. Trim to essentials and either lasts longer, but the Anker's bigger tank buys more of the night regardless of load.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Fridge 150W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · LED Lights (4 bulbs) 40W×6h · Phone Charger 15W×3h
SCN-03 · 8 hours · needs 320Wh
CPAP Overnight
Sleep therapy without interruption — the #1 medical use case
SOLIX C800
Both pass comfortably — the C800 uses under half its tank, the Power 500 about three-quarters. If a quiet bedroom is the priority, the Power 500's 25dB spec is the tiebreak even though it uses more of its own capacity to get there.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD CPAP Machine 40W×8h
SCN-04 · 8 hours · needs 910Wh
Remote Workday
Full work day off-grid without power anxiety
Neither unit
A 910Wh workday overruns the C800 by a little and the Power 500 by a lot — 139% of tank against 209%. The Anker's extra headroom is the difference between finishing the day and needing a mid-afternoon top-up.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Laptop 60W×8h · External Monitor 30W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · Phone Charger 15W×2h
SCN-05 · 4 hours · needs 670Wh
Tailgate Party
Game day power for the crew
Neither unit
670Wh of party gear pushes the C800 just over its own tank and the Power 500 well past it. Neither finishes clean, but the Anker's bigger battery gets you closer to last call.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Blender 400W×0.5h · LED TV (55") 80W×4h · Bluetooth Speaker 15W×4h · Phone Charger (×3) 45W×2h
SCN-06 · 24 hours · needs 4,685Wh
Van Life Daily
A full day of mobile living — the ultimate endurance test
Neither unit
A 4,685Wh day is far beyond either unit — over seven times the C800's capacity and over ten times the Power 500's. This basket needs a much bigger system; neither of these belongs in that van.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Mini-Fridge 150W×24h · Laptop 60W×4h · Phone Charger 15W×3h · LED Lights 40W×5h · Fan 75W×8h
The Load Test
RUNTIME = (Wh × 0.85) ÷ LOAD
None of the six scenarios above exactly yours? Build it. Toggle what you'd plug in; both units are tested against the combined draw.
Essentials
Comfort & Convenience
High-Draw Appliances
Test duration
8h
Continuous draw
205W
Projected runtime
For this load: SOLIX C800 runs 3.2h vs 2.1h.
$599 list · direct from Anker
Modeled from the spec record — same math as the tables below. Methodology
Runtime by appliance
Real-world runtime estimates for common appliances, modeled at 85% inverter efficiency.¹
Essentials
The basics you need runningscale 0–43.5hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–8.7hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limitsscale 0–0.7h¹ Runtime = (capacity × 0.85) ÷ appliance watts. Within each group, all bars share one time scale (the group's longest runtime), so lengths are comparable across appliances; identical runtimes collapse into a single blue/orange bar. Actual runtime varies with battery age, temperature, and simultaneous loads — see methodology.
Conclusion
July 14, 2026
Verdict: the DJI Power 500
The DJI Power 500 is now half the price of the C800 — $299 against $599 — and it's the cheaper unit to own too: about $0.15 per lifetime kilowatt-hour against $0.26, and $60 a warranty-year against $120. It's also quieter (25dB against 45), lighter (16.1 lb against 23.8), and rated for a thousand more cycles. The C800 answers with a genuinely bigger tank — 768Wh against 512Wh, 256Wh more — plus 200W more continuous output, real surge headroom (1.33x against the DJI's flat 1.0x), and built-in solar that skips DJI's proprietary adapter. Those are worth paying up for if you need the capacity or run hard-starting gear. But at double the price, the Power 500 is the better buy for most; take the C800 only when the bigger tank is the requirement.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of July 14, 2026. The links below open Anker's and DJI's current prices.
$299.00 list · direct from DJI
or check the SOLIX C800 price$599.00 list
Written by Wenny Zheng, Portable Power Tester · Station Arena Test Desk · Updated July 14, 2026
Measured Data
Benchmark scores and the full spec record, side by side.
Benchmark scores
Full specifications
ᵈ Derived: price ÷ rated capacity. See the data behind our comparisons →
Comparison ToolAdd more power stations, side by sideOpen Tool →How these numbers are produced
Numeric verification
Every figure on this page traces to our spec database or arithmetic on it — no estimated numbers.
Owner claims
Statements about owner experience are cited to published reviews — see Sources & Research Notes below.
Runtime model
Runtime = (rated capacity × 0.85 inverter efficiency) ÷ device wattage. Solar recharge estimates assume panels deliver 70% of rated output. Cold weather, battery age, and stacked loads reduce real-world results.
Power Score
Computed from 14 published spec dimensions, weighted per use-case bench. Higher is better; a unit must meet a bench's minimum threshold to be rated.
See the full weight table and data sourcing on our methodology page →Class ranking (the star rating)
Each unit's star score is a category ranking, not customer reviews — no buyer opinions feed it. We score every station on size-independent quality (value, output, portability, endurance, ports, warranty, and more), then percentile-rank it against the other units in its capacity class, so a class-leading compact unit and a class-leading whole-home unit can both earn 5★. Here, SOLIX C800 rates 4.1/5 (50th percentile of 19 Compact-class units), and Power 500 rates 4.4/5 (67th percentile of 19 Compact-class units).
How the class ranking is computed →Test Notes & Caveats
Hidden gotchas and advantages we spotted that you won't find on the product page.
20dB is the gap between a library and a running fridge
The Power 500's 25dB spec is genuinely quiet; the C800's 45dB shows up once you push it toward its 1,200W ceiling, though it stays quiet at lighter loads. For a bedroom, office, or anywhere close-range noise matters daily, this is DJI's clearest advantage in the whole matchup.
The bigger battery also has the deeper surge reserve here
The C800 surges to 1,600W off a 1,200W continuous rating — 1.33x. The Power 500's 1,000W surge cap exactly matches its 1,000W continuous rating — no headroom above its own number at all. For a compressor fridge or power tool that spikes on startup, the Anker is the safer bet despite being the less refined unit overall.
Warranty Value Comparison
The Power 500 gives you 16.7 years of warranty per $1,000 spent, vs the SOLIX C800's 8.3 years. That's 2× more coverage per dollar. An underrated factor if you're keeping this unit for years.
DJI's cells outlast Anker's by a thousand cycles
4,000 rated cycles against 3,000 works out to roughly two extra years of daily use before either battery drops to about 80% of its original capacity — which, worth noting, still works fine. It's a real ownership-life edge for DJI, though it applies to how long the battery lasts, not how much it holds on any given day.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the Power 500.
Check Power 500 price →or check the SOLIX C800 priceOwnership Analysis
What happens after you buy — true cost of ownership, brand trust, and growth potential.
Lifetime value
Service lifeyears at one full cycle per day
Lifetime energy delivered
Cost per delivered kWh
│ warranty ends · Reaching the cycle rating means ~80% capacity remains — degraded, not dead.
Analyst note
The Power 500 wins on both sticker price and long-term value. At $0.15/kWh over its lifetime, it's meaningfully cheaper to own. Clear value winner.
Delivers each lifetime kWh for $0.11 less — check the Power 500 price →
Brand trust
Anker
Ecosystem
7-8 SOLIX portable power stations across C-series (compact) and F-series (flagship), plus the X1 home energy system
Support
US-based support. Historically known for incredible no-hassle replacements, but recent reports describe AI-driven support agents giving generic responses and complex return logistics for heavy units (hazmat shipping). The Anker brand reputation is still strong, but SOLIX-specific support quality is trending down.
Community
Moderate — active Reddit (r/Anker, r/AnkerSOLIXCommunity) and growing. Benefits from Anker's massive consumer electronics brand awareness.
App experience
Rated 4.5/5 iOS (~1,100 ratings) · 4.3/5 Android
Unique strength
Parent brand trust from Anker's consumer electronics dominance. InfiniPower technology for long cycle life. Strong $/Wh value in the mid-size and larger units — the S2000, F2600 and C1000 are among the better buys per watt-hour in the catalog.
Worth knowing
Anker's SOLIX line has the deeper track record and the stronger app rating here (4.5 iOS), but recent reports describe support quality trending down from Anker's historically excellent standard — worth factoring in if after-sale service matters to you.
DJI
Ecosystem
New entrant (2024) — 4 power station models: Power 500, Power 1000 V2, Power 1000 Mini, Power 2000
Support
Leveraging DJI's established global support and repair center network from the drone business. Generally positive reputation inherited from drone operations, but limited power-station-specific track record.
Community
No dedicated power station community yet. Discussions happen within r/dji (~250K members, mostly drone users). Very small power-specific presence on Facebook and forums.
App experience
Rated 3.5/5 iOS and Android (DJI Home app ratings reflect entire DJI ecosystem including drones/cameras, not power-station-specific). Users report the on-device screen is more reliable than the app.
Unique strength
Runs quiet — 23-30dB published across the line, at the quiet end of the category. Fastest wall-charging speeds (~56 min for V2). 700+ battery patents from drone R&D. SDC ports for ultra-fast DJI drone charging. Premium industrial design and build quality. LFP batteries rated for 4,000+ cycles.
Worth knowing
DJI is only two years into power stations, carrying over drone-era engineering and support infrastructure but also drone-era habits: solar needs a proprietary adapter, and there's no dedicated power-station community yet to lean on for troubleshooting.
Analyst note
Anker brings a broader lineup and more owner-tested software; DJI brings newer engineering and a support network built for a different product category. Buy Anker for the established ecosystem, DJI for the polish — just budget for the adapter DJI doesn't include.
Growth path
SOLIX C800
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 768Wh, with no expansion — so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 300W of solar. Limited to a single portable panel.
Adequate ports for most setups, but heavy users may want a power strip.
Power 500
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 512Wh, with no expansion — so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 300W of solar. Limited to a single portable panel.
Adequate ports for most setups, but heavy users may want a power strip.
Realistic full solar rechargeat 70% of rated panel output — see methodology
Analyst note
Neither expands, and that's no knock on either — each is a complete unit at a fixed size. Buy the capacity that covers your needs now (the SOLIX C800 gives you the larger ceiling); you can't add to either later.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews — every claim cited to its source below.
Anker SOLIX C800
The plain SOLIX C800 has been dropped from tailgate height onto gravel and shrugged it off with minor scuffingA1, and its build is repeatedly called rugged and impact-resistantA14. The 300W solar input reads as middling next to similarly sized rivalsA5, and the unit lacks an IP weather rating, so it needs cover outdoorsA2. On output, a 1,000W coffee maker ran a full 42 minutes without issueA3, and the C800 briefly carried a 1,500W space heater above its own 1,200W rating for 25 minutes before throttling backA8. Coverage here comes from independent hands-on review sites rather than a crowd of forum owners, so treat it as careful tester experience rather than a chorus of buyers.
“We dropped it from a tailgate (30 inches) onto gravel—only minor scuffing, no damage.”
Sources
backuppowerhub.com · portablepowergeek.co.uk · batteryskills.com · batteryessence.com · toolsandtoys.net · bikmantech.com
DJI Power 500
The DJI Power 500's automotive-grade LFP cells are rated for 3,000 to 4,000 cycles, roughly a decade of lifeB1, and at 7.3kg it's repeatedly described as easy to transportB2. In testing it ran a 905W load and briefly handled a 1,500W surge above its own 1,000W rating, and reviewers found it more efficient than DJI's larger Power 1000 in side-by-side testingB3. The one consistent caveat: it ships with only a wall plug — no solar adapter or car-charging cable included, so budget for those separately if you plan to run it off-gridB4.
“A 512Wh LFP battery with up to 1,000W output; the automotive-grade LFP cells are rated up to 3,000-4,000 cycles for roughly a 10-year lifespan.”
Sources
dji.com · thesolarlab.com · techradar.com · views-sounds.com · t3.com
Sources & Research Notes
Every owner claim in this report is traceable to a published source. The bracketed references above resolve here.
Recurring owner themes
- Build quality/chassis is repeatedly called solid and drop-resistant, but reviewers flag the lack of an IP weather rating as a real-world caveat for outdoor use. [SOLIX C800 · 3 entries]
- The 58-minute AC fast-recharge is the single most-mentioned standout feature, praised as faster than rivals like the Jackery 700. [SOLIX C800 · 2 entries]
- Reviewers note the unit can briefly exceed its 1200W rating for heavy appliances, but caution it can't sustain full-size continuous loads like a full-size fridge. [SOLIX C800 · 2 entries]
- Long 5-year warranty and strong retailer star ratings are cited as reassurance/value signals. [SOLIX C800 · 2 entries]
- Weight (~23-24 lbs) is repeatedly flagged as a downside relative to lighter rivals despite the compact footprint. [SOLIX C800 · 2 entries]
- Light, efficient LFP unit with strong real-world output and drone-pilot appeal; the caveat is minimal included accessories. [Power 500 · 3 entries]
- A1
“We dropped it from a tailgate (30 inches) onto gravel—only minor scuffing, no damage.”
backuppowerhub.com — Anker SOLIX C800 Review: Best Budget Power Station? · 2025-12 · [positive]
- A2
“However, the C800 lacks IP weather rating. Keep it covered when camping.”
backuppowerhub.com — Anker SOLIX C800 Review: Best Budget Power Station? · 2025-12 · [negative]
- A3
“A 1,000W coffee maker ran 42 minutes straight.”
backuppowerhub.com — Anker SOLIX C800 Review: Best Budget Power Station? · 2025-12 · [positive]
- A5
“Only allows a middling amount of solar charge at 300W max solar panels, when compared to its equivalently-sized models.”
portablepowergeek.co.uk — Anker Solix C800 Review · 2024-11 · [mixed]
- A7
“Zero fan noise under 500W loads, unlike louder competitors (e.g., Bluetti EB55). Only a mild hum at max load.”
batteryskills.com — Anker SOLIX C800 Portable Power Station Review · 2025-10 · [positive]
- A8
“Powered a 1500W space heater (surpassing its 1200W rating) for 25 minutes before throttling—unexpectedly robust for its size.”
batteryskills.com — Anker SOLIX C800 Portable Power Station Review · 2025-10 · [positive]
- A14
“Both models feature a rugged, durable chassis made from high-quality, impact-resistant materials, ready to withstand the rigors of outdoor use.”
bikmantech.com — Anker SOLIX C800 vs C800 Plus - Ultimate Camping Power Comparison · 2025-06 · [positive]
- B1
“A 512Wh LFP battery with up to 1,000W output; the automotive-grade LFP cells are rated up to 3,000-4,000 cycles for roughly a 10-year lifespan.”
dji.com / thesolarlab.com — Power 500 review · 2026 · [positive]
- B2
“Weighs only about 7.3 kg, making it easy to transport.”
dji.com / techradar.com — Power 500 review · 2026 · [positive]
- B3
“In testing it ran a 905W load and briefly handled a 1,500W surge above its 1,000W rating; reviewers found it outperformed the larger DJI Power 1000 in efficiency testing.”
thesolarlab.com / views-sounds.com — Power 500 review · 2026 · [positive]
- B4
“Reviews are positive overall, though one noted it ships with only a wall plug — no solar adapters or car-charging cables included.”
t3.com / techradar.com — Power 500 review · 2026 · [mixed]
Research compiled July 14, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the SOLIX C800 if you…
- →Anyone who needs the most capacity in a single unit: 256Wh more than the DJI, if you're willing to pay roughly double to get it.
- →Buyers with a compressor fridge or power tool in the mix — the C800's 1.33x surge ratio actually beats DJI's flat 1.0x here.
- →Off-grid solar users who don't want to buy a separate adapter just to plug in a panel.
Buy the Power 500 if you…
- →Value buyers: at $299 the Power 500 is half the C800's price and cheaper to own, the clearest argument in this pair now.
- →Noise-sensitive buyers: 25dB against 45dB is the difference between barely-there and a running refrigerator.
- →Anyone carrying the unit often — 7.7 lb less adds up over a season of trips.
- →DJI drone owners who want one ecosystem for charging both flight batteries and everything else.
If neither fits
If your basket looks like our 8-hour blackout model (1,645Wh) or weekend camping (2,100Wh), skip both — the smaller Power 500 falls further behind on these, needing well over three times its own capacity, and even the bigger C800 needs more than double. Look at a 1kWh-plus unit or plan on solar refill mid-outage.
The Bottom Line
DJI's Power 500 is half the price of the C800 — $299 against $599 — cheaper to own, quieter, lighter, and rated for a thousand more cycles. The C800 answers with 256Wh more capacity, more continuous output, and real surge headroom, but at roughly double the money, and capacity is the one axis where paying up actually changes what the unit gets you through.
Take the Power 500 for the price, the quiet, and the lower running cost — it's the better buy for most. Take the C800 only if the bigger tank is the specific thing you're solving for; those buyers exist, but at double the price they're no longer most buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Which has more capacity, the Anker SOLIX C800 or the DJI Power 500?
The C800, by 256Wh — 768Wh against 512Wh — but it now costs about $300 more, roughly double the DJI's price. The extra capacity is real; it's just no longer cheap, so the C800 only makes sense if that bigger tank is specifically what you need.
Which is quieter, the SOLIX C800 or the DJI Power 500?
The DJI, decisively — 25dB against 45dB on the spec sheet, a 20dB gap that's roughly the difference between a quiet library and a running refrigerator. If the unit needs to sit near where people sleep or work, this is DJI's strongest argument.
Does the DJI Power 500 work with solar panels out of the box?
Not directly. It has no built-in solar charge controller, so panels connect through a separate proprietary DJI adapter you'll need to buy. The C800 takes its 300W solar input straight from a panel with no extra adapter, despite listing a lower peak wattage.
Which has the longer battery life, the C800 or the Power 500?
The Power 500 on paper: 4,000 rated cycles against the C800's 3,000, roughly a decade of daily use either way once you account for typical usage patterns. It's a real edge for DJI, but it doesn't offset the C800's 256Wh capacity advantage in any of the scenarios we model.
Can either handle an 8-hour blackout?
No, not fully. An 8-hour blackout basket needs about 1,645Wh; the C800 covers roughly 40% of that on its own tank (using 252% of its own capacity relative to demand), and the Power 500 falls further behind at 378%. Trim the load to essentials — a router, lights, phone charging — and either gets meaningfully further into the night.
Where to buy
Anker SOLIX C800
$599.00
$599.00 list · direct from Anker
DJI Power 500Pick
$299.00
$299.00 list · direct from DJI
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.