Head-to-head test
Anker SOLIX S5000 vs BLUETTI Apex 300 + B500K
This one comes down to hours versus watts: the Apex 300 + B500K stores 57% more energy for a lower lifetime cost per kWh, and the S5000 only wins it back if you need its extra 660W of output or a unit you can wheel.
Full profiles: Anker SOLIX S5000 → · BLUETTI Apex 300 + B500K →
Written by Gunner GustafsonUpdated
Whole-Home Backup Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
Spec deltas
After an 8-hour blackout, the Apex 300 + B500K still has 5,057Wh left, which the engine reckons is 3.1 more nights like it. The S5000 has 2,625Wh, or 1.6 more. That gap is the page.
It costs $799 more to get there. For that you get 7,884.8Wh against 5,024Wh, 57% more battery, and the bigger bank is also the cheaper one to own over its life: $0.07 per lifetime kWh to the S5000's $0.08, with both rated for 6,000 cycles.
The S5000 is the stronger and lighter machine. It runs 660W more continuously, takes 600W more solar, and rolls as one 97 lb cabinet where the BLUETTI is 183 lb across two boxes. Those matter. For an outage plan, though, stored energy is the spec you run out of first, and the Apex bundle has a lot more of it.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
cost / lifetime kWh
The second night of an outage is where people start rationing. With 5,057Wh in reserve the BLUETTI owner keeps the fridge running into a third evening without thinking about it; the S5000 owner is into arithmetic by the second. And the extra energy isn't a premium buy, since the larger bank costs less per kWh across its 6,000 cycles.
Apex 300 + B500K: 7,884.8Wh, 5,057Wh left after the 8-hour blackoutS5000: 5,024Wh, 2,625Wh left after the same nightlifetime cost: $0.07 vs $0.08 per kWh
Why it mattersIf your outages tend to run past one night, the extra $799 buys the thing you actually need.
solar input
This is the honest catch on our pick. The BLUETTI battery is bigger and its solar input is smaller, so on a gray winter day it may not get back to full. The S5000 refills in about half the time and runs out sooner. If you have panels and expect sun, the two plans converge; without sun, the bigger tank wins outright.
Apex 300 + B500K: 2,400W solar input, 7,884.8WhS5000: 3,000W solar input, 5,024Wh
Why it mattersSolar-first households with a big array should weigh the S5000's faster refill before paying for the extra storage.
continuous output
Those are the two reasons to choose it here, and they belong to different buyers: the one with a 240V well pump that wants the fridge running beside it, and the one who wheels the station out to the driveway or the job. If neither describes you, you're paying 660W and wheels' worth of attention for nothing.
S5000: 4,500W rated outputApex 300: 3,840W rated outputApex 300 + B500K: 183 lb across two boxes; S5000: 97 lb on wheels
Why it mattersPick the S5000 only if heavy simultaneous loads or regular moves are in your plan.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
Runtime: Will It Power Your Gear?
Selected because: With 7,884.8Wh against 5,024Wh, how long each one lasts is the question this pair turns on.
continuous output
Runtime is where the 57% shows up as hours you can feel. Through the blackout the BLUETTI uses a quarter of its usable energy and the S5000 uses about two-fifths. Both are fine for one night. Only one of them is still relaxed on the third.
Anker's own idle figure for the S5000 is 8.8W on 120V outputA16, which is about 211Wh a day (8.8 × 24) with the inverter on and nothing plugged in. On a 5,024Wh battery that's worth switching off between uses.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: The bigger BLUETTI bank costs more up front but less per lifetime kWh, $0.07 against $0.08.
cost / lifetime kWh
Both packs are rated for 6,000 cycles, so lifetime cost comes down to price per stored kWh, and the bigger bank wins that at $0.07 against $0.08. The extra $799 isn't paying for a nicer badge. It's buying energy at a slightly better rate than the S5000 sells it.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: The S5000 takes the rows you'd travel to; the BLUETTI takes the long ones at home.
The S5000 takes camping, the tailgate and the CPAP row, and two of those it wins because a 183 lb two-box system doesn't go to a campsite. The BLUETTI takes the blackout and Van Life Daily, where it finishes the 4,685Wh day with 2,017Wh to spare and the S5000 comes up 415Wh short. Which half of this table describes your year is the whole decision.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: At 183 lb against 97 lb, the BLUETTI stays where it's installed and the S5000 can be wheeled.
weight
Strengths & trade-offs
Anker SOLIX S5000
Strengths
- +Costs $799 less
- +Lighter by 86 lb
- +Higher AC output
- +Faster solar charging
Trade-offs
- –Very heavy unit that may be difficult for one person to lift.
BLUETTI Apex 300 + B500K
Strengths
- +Larger battery capacity
Trade-offs
- –Substantially more expensive (+$799) than the SOLIX S5000.
- –Significantly heavier (+86 lbs), making it harder to move.
- –Weaker inverter (-660W) limits appliance compatibility.
- –Very heavy unit that may be difficult for one person to lift.
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
SOLIX S5000
The Apex 300 + B500K at 183 lbs is not a take-along — it rolls off a truck bed if it travels at all, so this scenario belongs to the SOLIX S5000 by default — and it earns it, covering the 2,100Wh with 2,170Wh to spare. Capacity was never the Apex 300 + B500K's problem here; getting to a campsite was.
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
Apex 300 + B500K
Both survive the night. The Apex 300 + B500K finishes at 25% used with 5,057Wh left — 3.1 more nights like it. The SOLIX S5000 finishes at 39% with 2,625Wh, 1.6 more nights like it. If your outages tend to run past one evening, that difference is the whole argument between them.
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 S5000
A CPAP is about 40W for eight hours, so both of these cover the night several times over — capacity isn't the question here, and the percentages are a formality. What matters is the box next to your pillow, and the only published difference is a rating: the SOLIX S5000 is rated 30dB against the Apex 300 + B500K's 45dB. Each is the maker's own published rating, and the makers do not measure the same way, some quoting a best case and some a figure under load, so neither number describes a 40W draw and the two are not really comparable. Treat them as a reason to look for hands-on reports before either one goes next to a bed, not as a difference you can count on hearing.
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
Either unit
Both power your workstation all day without strain, and their USB-C output is a wash — pick on weight, ports, or price.
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
SOLIX S5000
The Apex 300 + B500K at 183 lbs is not a take-along — it rolls off a truck bed if it travels at all, so this scenario belongs to the SOLIX S5000 by default — and it earns it, covering the 670Wh with 3,600Wh to spare. Capacity was never the Apex 300 + B500K's problem here; getting to a tailgate was.
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
Apex 300 + B500K
The SOLIX S5000 doesn't finish — 4,270Wh usable against the 4,685Wh this needs leaves it 415Wh short, about 91% of the scenario covered (its nameplate 5,024Wh actually clears this — the flat 15% conversion allowance is what tips it under). The Apex 300 + B500K covers it with 2,017Wh to spare.
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 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: Apex 300 + B500K runs 32.7h vs 20.8h.
$3,299 list · direct from BLUETTI
Planning for more than this? Describe your whole setup and get it sized →
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 0–446.8hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–89.4hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limitsscale 0–6.7h¹ 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
October 9, 2026
Verdict: the BLUETTI Apex 300 + B500K
Buy the Apex 300 + B500K if this is going into a house to ride out outages. It costs $799 more and holds 2,860.8Wh more, which is why it lands at $0.07 per lifetime kWh against the S5000's $0.08, and after an 8-hour blackout it still has 5,057Wh in the tank to the S5000's 2,625Wh. The S5000's case is real but narrower: 4,500W of output to 3,840W, 3,000W of solar input to 2,400W, and 97 lb on wheels against 183 lb in two boxes. Confidence is held at 6 because the S5000 has only Anker's own documentation behind it so farA0, and the BLUETTI ledger can't confirm this exact pairing eitherB0.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of October 9, 2026. The links below open Anker's and BLUETTI's current prices.
$3,499.00 · direct from BLUETTI
Last checked 28 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
or check the SOLIX S5000 price$2,499.99 list
Written by Gunner Gustafson, Whole-Home Backup Tester · Station Arena Test Desk · Updated October 9, 2026
Black Friday · 45 days out
Price to beat:Apex 300 + B500K $3,299
We have never seen it discounted, so any real cut would be a first.
Measured Data
Benchmark scores and the full spec record, side by side.
Benchmark scores
Not rated for both units (minimum threshold unmet): Solar Generator.
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 S5000 rates 4.6/5 (74th percentile of 20 Home Backup-class units), and Apex 300 + B500K rates 3.5/5 (11th percentile of 29 Whole-Home / Off-Grid-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.
Weight Reality Check
Neither unit is grab-and-go. The SOLIX S5000 (97 lbs) is manageable solo but heavier than a large checked suitcase. The Apex 300 + B500K (183 lbs) is spread across its boxes — no single lift, but nothing you reposition on a whim. That's an 86 lb difference, and it is paid once — getting the heavier one into position, not every time you move it.
Apex 300 + B500K: 45dB Published
45dB is about as loud as a running refrigerator. The SOLIX S5000 is rated 30dB — lower, but published by a different maker measuring its own way, so the two figures are not a like-for-like gap. For most people, fan noise around 45dB and up is where sleep starts to suffer.
Warranty: No Difference
Both units carry the same 5-year warranty, so coverage isn't a tiebreaker here. The Apex 300 + B500K's figure is a maximum rather than a guarantee — it depends on buying direct from BLUETTI or registering the unit, since reseller purchases carry a shorter term. Worth saying because the per-dollar framing can suggest otherwise: the SOLIX S5000 works out at 2 years of cover per $1,000 spent against the Apex 300 + B500K's 1.5, but that spread is the price gap, not the terms.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the Apex 300 + B500K.
Check Apex 300 + B500K price →or check the SOLIX S5000 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 SOLIX S5000 is cheaper to buy, but the Apex 300 + B500K is cheaper to own. At $0.07/kWh over its lifetime vs $0.08/kWh, the Apex 300 + B500K's higher cycle life and capacity make each dollar go further over the years. One thing to know reading the table: both carry the same 6,000-cycle rating, so the lifetime rows are sticker price and capacity in disguise — the wear horizon is identical and decides nothing here.
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
A single-cabinet 240V flagship from a brand with deep consumer-electronics roots, listed as UL 9540 and UL 9540A certified.
Worth knowing
SOLIX support quality has slipped from Anker's historic standard, and a heavy battery goes back as hazmat freight, which slows returns.
BLUETTI
Ecosystem
One of the broadest lineups — 15-20+ models from budget (AC2A) to flagship portable (Apex 300, 2764.8Wh). Includes specialized products: vehicle solar hubs, sodium-ion cold-weather units, and balcony storage systems.
Support
The most inconsistent support in the space. Heavily email-based with China timezone delays. Some users get smooth, efficient service; others report weeks of troubleshooting runarounds, being offered discounts on new units instead of repairs, and confusing third-party purchase claim processes. Buying direct from Bluetti's website tends to produce better support outcomes.
Community
Active and growing — Reddit r/bluetti has a dedicated community. Second-largest after EcoFlow in engagement.
App experience
Rated 4.5/5 iOS and Android — tied for best app experience in the category. V3.0 UI redesign was well-received.
Unique strength
Among the best capacity-to-price ratios available — several Elite and Apex units are the lowest $/Wh in the catalog. Widest product diversity including industry-firsts like sodium-ion cold-weather units and dual solar+alternator vehicle hubs. LFP across the rest of the range, though rated cycle life spans 2,500 (EB3A) to 6,000, and it varies WITHIN the Elite range rather than tracking it — the Elite 300 and Elite 200 V2 are rated 6,000 while the Elite 30 V2, Elite 10 Mini, Elite 320 and Elite 400 are rated 3,000+ and the Elite 100 V2 4,000+, so check the specific model. Dual-voltage (120V/240V) in flagships.
Worth knowing
Customer support inconsistency is the #1 risk factor. Older/discontinued units may become unrepairable — no spare parts policy for some models. Some reports of erratic communication from support agents.
Analyst note
BLUETTI offers more ways to build out a system, with hubs, expansion batteries and parallel kits, but each one is another purchase and its support depends heavily on where you bought. Anker's system is simpler and its support steadier, though no longer exceptional.
Growth path
SOLIX S5000
EXPANDABLESupports Anker expansion batteries, so you can add capacity later without replacing the base unit — useful if your needs may climb past 5,024Wh.
Accepts up to 3,000W of solar. Enough for a serious multi-panel array.
Adequate ports for most setups, but heavy users may want a power strip.
Expansion batteries are Anker-specific. You're investing in the Anker ecosystem.
Apex 300 + B500K
EXPANDABLESupports BLUETTI expansion batteries, so you can add capacity later without replacing the base unit — useful if your needs may climb past 7,885Wh.
Accepts up to 2,400W of solar. Enough for a serious multi-panel array.
Generous port selection supports complex multi-device setups.
Expansion batteries are BLUETTI-specific. You're investing in the BLUETTI ecosystem.
Realistic full solar rechargeat 70% of rated panel output — see methodology
Analyst note
Both expand, so neither locks you out of growth — decide on capacity, price, and the rest, not the expansion checkbox.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews — every claim cited to its source below.
Anker SOLIX S5000
So far the S5000 record is Anker's own paperwork: the rating label and product page establish the 5,024Wh pack, the 4,500W output at 120V or 240V split-phase, the 8.8W idle draw and the 6,000-cycle ratingA1A2A12A16. The runtime and lifespan claims are Anker's internal testing, and there's no independent testing yetA0.
“5,024 Wh LiFePO4 pack rated 16 V, 314 Ah; the cell code IFpP72/175/208[5S] reads as five large prismatic cells in series.”
Sources
ankersolix.com
BLUETTI Apex 300 + B500K
The research can't confirm any source describing this exact Apex 300 + B500K pairing, so everything here is about the Apex 300 platform in generalB0. Within that, reviewers describe its fans as tame and even, quiet enough to sit near a workspaceB1B2B13, though those may be sibling configurations.
The recurring complaints are software and bulk. Owners in BLUETTI's forum report firmware updates that locked the unit in Backup mode or threw an inverter error, mostly resolved by later updatesB7B8B9. Owners running several units or batteries in parallel report uneven charge rates and community workaroundsB3B4. And the base unit carries no USB or DC ports of its ownB12.
“Turns out the Apex 300's noise control is on par with the quietest power stations on the market, like those on offer from EcoFlow and DJI.”
Sources
bluettipower.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
- No owner or reviewer reports exist yet: every entry is Anker documentation (rating label, product page, launch announcement), plus one of our own readings of the app and label drawing. [SOLIX S5000 · 20 entries]
- Multiple independent reviewers describe the dual-fan cooling as noticeably quiet/even for a unit of this output class, even under load. [Apex 300 + B500K · 3 entries]
- Firmware and app updates have repeatedly caused mode-lock, download failures, or inverter error codes; several threads show the issue eventually resolved after further updates or support contact. [Apex 300 + B500K · 4 entries]
- When running multiple Apex 300 units or expansion batteries in parallel, owners report uneven charge rates between units, with community-devised (unofficial) workarounds needed to keep them in sync. [Apex 300 + B500K · 2 entries]
- The stripped-down, modular design draws criticism for real-world handling: extreme weight makes it hard to move, and lack of native USB/DC ports forces reliance on a separate paid hub accessory. [Apex 300 + B500K · 2 entries]
- A1
“5,024 Wh LiFePO4 pack rated 16 V, 314 Ah; the cell code IFpP72/175/208[5S] reads as five large prismatic cells in series.”
Anker rating label, model AS510 (certified 2026-09-15) · 2026-09-15 · [positive]
- A2
“AC output 4,500 W max, either at 120 V (37.5 A across the outlets) or at 120/240 V split-phase (18.75 A).”
Anker rating label, model AS510 (certified 2026-09-15) · 2026-09-15 · [positive]
- A10
“An upright cabinet with a handle on top, a full-width front panel with a display, and wheels at the base; the label drawing of the back adds a foot step marked STEP ON for tipping it back onto its wheels.”
Power Station Arena, read from the S5000 card in the Anker app and the label drawing, 2026-09-20 · 2026-09-15 · [positive]
- A11
“Net weight 97 lb; 10.6 × 22.0 × 15.2 in (W × D × H), on wheels with a pull rod and foot pedal.”
Anker SOLIX S5000 product page, ankersolix.com/s5000 (published 2026-10-09) · 2026-10-09 · [positive]
- A12
“Cycle life: 6,000 cycles to 80% capacity, 10,000 cycles to 60%; Anker estimates a 15-year lifespan at 1 to 2 cycles a day, with 5 years of product coverage.”
Anker SOLIX S5000 product page, ankersolix.com/s5000 (published 2026-10-09) · 2026-10-09 · [positive]
- A16
“Idle draw 8.8 W on 120 V output and 13.7 W on 240 V output (Anker internal testing).”
Anker SOLIX S5000 product page, ankersolix.com/s5000 (published 2026-10-09) · 2026-10-09 · [positive]
- B1
“Turns out the Apex 300's noise control is on par with the quietest power stations on the market, like those on offer from EcoFlow and DJI.”
The Solar Lab — "Bluetti Apex 300 Review: Cheap, Practical Home Backup?" · unknown · [positive]
- B2
“Some units sound like small jet engines under load, but the Apex 300's fans are relatively tame.”
Techspective — "Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K Review" · 2025-09 · [positive]
- B3
“The Apex 300 have some major charging problems... When the units are charging from the grid they charge at different rates and not together.”
DIY Solar Power Forum — "Bluetti Apex 300 problems" · 2025-09 · [negative]
- B4
“I have found a simple way to get around some of the solar charging limitations with multiple APEX 300s hooked up in parallel... So far, I have not had any problems with my setup.”
DIY Solar Power Forum — "Bluetti Apex 300 problems" · 2025-09 · [mixed]
- B7
“I updated my Apex 300 to the latest firmware yesterday. Now it's stuck in 'Backup' mode... when I go into the app to try to change it back, it flashes to...”
BLUETTI Community — "Apex 300 stuck in Backup mode after last firmware update" · 2025-11 · [negative]
- B8
“There was an update on my Apex 300 a few days ago IOT v8026.12... Problem is every time I connect to the power st[ation]... Edit - This seems fixed now hooray!”
BLUETTI Community — "Check For Update App issue" · 2025-09 · [mixed]
- B9
“After the update completed, the charging stopped and I received Error 004... I have error E004 Inverter Output Failure.”
BLUETTI Community — "Error E004 Apex 300" · 2025-11 · [negative]
- B11
“it's so heavy I can hardly carry it more than a few feet at a time and have been unable to lift it onto a table.”
T3 — "Bluetti Apex 300 review: transform your off-grid life" · 2025-11 · [negative]
- B12
“The Apex 300 doesn't have USB ports, DC ports, or much of anything beyond its six AC plugs and high-voltage connectors.”
The Solar Lab — "Bluetti Apex 300 Review: Cheap, Practical Home Backup?" · unknown · [negative]
- B13
“Fan noise remains even, with no distracting pitch or rattle. This makes the Apex 300 usable near sleeping areas or indoor workspaces without disturbance.”
Yanko Design — "BLUETTI Apex 300 Review" · 2025-05 · [positive]
Research compiled October 9, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the SOLIX S5000 if you…
- →The homeowner with a 240V well pump or dryer who needs more than 3,840W running at once.
- →Someone with a big solar array who'd rather refill a 5kWh battery in under two hours of full sun than own a bigger one that takes over three.
- →Anyone who will actually move it: a 97 lb cabinet with wheels goes to the driveway, a 183 lb pair of boxes doesn't.
Buy the Apex 300 + B500K if you…
- →The household in a place where outages run two or three days, which needs the fridge and freezer still going on the third night.
- →The fifth-wheel or RV owner parking a big bank in one spot and running a 30A RV outlet from it.
- →The buyer who wants the lower cost per lifetime kWh and has a permanent place to put 183 lb.
If neither fits
If all you need is a laptop, phones and a CPAP through an evening outage, both are absurd overkill. A 1–2kWh portable does it at a fraction of the cost and weight.
The Bottom Line
The S5000 is the stronger, lighter and faster-charging machine, and it costs $799 less. But this comparison is about how long the lights stay on, and on that the Apex 300 + B500K is well ahead: still 5,057Wh in reserve after a blackout night, at a lower lifetime cost per kWh. If an outage at your house means days rather than hours, buy the BLUETTI and put it somewhere permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
How many nights of backup do I get from the Apex 300 + B500K vs the Anker S5000?
On our 8-hour blackout profile, the Apex 300 + B500K has 5,057Wh left afterward, about 3.1 more nights like it. The S5000 has 2,625Wh left, about 1.6 more. Both get through the first night with plenty of room.
Is the Apex 300 + B500K worth the extra money over the S5000?
For home backup, yes. It costs $799 more for 57% more stored energy and a lower lifetime cost per kWh, $0.07 against $0.08. It isn't worth it if you need the S5000's 4,500W output or plan to move the unit.
Which recharges faster from solar?
The S5000. It takes 3,000W of solar to the Apex 300's 2,400W and has less battery to fill, so in full-rated sun it goes from empty in about 1.7 hours against roughly 3.3. Real panels are slower, but the ratio holds.
Can the S5000 run more appliances at once than the Apex 300?
Yes, by 660W. It's rated 4,500W continuous to the Apex 300's 3,840W, and both offer 240V through an L14-30R. Peak ratings are close, 8,000W against 7,680W, so both start the same motors.
Where to buy
Anker SOLIX S5000
$2,499.99
$2,499.99 · direct from Anker
BLUETTI Apex 300 + B500KPick
$3,499.00
$3,499.00 · direct from BLUETTI
Last checked 28 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.