Head-to-head test
Anker SOLIX S5000 vs BLUETTI EP500
The batteries are 96Wh apart, so this is a contest of taps, and the S5000 puts more than twice the EP500's output on the same tank for less money.
Full profiles: Anker SOLIX S5000 → · BLUETTI EP500 →
Written by Gunner GustafsonUpdated
Whole-Home Backup Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
Spec deltas
These two carry almost the same battery: 5,024Wh in the Anker, 5,120Wh in the BLUETTI. What separates them is everything bolted onto it. The EP500 meters that energy out at 2,000W; the S5000 at 4,500W, with a 240V split-phase outlet the EP500 doesn't haveA3.
Two thousand watts covers the fridge and the microwave, then runs out the moment a kettle or a space heater joins in. It's a big tank behind a narrow tap, and in a blackout the tap is what you feel.
The S5000 is also the cheaper of the two, by $499, and 70 lb lighter. The EP500's honest remaining arguments are a 12V car socket, which the Anker lacksA15, and reviewer testing the Anker can't have yetB0.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
continuous output
The EP500 keeps the higher surge ratio, 2.4x its rating against the Anker's 1.8x, but a motor starts on absolute watts, and 8,000W swallows a spike 4,800W can't. In an outage that's the difference between running the big loads together and rationing them one at a time.
S5000: 4,500W continuous, 8,000W peakEP500: 2,000W continuous, 4,800W surgeCapacity: 5,024Wh (S5000) vs 5,120Wh (EP500)
Why it mattersIf your outage list has more than one big appliance on it, the EP500's 2,000W ceiling is the line you hit first.
solar input
5,024Wh through 3,000W is under two hours of perfect input before losses; the EP500 was clocked at 4.7 hours at its 1,200W ceilingB7. In a multi-day outage, that's refilled by lunch against refilled only if the sky cooperates all day.
S5000 solar input: 3,000W across two inputsA5EP500 solar input: 1,200WEP500 solar charge clocked at 4.7 hoursB7S5000: 5,024Wh
Why it mattersAnyone planning to ride out a long outage on solar gets a day's worth of slack from the S5000 that the EP500 can't give.
cost / lifetime kWh
Normally you trade price for longevity. Here the EP500 loses on both: about 1.7 times the lifetime energy goes to the unit with the lower sticker, which at daily cycling is 16.4 years against 9.6.
S5000: 6,000 cycles, 30,144 kWh over rated lifeEP500: 3,500 cycles, 17,920 kWh over rated lifeCost per lifetime kWh: $0.08 vs $0.17S5000 is the cheaper unit up front
Why it mattersDaily solar users, whose cycles pile up fastest, collect the most from the gap.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
PowerScore Breakdown
Selected because: Same-size batteries put the whole comparison on output, surge and charge rate.
overall power score
The S5000 comes out the higher-scoring of the two, and not by a sliver. Most of that is the inverter talking: more than double the continuous output, plus the 240V outlet the EP500 can't match.
The switchover ratings also split, ≤10 ms for the Anker against ≤20 ms for the EP500. That matters if a desktop PC rides on the UPS, and both are ratings rather than measurements.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: The cheaper unit here is also the one rated for more cycles.
cost / lifetime kWh
Seventeen cents per lifetime kWh against eight. Usually the cheap box wears out first. Here the cheaper box is rated for 6,000 cycles against 3,500, so the S5000 wins this section twice over.
Both carry 5 years of cover, the EP500's up to 5 years with registration or a direct purchase from BLUETTI.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: Both are wheeled house batteries, but 70 lb separates them.
weight
Growth Path
Selected because: The EP500 is sealed at a battery slightly larger than the S5000's starting size, so expansion only counts if you'd go past it.
solar input
The EP500's 5,120Wh is its ceiling, and it's 96Wh more than the S5000 starts with. A first BP5000 pack mostly buys back what the EP500 already includes, then keeps going: 10,048Wh with one, 30,144Wh with fiveA6.
If you never plan to expand, call this section a draw and let the inverter decide.
Strengths & trade-offs
Anker SOLIX S5000
Strengths
- +Costs $499 less
- +Lighter by 70 lb
- +Higher AC output
- +Faster solar charging
- +Rated for 6,000 charge cycles — much longer battery lifespan
Trade-offs
- –Very heavy unit that may be difficult for one person to lift.
BLUETTI EP500
Strengths
- +Larger battery capacity
Trade-offs
- –Significantly heavier (+70 lbs), making it harder to move.
- –Weaker inverter (-2,500W) limits appliance compatibility.
- –Very heavy unit that may be difficult for one person to lift.
- –Shorter-lived battery — rated for 3,500 charge cycles vs the SOLIX S5000's 6,000, so it wears out sooner.
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 EP500 at 167 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 EP500'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
Either unit
Both survive the blackout with similar margin, and both list a UPS mode — compare their stated switchover classes, and remember those are manufacturer ratings, not measurements.
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
Either unit
A CPAP is about 40W for eight hours, so both cover the night with room to spare and capacity decides nothing. Fan noise would — but EP500 doesn't publish a figure, so there's nothing to hold it to. Buy on price, weight, and whether you can live with a fan you haven't heard.
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 EP500 at 167 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 EP500'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
Neither unit
Neither unit covers this scenario's 4,685Wh: the SOLIX S5000 comes up 415Wh short (about 91% covered) (its nameplate 5,024Wh actually clears this — the flat 15% conversion allowance is what tips it under), the EP500 333Wh (93%) (its nameplate 5,120Wh actually clears this — the flat 15% conversion allowance is what tips it under). Either gets you most of the way, so this is a scenario you plan around rather than one you should rule them out for.
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
Dead heat — both run this 205W load for roughly 20.8h. Pick on price, weight, or ports.
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 0–290.1hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–58hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limitsscale 0–4.4h¹ 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 SOLIX S5000
Take the S5000. With the batteries within 96Wh of each other, everything turns on what each can do with the energy: the Anker runs 4,500W continuous with an 8,000W peak and a 240V outlet, the EP500 runs 2,000W with a 4,800W surge and 120V only. The S5000 also takes 3,000W of solar to the EP500's 1,200W, weighs 97 lb to 167 lb, and is rated for 6,000 cycles to 3,500, which makes it $0.08 per lifetime kWh against $0.17 while also being the cheaper box at $2,500 against $2,999. The confidence ceiling is about evidence, not specs: the EP500 has reviewer testing behind itB0, and the S5000's figures are all Anker's ownA0.
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.
$2,499.99 · direct from Anker
or check the EP500 price$2,999.00 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:EP500 $2,999
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 EP500 rates 3.4/5 (5th percentile of 20 Home Backup-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 EP500 (167 lbs) is firmly a two-person lift. It goes where you put it and stays there. That's a 70 lb difference, and it is paid once — getting the heavier one into position, not every time you move it.
EP500: Fixed Capacity
The EP500 is sealed at 5,120Wh — a complete unit, and already larger than the SOLIX S5000's 5,024Wh. By contrast the SOLIX S5000 can add expansion batteries, but that only pulls ahead if you'd grow past 5,120Wh.
Surge Power: Ratio and Ceiling Disagree
The EP500 holds the higher surge-to-continuous ratio (2.4× vs 1.8×), but the SOLIX S5000 holds the higher absolute surge ceiling — 8,000W against 4,800W. These measure different things. The ratio says how much headroom an inverter keeps above its own rating; the ceiling says how big a startup spike it can actually swallow. A motor draws a number of watts at switch-on, not a multiple of someone else's rating, so on raw starting ability the SOLIX S5000 is the stronger unit here — while the EP500 is the one running further below its own limit at steady state.
UPS Switchover: ≤10ms vs ≤20ms
Both list a UPS mode, at different rated speeds. The SOLIX S5000 is rated ≤10ms — quick enough on paper that desktop PCs and routers should ride through, treating that as the rating it is. The EP500 is rated ≤20ms — fine on paper for routers and most electronics; the fussiest PC power supplies sit right at this line. If a computer with unsaved work is the thing being protected, the stated class is worth the attention; nothing here is a lab result.
Warranty: No Difference
Both units carry the same 5-year warranty, so coverage isn't a tiebreaker here. The EP500'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.
Battery Lifespan in Real Years
The SOLIX S5000 is rated for 6,000 cycles vs 3,500. In real life: at daily use, that's 16.4 vs 9.6 years. At weekend use (twice a week), it's 58 vs 34 years. After hitting the cycle limit, the battery doesn't die — it drops to ~80% of original capacity, which is still very usable.
EP500: Noise Level Not Disclosed
The SOLIX S5000 publishes its noise level (30dB); the EP500 doesn't publish one. That isn't evidence the EP500 is louder — it means there's no figure to hold it to, and no way to compare the two on this without hearing them. If you're buying for a bedroom, a CPAP, or an apartment, treat the SOLIX S5000's 30dB as the only published number on the table — a spec-sheet figure, not a measurement — and look for hands-on reports of the EP500 before deciding.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the SOLIX S5000.
Check SOLIX S5000 price →or check the EP500 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 wins on both sticker price and long-term value. At $0.08/kWh over its lifetime, it's meaningfully cheaper to own. Clear value winner.
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
Anker brings parent-brand scale from consumer electronics, and on this unit a split-phase 240V output and an expansion path most of its rivals here lack.
Worth knowing
Reports on SOLIX support describe AI-driven agents and awkward returns for heavy units, which ship as hazmat. Firmware updates have removed features without warning.
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
Support is BLUETTI's most inconsistent area: email-based, with time-zone delays, and smoother when you bought direct from BLUETTI's own site. Keep the receipt and register the unit.
Analyst note
BLUETTI has the broader lineup and the more engaged community; Anker brings the bigger parent brand. Both draw mixed support reports, so neither earns a premium on that front in this pairing.
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.
EP500
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 5,120Wh — a sealed, complete system rather than a starting point. There's no expansion port, so that figure is the ceiling: check it against your longest unplugged stretch before you buy.
Accepts up to 1,200W of solar. Enough for a serious multi-panel array.
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
Don't read the SOLIX S5000's expandability as a straight win here: it starts at 5,024Wh, below the EP500's 5,120Wh, so a first expansion battery largely buys back capacity the EP500 already includes. It only pulls ahead if you'd grow past 5,120Wh — short of that, the EP500's larger fixed capacity is the simpler value.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews — every claim cited to its source below.
Anker SOLIX S5000
There is no field evidence on the S5000 yet, only Anker's documentationA0. That establishes the 4,500W rated, 8,000W peak inverter and the 240V split-phase outputA2A14, the two solar inputs totalling 3,000WA5, and the expansion path to five BP5000 packsA6. Every one of those is the maker's statement, not a test result.
“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 EP500
Field data on the plain EP500 comes almost entirely from reviewers' test units rather than long-term ownersB0. Those reviewers agree on weight: too heavy to take camping and very heavy to liftB1B9.
They praise the UPS for medical equipmentB3 and the app for checking the unit without a trip to the garageB4. One review found the touchscreen laggyB2, and one estimates a fridge runs up to four days on a chargeB6.
“The EP500's UPS mode is a true lifesaver for medical equipment users when the power goes out.”
Sources
greencitizen.com · techwalls.com · bestgeneratorsolar.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]
- Weight (167 lbs) is the most consistently cited drawback of the EP500, flagged by multiple reviewers as making it a stay-at-home, non-portable unit. [EP500 · 2 entries]
- Reviewers consistently praise the EP500's UPS and app-control features for home/medical backup, plus its multi-day fridge runtime. [EP500 · 3 entries]
- 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]
- A3
“Outlets: one L14-30R carrying 240 V split-phase at up to 4,500 W; one TT-30R RV outlet at 120 V, 30 A, 3,600 W; NEMA 5-20R household outlets at 120 V, 20 A, 2,400 W; USB-C 100 W, USB-C 15 W and USB-A 12 W.”
Anker rating label, model AS510 (certified 2026-09-15) · 2026-09-15 · [positive]
- A5
“Two solar inputs, 3,000 W together: 11–60 V at 17 A (1,000 W) and 16–165 V at 17 A (2,000 W).”
Anker rating label, model AS510 (certified 2026-09-15) · 2026-09-15 · [positive]
- A6
“Expands with up to five BP5000 expansion batteries (model AS5101A1-85), each 5,024 Wh, for 30,144 Wh in total. They join through a 400 V DC port rated 9,000 W in and 7,500 W out; each battery charges at up to 3,200 W and discharges at up to 3,000 W.”
Anker rating label, model AS510 (certified 2026-09-15) · 2026-09-15 · [positive]
- A7
“Rated for residential non-habitable spaces; holding more than 1 kWh, it belongs outside sleeping rooms and other living spaces.”
Anker rating label, model AS510 (certified 2026-09-15) · 2026-09-15 · [mixed]
- 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]
- A14
“4,500 W rated, 8,000 W peak AC output; bypass mode passes up to 4,500 W.”
Anker SOLIX S5000 product page, ankersolix.com/s5000 (published 2026-10-09) · 2026-10-09 · [positive]
- A15
“Front panel: four NEMA 5-20R outlets at 120 V, one L14-30R and one TT-30R, plus USB-A 12 W, USB-C 15 W and USB-C 100 W. No 12 V car outlet is listed.”
Anker SOLIX S5000 product page, ankersolix.com/s5000 (published 2026-10-09) · 2026-10-09 · [neutral]
- B1
“Weighing in at 167 lbs, the EP500's biggest issue is portability — it's simply too heavy to take camping.”
greencitizen.com — Bluetti EP500 Breakdown + Brand Review · unknown · [negative]
- B2
“The touch screen response felt quite laggy — a second drawback beyond the unit's sheer weight.”
greencitizen.com — Bluetti EP500 Breakdown + Brand Review · unknown · [negative]
- B3
“The EP500's UPS mode is a true lifesaver for medical equipment users when the power goes out.”
greencitizen.com — Bluetti EP500 Breakdown + Brand Review · unknown · [positive]
- B4
“With app control, there's no need to trek to the garage just to check on the unit.”
greencitizen.com — Bluetti EP500 Breakdown + Brand Review · unknown · [positive]
- B6
“With a massive 5,120Wh battery, the EP500 can keep a fridge running for up to 4 days without a recharge.”
greencitizen.com — Bluetti EP500 Breakdown + Brand Review · unknown · [positive]
- B7
“The EP500's 1,200W solar input charges it in as little as 4.7 hours, versus 2.6 hours for the Pro's 2,400W input.”
techwalls.com — Bluetti EP500 vs EP500 Pro Power Station comparison · unknown · [positive]
- B9
“This is a tall power station that will be very heavy to lift — big and heavy is the tradeoff for that much capacity.”
bestgeneratorsolar.com (Pure Power Solar) — Bluetti EP500 & EP500Pro Review · unknown · [mixed]
Research compiled October 9, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the SOLIX S5000 if you…
- →The household whose outage plan has the fridge, the microwave and a pump all wanting power at once.
- →Solar-first buyers who want a full refill in a good morning rather than a whole good day.
- →Anyone who'd rather wheel 97 lb than 167 lb when the battery has to come out of the garage.
If neither fits
If your heaviest load is a laptop and a CPAP, both are a house-sized answer to a nightstand question. A much smaller station does that job for a fraction of the price and the weight.
The Bottom Line
Same battery, more than twice the output, a 240V outlet, two and a half times the solar input, 70 lb less, and a lower price. The EP500 is left holding a 12V socket and a reviewed history. Unless one of those is your dealbreaker, buy the S5000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Can the BLUETTI EP500 run 240V appliances?
No. Our record lists no 240V output on the EP500, and its 2,000W inverter would cap any big load anyway. The S5000 has an L14-30R outlet carrying 240V split-phase at up to 4,500W.
Is the Anker SOLIX S5000 cheaper than the BLUETTI EP500?
Yes, by $499: $2,500 against $2,999. It's also cheaper to own, $0.08 per lifetime kWh against $0.17, because it's rated for 6,000 cycles to the EP500's 3,500.
How long does the EP500 take to charge on solar compared with the S5000?
The EP500 caps solar at 1,200W, and one review clocked a full charge at 4.7 hours. The S5000 takes 3,000W across two inputs, so a battery its size fills in under two hours of perfect sun before losses. Neither figure counts clouds.
Can the S5000 run a CPAP in the bedroom?
Run it from the next room. Anker's label rates the S5000 for non-habitable spaces, and holding more than 1 kWh it belongs outside sleeping rooms. A CPAP night needs about 320Wh, so either unit covers it with thousands of watt-hours to spare.
Where to buy
Anker SOLIX S5000Pick
$2,499.99
$2,499.99 · direct from Anker
BLUETTI EP500
$2,999.00
$2,999.00 · direct from BLUETTI
Last checked 28 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.