Head-to-head test
BLUETTI Apex 300 + B300K vs BLUETTI EP500
Same brand, same 3,500-cycle LFP promise, four years apart: the newer Apex 300 stack is $400 cheaper than the EP500, puts out nearly double the wattage, and comes with a 5-year warranty the EP500 never got, so the older cabinet has to win on form factor because it loses on everything else.
Written by Gunner GustafsonUpdated
Whole-Home Backup Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
BLUETTI
Apex 300 + B300K
6,017Power Score · The AC & Fridge Zone
$2,599.00 · direct from BLUETTI
down from $2,799 · 7% below usual
Last checked 6 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
BLUETTI
EP500
4,610Power Score · Appliance Class
$2,999.00 · direct from BLUETTI
Last checked 6 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Spec deltas
The Apex 300 with a B300K costs $2,599, which is $400 less than the EP500, and it is the more capable unit by a wide margin: 3,840W of continuous output against the EP500's 2,000, 2,400W of solar input against 1,200, and a 5-year warranty where the EP500 shipped with none. Both are BLUETTI, both use the same 3,500-cycle LFP cells.
This is really a look at how far one company's platform moved in four years. The EP500 was BLUETTI's 2021 idea of a complete home battery: a single wheeled cabinet, ports and screen built in, nothing to assemble. The Apex is the modular answer that came after, a base plus a stackable B300K, cheaper to build and cheaper to buy.
The EP500's one surviving edge is exactly that all-in-one body. The Apex 300's base is stripped down to mostly AC outlets, with USB and DC living on a separate paid Power Hub, so the tidy single box is the older unit. Pay more, get less power, but get it in one piece. For everyone who doesn't need that, the newer stack wins going away.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
continuous output
3,840W against 2,000W is the difference between running one heavy appliance and running the dryer and microwave together, and BLUETTI backs the cheaper, stronger unit with 5 years of coverage against the EP500's zero. Same 3,500-cycle LFP core, but everything wrapped around it improved.
Apex $2,599 vs EP500 $2,999Apex 3,840W output vs EP500 2,000WApex 5-year warranty vs EP500 0
Why it mattersChoosing between these two BLUETTI units today, the older EP500 has to win on something other than price, power, or warranty, and it mostly can't.
solar input
From empty it refills in roughly two and a half hours of strong sun against the EP500's four-plus, and one tester clocked a full top-up in under an hour on high-watt AC inputA12. In an outage where you refill daily, that halves the time the battery spends unavailable.
Apex accepts 2,400W solar vs EP500 1,200WApex 5,530Wh vs EP500 5,120Wh
Why it mattersOff-grid and multi-day-backup buyers get their runtime back in half the time with the Apex.
The EP500 answers with the one thing it still does better. It's a single wheeled body with USB, DC, a 100W USB-C port, and a touchscreen already in it, nothing to cable together, and even the 100W USB-C the Apex lists comes through that add-on hub rather than the base.
Apex 300 base ships without USB or DC portsA1the D1 Power Hub that adds those ports is a separate purchaseA2EP500 is a single cabinet with USB, DC, 100W USB-C, and a screen built in
Why it mattersThe buyer who wants a plug-it-in-and-forget-it all-in-one, not a two-piece stack plus accessories, is the one person here who should still choose the EP500.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
PowerScore Breakdown
Selected because: 6,552 vs 4,864 — a 1,688-point gap honestly earned on output, surge, and solar.
overall power score
PowerScore reads 6,552 for the Apex against 4,864 for the EP500, and unlike some matchups this 1,688-point spread is honestly earned. The Apex puts out 3,840W continuous to the EP500's 2,000, surges to 7,680W against 4,800, and takes 2,400W of solar to 1,200. Every input the score rewards, the Apex simply has more of.
The one number that flatters the EP500 is its surge-to-continuous ratio, 2.4 times its rating against the Apex's 2.0. But that's headroom relative to a smaller inverter. In absolute terms the Apex's 7,680W surge starts anything the 4,800W EP500 can and a good deal more, so the score isn't inflated here, it's descriptive.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: cheaperToOwn is p1 ($0.13 vs $0.17); same 3,500 cycles, so the value gap is really the price gap.
cost / lifetime kWh
The newer stack is the cheaper one to buy and the cheaper one to keep. The Apex 300 with a B300K runs $2,599 to the EP500's $2,999, and because both use the same 3,500-cycle LFP chemistry, the Apex's slightly larger 5,530Wh bank gives it a touch more lifetime energy, 19,354 kWh to 17,920. That lands at $0.13 per lifetime kilowatt-hour against $0.17.
The gap here is narrower than the spec sheet's, because on longevity these two are genuinely matched at 3,500 cycles each. This is the one axis where the EP500 doesn't fall behind so much as tie on what matters most and lose the tiebreaker on sticker price. Both are LFP units built to outlast a decade of regular use.
Growth Path
Selected because: Apex expandable with B300K vs EP500 sealed at 5,120Wh — the generational split in one spec.
solar input
The Apex is built to grow and the EP500 isn't. The stack starts at 5,530Wh and takes additional B300K expansion batteries, so a buyer creeping toward whole-home backup has somewhere to go. The EP500 is sealed at 5,120Wh, a finished unit with no port to add to.
This is the clearest expression of the generational gap. The EP500's design goal was a complete, self-contained box; the Apex's is a platform you extend. Both are legitimate, but only one lets you start where you are and add capacity as your needs, and budget, climb.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: UPS speed and noise disclosure favor the Apex; the honest asterisk (no USB/DC on the base) favors the EP500.
Two flags actually separate these units, and both favor the Apex. Its UPS is line-interactive, switching in 10ms against the EP500's 20, the margin that keeps a NAS array or a desktop from hiccupping during the cutover. And the Apex publishes a 45dB noise figure under load while the EP500 discloses none, which is a small tell about which unit was specced for a spec-savvy buyer.
The honest asterisk sits on the Apex, though. Reviewers note its base ships without USB or DC ports, so the 100W USB-C on the spec sheet comes through a separate Power Hub rather than the unit itselfA1A2, and one tester got a mere 8W out of the B300K's own USB-CA6. The EP500, for all it gives up, puts its ports and its 100W USB-C right on the cabinet.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: Both non-portable; EP500 heavier by 18 lb — a tiebreak on a rounding error.
weight
Neither of these travels. The Apex stack is just under 150 pounds and its own reviewers call it too big and heavy for one person to carryA5A14; the EP500 is heavier still at 167, an 18-pound difference between two units that both live where you park them. Handles and an optional trolley help either one roll, not lift.
If weight decides anything between them, it nudges toward the Apex by those 18 pounds. But that's a tiebreak on a rounding error. Choose these on power, price, and form factor, because the scale isn't the story.
Strengths & trade-offs
BLUETTI Apex 300 + B300K
Strengths
- +Costs $400 less
- +Lighter by 18.2 lb
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Higher AC output
- +Longer warranty
- +Faster solar charging
Trade-offs
- –Very heavy unit that may be difficult for one person to lift.
BLUETTI EP500
Strengths
- Solid all-rounder with standard specs.
Trade-offs
- –Significantly heavier (+18.2 lbs), making it harder to move.
- –Weaker inverter (-1,840W) limits appliance compatibility.
- –Very heavy unit that may be difficult for one person to lift.
- –Sealed capacity — the Apex 300 + B300K can add batteries to grow past 5,120Wh; this one can't.
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
Both clear a weekend without thinking about it, a 2,100Wh load leaving each around half full. The tie breaks on the extras: the Apex refills in half the solar time and carries a 5-year warranty, while the EP500 answers with all-in-one simplicity. On pure capacity for two nights, it's a wash.
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
Neither unit
Scoring these two at a tailgate is a category error: the Apex 300 + B300K at 149 lbs is not a take-along — it rolls off a truck bed if it travels at all, and the EP500 at 167 lbs is not a take-along — it rolls off a truck bed if it travels at all. The 670Wh here is trivial for either — it's the going that doesn't happen. If you need power away from the building, you're shopping the wrong class.
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 + B300K
This is the Apex's scenario. A 4,685Wh van-life day just fits its usable bank at 100 percent, while the EP500 runs out at 108 and comes up short. It's close for the Apex, so treat it as the ceiling of a single charge, not comfortable headroom, which is exactly why the Apex's expandability matters here: add a B300K and the day stops being a squeaker. The sealed EP500 has no such option.
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 + B300K runs 22.9h vs 21.2h.
$2,799 list · direct from BLUETTI
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 0–313.3hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–62.7hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limitsscale 0–4.7h¹ 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 18, 2026
Verdict: the Apex 300 + B300K
Take the Apex 300 with the B300K. Inside BLUETTI's own lineup it's the newer design and the stronger one, and somehow also the cheaper one: $2,599 against the EP500's $2,999, 3,840W of output against 2,000, 2,400W of solar against 1,200, and a 5-year warranty against none, all on the same 3,500-cycle LFP chemistry. It's lighter, faster to recharge, faster to switch over as a UPS, and it expands where the EP500 is sealed. The EP500 keeps exactly one honest advantage: it's a single wheeled cabinet with every port and a touchscreen built in, where the Apex base needs a separate Power Hub for its USB and DC. If you want a true all-in-one with nothing to add, buy the EP500. Everyone else should take the Apex.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of July 18, 2026. The links below open BLUETTI's current price.
$2,599.00 · direct from BLUETTI
down from $2,799 · 7% below usual
Last checked 6 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
or check the EP500 price$2,999.00 list
Written by Gunner Gustafson, Whole-Home Backup Tester · Station Arena Test Desk · Updated July 18, 2026
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, Apex 300 + B300K rates 4.2/5 (53rd percentile of 16 Home Backup-class units), and EP500 rates 3.4/5 (7th percentile of 16 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 Apex 300 + B300K (148.8 lbs) is a two-person lift. The EP500 (167 lbs) is firmly a two-person lift. It goes where you put it and stays there. That's a 18 lb difference.
Apex 300 + B300K: 45dB Under Load
45dB is about as loud as a running refrigerator. The EP500 publishes no figure to compare it against, which cuts both ways. For most people, fan noise around 45dB and up is where sleep starts to suffer.
The EP500's fixed ceiling
The EP500 is sealed at 5,120Wh, a complete unit but the ceiling. The Apex starts at 5,530Wh and takes B300K batteries, so if your needs climb toward whole-home backup, only one of these has anywhere to follow.
Surge Power: Ratio and Ceiling Disagree
The EP500 holds the higher surge-to-continuous ratio (2.4× vs 2×), but the Apex 300 + B300K holds the higher absolute surge ceiling — 7,680W 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 Apex 300 + B300K is the stronger unit here — while the EP500 is the one running further below its own limit at steady state.
Line-interactive vs standby
The Apex switches to battery in 10ms, line-interactive, against the EP500's 20ms standby. Both cover a CPAP or a desktop, but the Apex's faster cutover also keeps a NAS array from noticing the outage.
One unit publishes its noise, one doesn't
The Apex lists 45dB under load; the EP500 lists nothing. Same likely behavior in a quiet room, but only one commits the number to paper, and the blank spec is the older habit.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the Apex 300 + B300K.
Check Apex 300 + B300K 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
Both units have similar long-term ownership costs ($0.14/kWh vs $0.17/kWh). The price difference is what you see on the sticker — neither is a hidden bargain or rip-off. One thing to know reading the table: both carry the same 3,500-cycle rating, so the lifetime rows are sticker price and capacity in disguise — the wear horizon is identical and decides nothing here.
Growth path
Apex 300 + B300K
EXPANDABLESupports BLUETTI expansion batteries, so you can add capacity later without replacing the base unit — useful if your needs may climb past 5,530Wh.
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.
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
The EP500 is sealed at 5,120Wh, which is fine if that covers you. The Apex 300 + B300K starts at 5,530Wh and can grow beyond it with BLUETTI expansion batteries — real headroom the EP500 doesn't have if your needs climb toward partial-home backup.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews — every claim cited to its source below.
BLUETTI Apex 300 + B300K
The Apex earns its strongest praise as a generator replacement. One tester called it among the few systems that could genuinely stand in for a gas generator, without the noise, fumes, or maintenanceA4, and recharge speed drew the same reaction: a full system ready again in under an hour on high-watt inputA12. In appliance testing it drove a washing machine and then a heat-pump dryer off a single chargeA9A10.
The recurring gripe is the port situation. Reviewers flag that the base Apex 300 is essentially six AC outlets and little else, with USB and DC living on a separate paid Power HubA1A2, and one got just 8W out of the B300K's own USB-C portA6. It's also a lot of unit, near 150 pounds stacked, movable on handles or a trolley but not something you carry to a picnicA5A14. Field data is still early-adopter-heavy, since the bundle is new.
“The Apex 300 doesn't have USB ports, DC ports, or much of anything beyond its six AC plugs and high-voltage connectors.”
Sources
thesolarlab.com · techspective.net · digitalreviews.net · thesolarpit.com · cleantechnica.com · trustedreviews.com
BLUETTI EP500
With the EP500, the field notes open on its sheer immovability. At 167 pounds reviewers call it too heavy to take camping, a stay-at-home unit full stopB1B9, and one found the touchscreen laggy enough to mentionB2. This is the older single-cabinet design, and it wears its weight where the Apex splits the load across a stack.
What redeems it is home-backup competence. Its UPS mode gets singled out as a reliable lifesaver for medical equipmentB3, app control means you monitor it without a trip to the garageB4, and the pack runs cool enough that a phone charging on top of it is safeB5. As with the Apex, most of this comes from professional test units rather than long-term owners.
“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
- Reviewers consistently flag that the base Apex 300 has no USB/DC ports and requires a separate paid Hub D1 accessory, which some feel is overpriced for what it offers. [Apex 300 + B300K · 3 entries]
- Multiple sources note the extreme weight/bulk of the stacked Apex 300 + B300K system, making 'portable' a stretch despite handles/trolley options. [Apex 300 + B300K · 2 entries]
- Reviewers praise fast recharge and the system's ability to genuinely replace a generator for home backup and heavy loads like washers/dryers. [Apex 300 + B300K · 4 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]
- A1
“The Apex 300 doesn't have USB ports, DC ports, or much of anything beyond its six AC plugs and high-voltage connectors.”
thesolarlab.com — Bluetti Apex 300 Review: Cheap, Practical Home Backup? · unknown (2025/2026) · [mixed]
- A2
“That Bluetti D1 Power Hub that gives you your DC and USB ports costs about $300, which is a steep price for what you're getting.”
thesolarlab.com — Bluetti Apex 300 Review: Cheap, Practical Home Backup? · unknown (2025/2026) · [negative]
- A4
“It's one of the few systems I've tested that feels like it could genuinely replace a generator, without the noise, fumes, or maintenance.”
techspective.net — Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K Review · 2025-09-21 · [positive]
- A5
“Stacked, you're near 150 pounds of lithium iron phosphate and inverter muscle—movable with the built-in handles or a trolley... but not something you'll casually lug to a picnic.”
techspective.net — Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K Review · 2025-09-21 · [mixed]
- A6
“I just wonder why Bluetti did not include a USB-C port with some decent output, like 100 or 140W as I only got a measly 8W charge out of it for my phone.”
digitalreviews.net — Bluetti B300K Expansion Battery Review · 2025-12 · [negative]
- A9
“Results: 1 wash took about 1 hour and drained the Apex from 100% down to 65%.”
digitalreviews.net — Bluetti Apex 300 Power Station Tests (Australia) Part II · 2025-09 · [positive]
- A10
“Just for fun we then turned on our heat pump dryer to see that over 1½ hours it would further drain it down to 20%.”
digitalreviews.net — Bluetti Apex 300 Power Station Tests (Australia) Part II · 2025-09 · [mixed]
- A12
“During my testing, the recharge speed was astonishing. In under an hour, I had a system ready to go again.”
thesolarpit.com — Bluetti Apex 300 Review · 2025-10-28 · [positive]
- A14
“As will you: it weighs in at 38kg, and is probably much too big and heavy for most people to carry alone.”
trustedreviews.com — Bluetti Apex 300 Review · 2025-10-10 · [negative]
- 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]
- B5
“The battery pack hardly dissipates any heat, so a phone charging nearby won't encounter thermal damage.”
greencitizen.com — Bluetti EP500 Breakdown + Brand Review · 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 July 18, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the Apex 300 + B300K if you…
- →Nearly everyone choosing between these two: $400 cheaper, 3,840W of output against the EP500's 2,000, twice the solar, and a 5-year warranty against none.
- →The generator replacer: testers say it can genuinely stand in for a gas generator, and it refills in a fraction of the EP500's timeA4A12.
- →The buyer who'll grow: it expands with B300K batteries where the EP500 is capped at 5,120Wh.
Buy the EP500 if you…
- →The all-in-one buyer: a single wheeled cabinet with USB, DC, a 100W USB-C port, and a touchscreen already on it, no Power Hub or cabling to add.
- →The pure home-UPS user who values a proven, reliable switchover for medical gear and won't miss the Apex's extra outputB3.
If neither fits
If your daily draw is near 4,685Wh, the EP500 can't cover it on one charge and even the Apex only just does, at 100 percent of usable; plan to add a B300K from the start, or step up to a larger system. And if you need a unit you can actually carry, both are too heavy, so look at a sub-50-pound class instead.
The Bottom Line
Take the Apex 300 with the B300K. Inside BLUETTI's own lineup it's the newer idea and the better one: $400 less than the EP500, nearly double the output at 3,840W, twice the solar, a 5-year warranty against none, and room to expand, all on the same 3,500-cycle LFP promise. This is what four years of platform progress looks like.
The EP500 keeps one honest advantage: it's a single wheeled cabinet with every port and a screen built in, where the Apex is a stack that wants a separate hub for its USB and DC. If a true all-in-one with nothing to add is what you're after, buy it without regret. For everyone else, the Apex is cheaper, stronger, longer-covered, and the direction the whole lineup has already gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K or the EP500, which should I buy?
The Apex for almost everyone. It's $2,599 to the EP500's $2,999, puts out 3,840W against 2,000, takes twice the solar, carries a 5-year warranty against none, and expands. Choose the EP500 only if you specifically want a single all-in-one cabinet with no accessories to add.
Why is the newer Apex bundle cheaper than the older EP500?
BLUETTI's platform moved on. The Apex is a modular base-plus-battery design that's cheaper to build than the EP500's all-in-one cabinet, so it lands at $2,599 against $2,999 while offering more power and a longer warranty. Both still use the same 3,500-cycle LFP cells, so you're not trading away longevity for the lower price.
What does the EP500 still do better than the Apex?
It's one integrated wheeled cabinet with USB, DC, a 100W USB-C port, and a touchscreen built in. The Apex 300's base is essentially AC outlets, and its USB and DC ports live on a separate paid Power Hub. If you want a tidy single box with nothing to assemble or buy on the side, the EP500 is the simpler unit.
Can I expand either one?
Only the Apex. It starts at 5,530Wh and takes additional B300K batteries, so it can grow toward whole-home backup. The EP500 is sealed at 5,120Wh with no expansion port, so what you buy is the ceiling.
Which recharges faster from solar?
The Apex, by roughly half. It accepts 2,400W of solar to the EP500's 1,200W into a similar-sized battery, so a full refill runs about two and a half hours of strong sun against the EP500's four-plus. On high-watt AC input, reviewers clocked the Apex ready again in under an hour.
Where to buy
BLUETTI Apex 300 + B300KPick
$2,599.00
$2,599.00 · direct from BLUETTI
down from $2,799 · 7% below usual
Last checked 6 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
BLUETTI EP500
$2,999.00
$2,999.00 · direct from BLUETTI
Last checked 6 days ago. Prices move — check before you buy.
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.