EcoFlow DELTA 3 vs DELTA 3 Plus
Two units with identical capacity, output and weight. One spec separates them, and it decides the purchase entirely.
At a glance
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Weight is a column here because it is the spec that decides whether you actually carry the thing.
| # | Product | Best for | Capacity · Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | Buy this one only for the solar | 1,024Wh 27.6 lb | Check price |
| 2 |  EcoFlow DELTA 3 | The one most people should actually buy | 1,024Wh 27.6 lb | Check price |
| 3 |  Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | Pick this if solar was never the point | 1,070Wh 23.8 lb | Check price |
The verdict: buy the DELTA 3 Plus only if you will run more than 500W of solar panels. Otherwise buy the DELTA 3. EcoFlow publishes 1,024Wh, 1,800W continuous, 3,600W surge, 27.6 lb, a 56-minute recharge, an under-10 ms switchover, six AC outlets, expansion to 5kWh and 4,000 cycles to 80%+ for both units. The difference is maximum solar input: 1,000W across two 500W MPPT channels on the Plus, 500W total on the DELTA 3.
That is genuinely the whole comparison, and it is worth saying plainly because the naming implies a general upgrade and the specification does not support one. You are not buying a better power station. You are buying a bigger funnel for sunlight.
The decision table
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 | EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1,024Wh | 1,024Wh |
| Chemistry | LFP (LiFePO4) | LFP (LiFePO4) |
| AC continuous | 1,800W | 1,800W |
| Surge | 3,600W | 3,600W |
| Weight | 27.6 lb | 27.6 lb |
| Max solar input | 500W total | 1,000W (2 x 500W MPPT) |
| AC recharge | 56 min at 1,500W | 56 min at 1,500W |
| UPS switchover | Under 10 ms | Under 10 ms |
| Outputs | 13, including 6x AC | 6x AC, 2x USB-C 140W, 2x USB-A, car, 2x DC5521 |
| Expandable | Yes — to 5kWh | Yes — to 5kWh |
| Cycle rating | 4,000 cycles to 80%+ | 4,000 cycles to 80%+ |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
Why 500W of solar input is a real dividing line
A power station's maximum solar input is a hard ceiling, not a suggestion. Connect 800W of panels to a unit rated at 500W and you get 500W, minus whatever the day gives you. The extra panel is dead weight and dead money.
That last line is the honest version of the argument. If your use is "fill the battery overnight-empty each day and run the fridge at night", 500W is enough and the Plus is a waste. If your use is "run a fridge, a laptop and a Starlink terminal all day while also refilling", you are charging against a live draw, and 1,000W is what keeps you net positive on an overcast afternoon. How much solar input do you need works through that with real daily consumption figures.
Two channels, not just more watts
The Plus splits its input across two independent 500W MPPT channels. That is more useful than a single 1,000W input would be, for one practical reason: panels in different orientations. A van roof panel in flat sun and a portable panel angled at the low morning sun are producing at different voltages, and on a single-channel controller the weaker string drags the stronger one down. Two channels let each find its own maximum power point.
For a fixed array all facing one way, this is irrelevant. For a van build with a roof panel plus a ground deploy, it is the reason to pay the difference.
Buy the DELTA 3 if
- You charge mainly from the wall — 56 minutes to full is the same on both.
- Your solar plan is one or two panels, 400-500W at most.
- You are charging an idle unit rather than charging while running loads.
- You would rather put the difference toward an expansion battery, which both accept.
Buy the DELTA 3 Plus if
- You will deploy more than 500W of panels, now or later.
- You charge and discharge at the same time, every day, off-grid.
- Your panels sit in different orientations and two MPPT channels earn their keep.
- You live somewhere with unreliable sun and want the headroom for bad days.
The unit that beats both on weight
If this comparison has made you realize that solar is not actually your plan, the better question is why you are buying a 27.6 lb unit at all. The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 holds 1,070Wh — 46Wh more — at 23.8 lb, which is 45.0Wh per pound against 37.1. It caps at 400W of solar and does not expand, which is exactly the trade you have just decided you do not care about. It is the third pick below for that reason.
If output rather than solar is your real constraint, the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 does 2,000W from 24.9 lb. And Jackery vs EcoFlow is this same weight-versus-solar argument at brand level, with both companies' full ranges behind it.
The picks in full
1. Buy this one only for the solar
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus
- 1,024Wh
- LFP (LiFePO4)
- 1,800W continuous / 3,600W surge
- 27.6 lb
- 1000W
- 4,000 cycles to 80%+ capacity
- Full in 56 min (1,500W AC input)
- 5 years
1,000W of solar input across two independent 500W MPPT channels, into the same 1,024Wh battery and the same 1,800W inverter as the cheaper unit. If you deploy real panels, this is the version.
Everything else is shared: 27.6 lb, 3,600W surge, a 56-minute wall recharge, an under-10 ms switchover, six AC outlets, expansion to 5kWh and 4,000 cycles to 80%+.
Two channels also handle panels in different orientations without the weak string dragging the strong one down, which is the quiet reason this beats a single 1,000W input.
Reasons to buy
- 1,000W solar input, twice the DELTA 3
- Two independent 500W MPPT channels
- Same 1,024Wh, 1,800W and 27.6 lb as the DELTA 3
- Expands to 5kWh
- Under-10 ms UPS; 4,000 cycles to 80%+
Reasons to avoid
- No capacity, output or weight advantage at all
- Pointless if you charge from the wall
- 27.6 lb for 1,024Wh — 37.1Wh per pound
- EcoFlow publishes approximate dimensions only
Buy it if: off-grid charging while running loads.
Skip it if: your solar plan is 500W or less.
2. The one most people should actually buy
EcoFlow DELTA 3
- 1,024Wh
- LFP (LiFePO4)
- 1,800W continuous / 3,600W surge
- 27.6 lb
- 500W
- 4,000 cycles to 80%+ capacity
- 56 min at 1,500W
- 5 years
The same box, the same battery, the same 1,800W and the same 56-minute recharge, with a 500W solar ceiling instead of 1,000W. For wall charging that is a difference you will never encounter.
Thirteen outputs including six AC outlets, expansion to 5kWh and the same under-10 ms switchover make this a complete unit in its own right, not a stripped version.
500W is still enough to refill 1,024Wh in a single usable solar day from an idle start. It runs out of headroom only when you charge and discharge simultaneously.
Reasons to buy
- Identical capacity, output, weight and recharge to the Plus
- 13 outputs including six AC
- Expands to 5kWh
- 4,000 cycles to 80%+; 5-year warranty
- 500W solar still refills it in one good day
Reasons to avoid
- 500W solar ceiling — half the Plus
- One MPPT channel, so mixed panel orientations suffer
- 27.6 lb, same as the Plus with less capability
- Not the lightest 1kWh unit by some margin
Buy it if: wall charging, with solar as an occasional top-up.
Skip it if: you run panels and loads at the same time.
3. Pick this if solar was never the point
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2
- 1,070Wh
- LiFePO4 (LFP)
- 1,500W continuous / 3,000W surge
- 23.8 lb
- 400W
- 4,000 cycles to 70% capacity
- 1.7 hr wall; 1 hr emergency charge via app
- 5 years (with registration)
1,070Wh at 23.8 lb is 45.0Wh per pound, the best figure on this site, and 3.8 lb lighter than either EcoFlow for 46Wh more battery.
1.7 hours from the wall, a one-hour emergency charge from the app, below 22 decibels in silent mode and a foldable handle. For a unit that gets carried, those four things matter more than solar input.
400W solar ceiling, no expansion, two AC outlets, and a cycle rating quoted to 70% rather than 80%. Know all four before you buy.
Reasons to buy
- 45.0Wh per pound — best on this site
- 1,070Wh, the largest battery of the three
- 23.8 lb; foldable handle
- Below 22 dB in silent mode
- 1-hour emergency charge via the app
Reasons to avoid
- 400W solar input, lowest of the three
- Not expandable
- Two AC outlets
- Cycle rating quoted to a friendlier 70% threshold
Buy it if: carrying the unit and charging from the wall.
Skip it if: panels or expansion are part of the plan.
Questions