EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max vs EcoFlow RIVER 3 Max

What separates these two

• CapacityThe RIVER 2 Max states 512 Wh (nameplateNameplate capacity The capacity printed on the box, in watt-hours (Wh): what the battery holds when new. You get less out of it in use, because the station keeps some back to protect the battery and loses some turning it into 240 V or 12 V power.); the RIVER 3 Max states 572 Wh (nameplate), 12% more.This means the RIVER 3 Max holds more energy, so it can run the same things for longer before it needs charging.
  Sources

  RIVER 2 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 512Wh

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 572Wh

• AC output, non-stopThe RIVER 2 Max states 500 W (continuousContinuous output The power the station can supply non-stop. This is the figure that decides which appliances it can run, like a 1,000 W microwave.); the RIVER 3 Max states 600 W (continuous), 20% more.This means the RIVER 3 Max can run bigger appliances, ones that need more power, from its 240 V outlets.
  Sources

  RIVER 2 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 Pure Sine Wave, 500W total (surge 1000W), 230V ~ 50Hz/60Hz

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 3 outlets, 600W total (Surge 1200W, X-Boost 1200W)

• WeightThe RIVER 2 Max states about 6 kg (unit onlyUnit only The station by itself, without cables, chargers or a bag.); the RIVER 3 Max states 8.4 kg (unit only), 40% heavier.This means the RIVER 2 Max is lighter to carry.
  Sources

  RIVER 2 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 Approximately 6kg

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 8.4kg

Price and price per Wh aren't compared here yet. That needs a second shop selling each one for about the same price (within 10%), which shows the price is real. Today: price, RIVER 2 Max $599 and RIVER 3 Max $799; price per Wh, RIVER 2 Max 117.0¢ and RIVER 3 Max 139.7¢.

Can't be compared as the brands list themCan't be compared The two brands give this figure in different ways, or only one brand gives it. For example, one counts battery charges until 80% of the capacity is left and the other until 70%. Set side by side, the numbers would mislead, so both are shown and neither is put ahead.

• 12 V car socketThe RIVER 3 Max states 10 A (at 12.6 V). The brand doesn't give this figure for the RIVER 2 Max.This means the two can't be compared on this until both brands publish it.
  Sources

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 1 outlet, 12.6V, 10A, 126W max

• Wall charging, empty to fullThe RIVER 3 Max states 78 min (no fast modeAC charging Charging from a household power point. A fast-mode figure uses the brand's quickest charging setting, so it isn't compared with standard charging. mentioned, empty to full, charging at 650 W). The brand doesn't give this figure for the RIVER 2 Max.This means the two can't be compared on this until both brands publish it.
  Sources

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 650W 0~100% in 1.3 Hr

• UPS switchoverThe RIVER 3 Max states up to 10 ms (how it was tested not stated). The brand doesn't give this figure for the RIVER 2 Max.This means the two can't be compared on this until both brands publish it.
  Sources

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 <10ms

• Expansion batteriesThe RIVER 3 Max takes expansion batteriesExpansion batteries Extra batteries made to plug into this station to add capacity. (up to 858 Wh in total). The brand doesn't say either way for the RIVER 2 Max.This means the two can't be compared on this until both brands publish it.
  Sources

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 - Expandable up to 858Wh with a wire-free connection

• AC surgeThe RIVER 2 Max states 1,000 W (how long it lasts not stated); the RIVER 3 Max states 1,200 W (how long it lasts not stated). Neither brand says how long its surgeSurge A short burst above the continuous rating, for appliances that need a kick to start, like a fridge compressor or a power tool. It lasts from a fraction of a second to a few seconds. lasts, so they aren't compared.This means the two numbers were measured in different ways, so setting one against the other would mislead.
  Sources

  RIVER 2 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 Pure Sine Wave, 500W total (surge 1000W), 230V ~ 50Hz/60Hz

  RIVER 3 Max: manufacturer page (au.ecoflow.com) read 29 Sept 2026 3 outlets, 600W total (Surge 1200W, X-Boost 1200W)

A difference is listed above only when both brands measure a figure the same way and the gap is at least: capacity: 10% or more; price: 10% or more; price per Wh: 10% or more; AC output, non-stop: 15% or more; weight: 8% or more; 12 V car socket: any difference; solar input: 20% or more; wall charging, empty to full: 20% or more; cycle life: 20% or more; stated warranty: any difference; UPS switchover: 5 ms or more; expansion batteries: one has it and the other doesn't; AC surge: 15% or more. Every comparison on this site uses the same gaps.

Fridge runtime for both

How long each would run an example fridge, a Dometic CFX5 45, with no solar and no driving. Its manufacturer says it uses 0.76 Ah an hour at 12 V when it is 32 °C outside and 4 °C inside. The brands don't publish some of the figures this needs. Where someone has tested the station, their result is used; otherwise both use the same ranges, taken from tests of other stations. For the RIVER 2 Max, tests of this exact station give its own draw (measured by The Technology Man) and 240 V shareShare delivered How much of the capacity on the box actually comes out of a socket, as a percentage. Testers run a steady load until the station switches off and count what came out. The rest is kept back to protect the battery or lost as heat making 12 V or 240 V. (measured by The Technology Man).

The middle estimates are 17 hours apart.This means the RIVER 3 Max is likely to run the fridge for longer, but that one unknown figure could close the gap.

The biggest unknown is the station's own drawStation's own draw Power the station uses itself while an outlet is switched on: its screen, its electronics and the circuit that makes 12 V or 240 V. Few brands publish it. Over 24 hours it can add up to as much as a small fridge uses. with the 12 V socket12 V car socket A cigarette-lighter style socket that runs 12 V gear, like a camping fridge, directly. Its rating is in amps (A): a 10 A socket supplies up to about 120 W. on. No brand publishes it and no test of this station was found, so 1–12 W is assumed. On its own, it can change the RIVER 3 Max's answer by up to 1.0 days, which is more than the gap between the two. The brand doesn't list a 12 V socket12 V car socket A cigarette-lighter style socket that runs 12 V gear, like a camping fridge, directly. Its rating is in amps (A): a 10 A socket supplies up to about 120 W. for the RIVER 2 Max, so its fridge runs from the 240 V outlet through the fridge's mains adapterMains adapter The plug-in power supply that turns 240 V from an outlet into the 12 V a fridge runs on. It loses some energy as heat, and so does the station making the 240 V..

Try another fridge, add solar or driving, or change the assumed ranges:

Loading the runtime tool…

Charging paths

“Not stated” means the brand's website and manual don't give that figure (checked 29 Sept 2026).

All the specs side by side

Capacity is the nameplate figure in watt-hours (Wh), the one on the box. AC output is the power a station can supply non-stop, not a short burst. Weight is the station on its own. A figure measured another way is shown with a note saying how, and isn't compared with the others.

Where this pair sits

Price record

Every price

What each shop charges for the station on its own, cheapest first. Kits (the station sold with extras, like a solar panel) are on each product's page and don't count here.

What neither brand tells you

These figures would help answer the questions above, but neither brand gives them (checked 29 Sept 2026):

• Usable capacityUsable capacity How much of the box capacity you can actually draw out. Most brands don't publish it, so the box figure is the only one that can be compared.: how much of the nameplate capacityNameplate capacity The capacity printed on the box, in watt-hours (Wh): what the battery holds when new. You get less out of it in use, because the station keeps some back to protect the battery and loses some turning it into 240 V or 12 V power. you can actually use. The fridge runtime above uses test results for how much comes out of the socket instead.
• The station's own drawStation's own draw Power the station uses itself while an outlet is switched on: its screen, its electronics and the circuit that makes 12 V or 240 V. Few brands publish it. Over 24 hours it can add up to as much as a small fridge uses. with the 12 V socket12 V car socket A cigarette-lighter style socket that runs 12 V gear, like a camping fridge, directly. Its rating is in amps (A): a 10 A socket supplies up to about 120 W. on: the fridge runtime above uses a test of the station if one was found, otherwise a range of 1–12 W.
• How much of the capacity comes out of the 12 V socket12 V car socket A cigarette-lighter style socket that runs 12 V gear, like a camping fridge, directly. Its rating is in amps (A): a 10 A socket supplies up to about 120 W.: the fridge runtime above uses a test of the station if one was found, otherwise a range of 75–92%.
• How long the AC surgeSurge A short burst above the continuous rating, for appliances that need a kick to start, like a fridge compressor or a power tool. It lasts from a fraction of a second to a few seconds. lasts: without it, two surgeSurge A short burst above the continuous rating, for appliances that need a kick to start, like a fridge compressor or a power tool. It lasts from a fraction of a second to a few seconds. figures can't be compared.
• Stated warrantyStated warranty The warranty the brand's own Australian store states. Some brands add years if the product is registered..