DELTA 3 Max Plus
- you back up a fridge, a pump or a microwave
- you want 2,048Wh, up to about 10kWh
- you charge from 1,000W of solar
RIVER 3
- you already own one
- your loads stay under 300W
- you carry it: 7.8 lb
Prices and stock checked by our price engine on November 5, 2026 at 1:31 AM EST. Each product is rechecked several times a day; the time refreshes when you load the page.
One runs a fridge, a microwave and a sump pump. The other keeps a router and a laptop alive. Decide what has to keep running.
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus stores 2,048Wh and delivers 3,000W from four AC outlets, takes 1,000W of solar, switches over in 10ms and grows to about 10kWh with extra batteries, at 48.7 lb. The EcoFlow RIVER 3 stored 245Wh and delivered 300W from two outlets at 7.8 lb; EcoFlow US no longer sells it, and its successor is the RIVER 3 Plus. They don’t compete: the Max Plus is a home backup unit you roll to the kitchen, the RIVER 3 a lunchbox for a desk, a tent or a car. If nothing on your list draws more than 300W, the big one is mostly weight.
Below: what separates them with numbers, a 20-second calculator for your own gear, eight modeled situations, a middle option, and what published tests found on each.
Different jobs. The DELTA 3 Max Plus runs most of a kitchen through an outage and grows with extra batteries; the RIVER 3 charges phones and laptops and keeps a router online for a night. EcoFlow US no longer sells the RIVER 3; its small-box successor is the RIVER 3 Plus.
- a fridge must run all night
- you need 3,000W for a microwave
- you have 1,000W of solar
- it charges phones and laptops
- it keeps a router up
- you carry it: 7.8 lb
The five differences that decide it
Both use LFP cells, the EcoFlow app over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, an X-Boost mode for heating loads and a UPS mode. Past that, they are eight times apart in energy. These five gaps decide it.
Will it run your setup? Check in 20 seconds
Estimates use 85% usable capacity and 70% of rated solar output. Real results vary with temperature, inverter load, shade and appliance cycling. Fridge and freezer watts are daily averages and do not include compressor startup surges.
Runtime by appliance, one at a time
Simple energy estimates, not measured runtimes. About 1,741Wh usable on the DELTA 3 Max Plus and 208Wh on the RIVER 3; StorageReview measured 1.64kWh and 210Wh.
Appliance for appliance, the Max Plus lasts 8.4 times as long as the RIVER 3.
Same appliance, same watts: the gap is always the size of the battery.Get our Black Friday alerts for EcoFlow
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What the current options cost today
The RIVER 3 Plus keeps the RIVER 3’s size class and doubles its output to 600W, with a 10ms UPS and an extra battery option up to 858Wh, at 10.4 lb. The DELTA 3 Max Plus is a different class of machine: 2,048Wh and 3,000W. Both prices move often.
The third option: the EcoFlow DELTA 3 at $579
EcoFlow DELTA 3: $579 today
The middle ground: 1,024Wh of LFP and 1,800W from six AC outlets, a 10ms UPS, 500W of solar and a 56-minute wall refill, at 27.6 lb, with a 5-year warranty. It runs a microwave or a coffee maker that the RIVER 3 can’t, and expands to about 5kWh with extra batteries, at about half the Max Plus’s weight. Our DELTA 3 review goes deeper. See the DELTA 3 at EcoFlow.
Eight modeled situations, worked out
Same formula as the calculator above: 85% of the rated capacity, no extra battery.
Wi-Fi router through an outage
The RIVER 3 covers a night and most of the next day; the Max Plus, close to a week. Both switch over fast enough for a router: 10ms on the Max Plus, under 20ms on the RIVER 3.
Full-size fridge through the night
The Max Plus carries a fridge for more than a day; the RIVER 3 runs it about three and a half hours, and its 300W inverter may not start every compressor.
CPAP, one night
The RIVER 3 gets you through about five hours of a night. The Max Plus covers five nights.
A microwave during an outage
Only the Max Plus. X-Boost on the RIVER 3 is for heating loads up to 600W at reduced power, and a microwave draws more than that.
A space heater on high
About an hour and ten minutes on the Max Plus; The Technology Man ran a 2kW heater on one for just over 57 minutes. PhoneArena’s 600W grill overloaded a RIVER 3 in under two minutes even with X-Boost on.
Refill from the wall before a storm
Both fill in about an hour, since the Max Plus takes 1,800W against the RIVER 3’s 320W. Bob Vila refilled a RIVER 3 from the wall in about an hour.
Refill from solar, each at its maximum
About the same time, if you own the panels: 1,000W for the Max Plus, 110W for the RIVER 3. Bob Vila refilled a RIVER 3 in a little over three hours on a 110W panel.
Carrying it to a campsite
TechRadar fitted the RIVER 3 in the bottom of a standard backpack. The Max Plus is a two-handed lift at 48.7 lb.
Nine more differences, the spec sheet and the box
Smaller gaps that rarely decide the purchase, then the full specifications and what ships in the box.
DELTA 3 Max Plus and RIVER 3 weight, dimensions and full specifications
Weight: 48.7 lb for the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus and 7.8 lb for the EcoFlow RIVER 3. Dimensions: 19.4 × 9.5 × 12.0 in and 10 × 8.3 × 4.4 in. RIVER 3 figures come from EcoFlow Canada’s page for the same 120V model.
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus and EcoFlow RIVER 3 full specifications
Every published figure for both units, grouped. Green marks the better value.
What’s in the box
DELTA 3 Max Plus
- DELTA 3 Max Plus power station2,048Wh, 48.7 lb
- AC charging cable
- Manuals and warranty card
- No solar cable, no car cablebundles include the matching cables
- No extra battery, no Alternator Chargerboth sold separately
RIVER 3
- RIVER 3245Wh, 7.8 lb
- AC charging cable
- Car charging cable
- User manual
DELTA 3 Max Plus contents from EcoFlow US and its manual; RIVER 3 contents as EcoFlow listed them when it was on sale.
07 · ChargingHow fast each one refills
Shorter bar, faster refill. Each row is scaled to its slower unit.
DELTA 3 Max Plus: StorageReview measured 2.33kWh drawn from the wall for a full refillRIVER 3: StorageReview measured 270Wh drawn from the wall for a full refill
Our solar times assume panels deliver 70% of their rating; the brands’ figures assume ideal sun.
Every port, side by side
DELTA 3 Max Plus
RIVER 3
Practical consequence: the Max Plus adds two AC outlets, a 140W USB-C, a 30A Anderson port for RV and camping gear, and an XT150 port for extra batteries, the Alternator Charger or the Smart Generator. The RIVER 3 keeps two USB-A ports to the Max Plus’s one.
09 · NoiseNoise and heat: Max Plus vs RIVER 3
Both are quiet at home loads. EcoFlow rates the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus at 25dB or less at 600W, and The Technology Man found it barely above room noise while charging at full power. The EcoFlow RIVER 3 is rated under 30dB; reviewers heard its fan mainly while charging.
Neither has a published dB measurement from a reviewer.Every figure we found, with its source
What reviewers heard: Barely above room noise at 1 m while charging at full power, exhaust just over 40°C (The Technology Man, UK unit); fans almost never came on with a home office load (T3).
What reviewers heard: The fan stayed unobtrusive (StorageReview); it rarely ran at low loads but came on while charging (Mighty Gadget, UK unit).
Measured by a tester Brand figure
- The fans run hardest while fast charging, so charge during the day if the unit sits by a bed.
Cold and heat: Max Plus vs RIVER 3
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus and the EcoFlow RIVER 3 share the same limits: charging from 32°F to 113°F, running from 14°F to 113°F. Only the RIVER 3’s battery pack carries a water rating, IP54.
Figures from EcoFlow US for the DELTA 3 Max Plus and EcoFlow Canada’s page for the RIVER 3.- In a cold garage or car, bring either one inside to charge: neither charges below 32°F.
App, UPS and smart features
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus does far more: extra batteries, a generator link, Storm Guard and a faster UPS. The EcoFlow RIVER 3 matches it on app control over Wi-Fi.
Same app. The gap is expansion and home-backup features.Green zone: a switch under about 16ms, which most desktop PCs ride through without restarting.
Can you add a battery later? The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus takes extra batteries through its XT150 port, toward about 10kWh; the EcoFlow RIVER 3 can’t be expanded.
Can it charge from a generator or alternator? The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus charges from EcoFlow’s Smart Generator at up to 2,600W and its 800W Alternator Charger; the EcoFlow RIVER 3 charges from a car socket at 100W.
Does it prepare for storms? The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus has Storm Guard, which tops up the battery before severe weather. EcoFlow lists no such feature for the EcoFlow RIVER 3.
Does it work as a UPS? The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus switches in 10ms; StorageReview measured 8ms. EcoFlow rates the EcoFlow RIVER 3 under 20ms, and Mighty Gadget’s desktop PC kept running through it.
Can it run a heater or kettle above its rating? Both have X-Boost for heating loads at reduced power: up to 3,800W on the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus, 600W on the EcoFlow RIVER 3.
How does the app connect? Both use the EcoFlow app over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Warranty and support
EcoFlow’s US warranty table lists the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus at 3 years, extended to 5 when you register it in the EcoFlow app. It lists the EcoFlow RIVER 3 at 24 months; an existing unit keeps the term it was sold with.
Register the Max Plus to double the gap.Subject to each brand’s warranty terms and eligibility.
EcoFlow rates the RIVER 3 at 3,000 cycles to 80%, about 8 years at one full cycle a day. For the DELTA 3 Max Plus, EcoFlow US quotes about 10 years of use rather than a cycle count. Calendar aging and heat also reduce capacity.
- Register the DELTA 3 Max Plus in the EcoFlow app to get the full 5 years.
- If you find a RIVER 3 for sale, check that seller’s warranty: EcoFlow US no longer sells it.
What reviewers report
We have not lab-tested these two units. Here is what 12 published reviews found, with the source, author and date for each point. Reviews of UK and EU units are flagged: those models charge from 230V outlets and have different sockets, so their charge times and outlet findings don’t carry over to US units.
DELTA 3 Max Plus: StorageReview (September 2025), The Technology Man (January 2026, UK unit), Trusted Reviews (January 2026, UK unit), T3 (January 2026), AndroidGuys (November 2025)RIVER 3: StorageReview (October 2024), Bob Vila (December 2024), TechRadar (March 2025), T3 (April 2025, UK unit), RV.com (September 2024), Mighty Gadget (November 2024, UK unit), PhoneArena (February 2025, EU unit)
Usable capacity
- Max PlusReviewer A full discharge delivered 1.64kWh from the 2,048Wh pack, about 80 percent. StorageReview, Dylan Dougherty, September 2025
- Max PlusReviewer A constant 2kW heater load ran just over 57 minutes and delivered 1,898Wh, about 93 percent. The Technology Man, Gidon, January 2026, UK unit
- RIVER 3Reviewer Running a 300W fan, right at the inverter limit, the testers got 210Wh out of the 245Wh battery before shutdown, about 86%. StorageReview, Corinne OBrien, October 2024
- RIVER 3Reviewer After a week of charging a laptop 3 times and a phone 4 times from one full charge, the battery still showed 57%. Bob Vila, Mark Wolfe, December 2024
- RIVER 3Reviewer One full battery gave about three MacBook Pro recharges while also running a portable display. TechRadar, Collin Probst, March 2025
Charging
- Max PlusReviewer Refilling from empty took 2.33kWh from the wall, about 88 percent charging efficiency. StorageReview, Dylan Dougherty, September 2025
- Max PlusReviewer Fast mode reached 80 percent in 50 minutes and full in about 70 minutes on UK mains. Flag: 230V, up to 2300W input. The Technology Man, Gidon, January 2026, UK unit
- RIVER 3Reviewer Refilling from empty took 270Wh from the wall, with a peak draw of 322W in fast charging mode. StorageReview, Corinne OBrien, October 2024
- RIVER 3Reviewer From below 10%, a 110W solar panel on a very sunny day refilled it in a little over 3 hours; a wall outlet took about an hour. Bob Vila, Mark Wolfe, December 2024
- RIVER 3Reviewer It recharged very quickly from the wall even with a load connected, slower only under heavy loads. TechRadar, Collin Probst, March 2025
Noise and heat
- Max PlusReviewer Even charging at full power, the meter barely registered above room noise at one metre; exhaust measured just over 40°C. The Technology Man, Gidon, January 2026, UK unit
- Max PlusReviewer Fans almost never came on with a home office load and stayed silent during a brief spike over 3kW. T3, Matt Kollat, January 2026
- RIVER 3Reviewer The fan, rated at 30dB by EcoFlow, stayed unobtrusive through their testing. StorageReview, Corinne OBrien, October 2024
- RIVER 3Reviewer The fan spun up when the TV system was first connected, then stopped and stayed silent during use. T3, Derek Adams, April 2025, UK unit
- RIVER 3Reviewer At low loads the fan rarely ran, but it does come on while charging. Mighty Gadget, James Smythe, November 2024, UK unit
UPS and output
- Max PlusReviewer Measured UPS transfer time was 8ms on a workstation load. StorageReview, Dylan Dougherty, September 2025
- Max PlusReviewer Oscilloscope measurement showed a clean handover at 8.4ms; a desktop PC under benchmark load stayed on. The Technology Man, Gidon, January 2026, UK unit
- RIVER 3Reviewer Used as a UPS for a tankless gas water heater igniter, it kept the heater lighting after the breaker was cut. Bob Vila, Mark Wolfe, December 2024
- RIVER 3Reviewer A 50-inch TV, soundbar, set-top box and lamp drew 157W at most, about 1.5 hours of TV per full charge. T3, Derek Adams, April 2025, UK unit
- RIVER 3Reviewer A connected lamp ran for nearly 20 hours on one charge. RV.com, Kraig Becker, September 2024
Daily use and issues
- RIVER 3Reviewer The USB ports and AC outlets have no covers, only the car outlet and input ports do, a concern in dusty places. Bob Vila, Mark Wolfe, December 2024
- RIVER 3Reviewer Small enough to fit in the bottom of a standard backpack or a Jeep rear tray. TechRadar, Collin Probst, March 2025
- RIVER 3Reviewer The app cannot switch the unit on remotely unless it is already on or the device timeout is set to never. T3, Derek Adams, April 2025, UK unit
- RIVER 3Reviewer The plastic top picks up fingerprints very easily. PhoneArena, Polina Kovalakova, testing by Orhan Chakarov, February 2025, EU unit
Practical limits before you buy
- EcoFlow US no longer sells the RIVER 3. Its US page redirects to an extra battery for the RIVER 3 Plus and Max; check any seller’s warranty before buying one.
- The RIVER 3 stops at 300W. A microwave, a coffee maker or a space heater won’t run on it.
- X-Boost is for heating loads only, at reduced power: 3,800W on the Max Plus, 600W on the RIVER 3.
- The Max Plus weighs 48.7 lb. Plan where it lives before an outage.
- Register the Max Plus in the app to get the full 5 years; without it, 3.
- The Max Plus’s Anderson port and car socket share 378W.
- The RIVER 3’s solar and car charging share one input, and its USB ports and AC outlets have no covers.
- Neither charges below freezing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus and the RIVER 3?
Size and job. The DELTA 3 Max Plus stores 2,048Wh and delivers 3,000W at 48.7 lb, for home backup. The RIVER 3 stored 245Wh and delivered 300W at 7.8 lb, for phones, laptops and a router.
Is the RIVER 3 still sold?
Not by EcoFlow US: its page now redirects to an extra battery for the RIVER 3 Plus and Max. The RIVER 3 Plus is its successor.
Can the RIVER 3 run a fridge?
Only for about three and a half hours at a 60W average, and its 300W inverter may not start every compressor. The Max Plus runs one for more than a day.
Which one runs a microwave?
Only the DELTA 3 Max Plus. The RIVER 3 stops at 300W.
How long does each run a CPAP?
About five nights for the Max Plus and five hours for the RIVER 3, at 40W without a humidifier.
Which one charges faster?
About the same from the wall: 64 minutes to 80% on the Max Plus at 1,800W, 60 minutes to full on the RIVER 3 at 320W.
How much do they weigh?
48.7 lb for the DELTA 3 Max Plus and 7.8 lb for the RIVER 3.
What warranty do they have?
3 years for the DELTA 3 Max Plus, 5 with app registration; 24 months for the RIVER 3, per EcoFlow’s US warranty table.
Related comparisons and reviews
How we compared and sources
Research-based comparison. We have not physically tested these two units. DELTA 3 Max Plus specs come from EcoFlow US and its manual; RIVER 3 specs from EcoFlow Canada’s page for the same 120V model, because EcoFlow US redirects its RIVER 3 page. Usage observations are attributed to named reviewers. Checked on October 31, 2026.
- Specs: EcoFlow US, DELTA 3 Max Plus and its user manual (EF-DL3-MP), and EcoFlow Canada, RIVER 3 (same 120V model; EcoFlow US redirects its RIVER 3 page), read on October 31, 2026; warranty terms from the EcoFlow US warranty policy.
- Reviewer reports on the DELTA 3 Max Plus: StorageReview, Dylan Dougherty, September 2025, The Technology Man, Gidon, January 2026, UK unit, Trusted Reviews, David Ludlow, January 2026, UK unit, T3, Matt Kollat, January 2026, AndroidGuys, Scott Webster, November 2025; on the RIVER 3: StorageReview, Corinne OBrien, October 2024, Bob Vila, Mark Wolfe, December 2024, TechRadar, Collin Probst, March 2025, T3, Derek Adams, April 2025, UK unit, RV.com, Kraig Becker, September 2024, Mighty Gadget, James Smythe, November 2024, UK unit, PhoneArena, Polina Kovalakova, testing by Orhan Chakarov, February 2025, EU unit.
- Runtime = capacity × 0.85 ÷ watts. Solar harvest = min(panel watts, max input) × sun hours × 0.70. Cost per lifetime kWh = price ÷ (cycles × capacity in kWh).
2,048Wh and 3,000W at 48.7 lb against 245Wh and 300W at 7.8 lb. The RIVER 3 is no longer sold by EcoFlow US.
Prices checked November 5, 2026 at 1:31 AM EST
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Originally published: November 1, 2026