AquaTru vs. Berkey (Quick Comparison Chart Included)

Finding the perfect water filtration system is important because drinking contaminated water can be really dangerous. While there are many filtration companies, you can’t risk choosing the second-best because a water filter system is a major long-term investment.

Luckily, we can rely on a few top companies like AquaTru and Berkey to get great filters; but choosing just one brand from the top two contenders is hard.

AquaTru is a trending seller that uses the latest tech, but Berkey has been in the business since the 1990s, so you can’t blindly choose one over the other. We know choosing between the two is difficult, so let’s review them thoroughly.

Ultimately, you’ll decide based on performance, quality, and personal preference, so we hope this AquaTru vs. Berkey battle works out in your favor.

A Brief Look into AquaTru & Berkey

AquaTru and Berkey are among the best water filtration companies, so they are strong rivals. While we can’t openly favor one over the other, we’ll review their performance and quality so you can choose what suits you best.

AquaTru

AquaTru vs. Berkey (1)

AquaTru is an up-and-coming water company that’s been storming the field. AquaTru filters are come with a great RO technique, but let’s see if they’re worth your time and money.

A Little About AquaTru’s System

AquaTru filters use the reverse osmosis technique to filter every contaminant in the weather. Reverse osmosis ensures you get the purest water without harmful chemicals and disinfectants.

Most AquaTru filters use a 4-stage RO system, but you can pair them with other cleaners and filters. We will review the filtration systems in detail, so don’t worry because you won’t miss a thing.

Key Features

Here are a couple of top features of the AquaTru water filtration system:

  • 4-stage RO filtration with at least three filters
  • Powered by electricity
  • Low power consumption
  • Filter bay is easily-accessible
  • Digital filter life indicators and displays
  • Filter shelf-life of up to 2 years
  • One-year guaranteed warranty
  • Removes up to 83 contaminants, including chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, lead, and chloramines
  • Filters roughly 10-12 cups (0.7 US gallons) in ten minutes

Berkey

AquaTru vs. Berkey (1)

Berkey is your old-school water filtration company that never disappoints. Berkey’s water filtration uses gravity-fed filters, so it’s a little different from the rescind techniques, but they’re worth every penny. Let’s dive a little deeper.

A Little About Berkey’s System

Berkey uses gravity-fed filters, so they work by forcefully pushing water through the filters. Although gravity-fed filtration doesn’t necessarily guarantee a high contaminant-kill count, Berkey gets the job done by eliminating a whopping number of 200.

Berkey’s filters work in three stages absorption, adsorption, and microfiltration. Although a bit orthodox, Berkey ensures maximum water purity and quality.

Key Features

Here are a few important pointers about Berkey’s filtration system:

  • 3-stage gravity-fed filters
  • Doesn’t require electricity for power
  • Filter lifespan of around 10 years, depending on usage
  • 1-2 year guaranteed warranty with a long-term lifespan
  • Removes up to 200 and more contaminants, including arsenic, cadmium, chlorine, chloramines, lead, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and common toxins
  • Filters one gallon per hour

Quick Comparison Chart

Here’s a side-to-side comparison for you to review:

FeaturesAquaTruBerkey
Annual Cost$500-720 for the first year $200-220 for upcoming years$715-1245, including purchase $40-50 yearly
WarrantyOne-year limited warranty1-2 years (extension available; varies from model to model)
Method of FiltrationReverse Osmosis FiltrationAb/dsorption, microfiltration
Type of FilterRO Membrane FilterGravity-fed Filters
Filtering Capacity600-1200 gallons3000 gallons
Holding Capacity3 liters1½ – 2.25 gallons
Filter LifespanOne year per filter10 or more years (depends on usage)
General Lifespan2-3 years (including warranty)10 years
Types of ModelsCountertop, under-sink, and alkaline filtersCountertop, under-sink, shower, and alkaline filters
 Number of Contaminants Removed83 contaminants200+ contaminants
Water Purity LevelUp to 99% of contaminants removedUp to 99% of contaminants removed
CertificationNSF Certification: 42, 53, 58, 401 P473NSF 53 independent certification
SellersAquaTru Official Website Amazon Vita Express Walmart LowesBerkey Waters Official Website Amazon

Detailed Comparison: AquaTru vs. Berkey

Let’s review the performance, effectiveness, cost, maintenance, and warranty of AquaTru and Berkey filtration systems in detail.

Annual Cost

An AquaTru water filtration system costs around $300-500, depending on the size and model. AquaTru water filters don’t require much maintenance but can cost about $100 for repairs and accidental damages.

An AquaTru water filtration system uses a combination of three filters, which sum up to $100-120. On average, the annual cost of an AquaTru water filter is a minimum of $500-720 for the first year and $200-220 for the upcoming years.

In comparison, a Berkey water filtration system starts at roughly $230 and goes up to $590. Berkey water filtration systems come with a general home maintenance kit costing $25 and optional professional maintenance costing $100.

Berkey filters cost around $360-530. On average, the annual cost of a Berkey water filtration system is a minimum of $715-1245, but maintenance and upkeep are optional. On average, the cost of Berkey reduces up to an impressive $40-50 because of its lifespan and low maintenance.

Warranty

AquaTru water filtration systems have a limited warranty of 1-2 years (depending on the model), but they last up to 2-3 years.

Berkey water filtration systems have a guaranteed warranty of 1-2 years, but they last for decades.

Filtration Method

AquaTru relies on reverse osmosis, one of the purest filtration methods.

Reverse osmosis forcefully pushes water against a fine membrane, removing up to 99% contaminants. Reverse osmosis has countless benefits, including improving taste, preventing odor, and controlling water pH.

AquaTru’s water filtration system uses 4-stage RO technology to achieve maximum purity. The water in an AquaTru water filter goes through a sediment filter which removes major physical contaminants like dust and debris.

An activated carbon filter removes chlorine and chloramines, and the main RO filter removes other contaminants. The filtered water then runs through a final VOC carbon filter to improve taste and quality.

Thus, AquaTru achieves maximum purity and quality by running water through four highly-refined filters.

On the other hand, Berkey uses gravity-fed filters, which are a little traditional, but they get the job done. Berkey uses gravity to force water through a filter, so it doesn’t require electricity.

A typical Berkey filter contains two main chambers; water pours into the upper chamber and movies through a filter into the lower chamber. The system uses an activated carbon and an ultra-filtration filter.

The activated carbon filter removes chlorine, chloramines, pesticides, industrial solvents, and many more contaminants by attracting them; this removal is carbon absorption.

The gravity pulls the water downward through an ultrafiltration filter which removes up to 90-100% of pathogens by separating low-eight molecules from heavy-weight. Although the system is a little simple, it can take a long time to filter water.

Filtering Capacity

AquaTru’s VOC filter has a capacity of 600 gallons, while its RO membrane lasts up to 1200 gallons. AquaTru’s VOC filter will last a year, and the RO membrane will last two years.

Berkey’s filtering capacity depends on the model, but its activated carbon and ultrafiltration filters collectively last up to 3000 gallons for 2 years. Adding additional filters will boost the filtering capacity to 12000 gallons for 8 years.

Holding Capacity

Most AquaTru models have a holding capacity of 1 gallon and 3 quarts, while Berkey’s water filters can hold a little more than 2 gallons.

Lifespan

AquaTru’s filters last 1-2 years (1 year for VOC and 2 years for RO membrane). The overall lifespan of AquaTru filtration systems is 2-3 years, with one year of warranty.

Berkey’s water filters easily last 4 years (2 years for activated carbon and 2 for ultrafiltration filters). The overall lifespan of most Berkey water filtration systems is 10 or more years.

Removal of Contaminants

AquaTru water filtration systems can remove up to 83 contaminants, while Berkey removes more than 200. Let’s see which major contaminants both filtration system tackle:

Common Water ContaminantsAquaTruBerkey
Acetone❌*✔️
Aluminum✔️✔️
Arsenic✔️✔️
Atrazine✔️✔️
Bacteria✔️✔️
Barium✔️✔️
Benzene✔️✔️
Cadmium✔️✔️
Chlorine✔️✔️
Chloramine✔️✔️
Chloroform✔️✔️
Copper✔️✔️
Fluoride✔️✔️
Iron✔️✔️
Lead✔️✔️
Mercury✔️✔️
Nickel✔️✔️
Perchlorate✔️✔️
Radium✔️✔️
Selenium✔️✔️
Silver✔️✔️*
Zinc✔️✔️
*Note: There isn’t much proof that RO filters can remove acetone because it is typically removed by aeration and carbon filtration. This is why we can’t say for sure if AquaTru removes acetone.
Berkey can remove silver, but its filter typically removes sediment minerals but intentionally leaves ionic minerals to retain purity. Silver can be leached from sedimentary rocks like quartz, which also exists in ionic form, so whether or not Berkey removes it depends on the form.
There are numerous contaminants that Berkey and AquaTru can remove but aren’t listed here.

Performance and Effectiveness

AquaTru uses RO technology, a fancy way of saying it’s great at removing contaminants and purifying water. AquaTru water filtration systems can remove up to 80+ contaminants and maintain water quality and pH.

Berkey water filtration system tackles more than 200 contaminants, removing each at least 90-100% to achieve maximum purity. Berkey’s ultrafiltration filter can maintain taste and quality and prevents odor.

Comparatively, both filtration systems guarantee maximum performance, so we can’t put one over the other.

Energy Consumption

AquaTru uses RO technology, roughly 1-2 watts per gallon. Although this is quite low, most AquaTru users should expect a minor boost in their electricity bills.

On the other hand, Berkey’s gravity-fed filters don’t need electricity, so their power consumption is literally 0.

Filtration Speed

AquaTru’s filters use modern tech and design, so they’re unbelievably fast.

A typical AquaTru filtration system can filter a single liter in 3-4 minutes, while Berkey can filter a full tank in 45-60 minutes.

Certification

AquaTru has NSF 42, 53, 58, 401 and P473 certification.

  • NSF 42 certification declares that AquaTru filters can remove contaminants like chlorine.
  • NSF 53 declares AquaTru counters contaminants causing health problems.
  • NSF 58 certification is solely for reverse osmosis techniques; it declares AquaTru’s RO membrane can successfully remove contaminants regulated by EPA.
  • NSF 401 certifies AquaTru can remove emerging contaminants
  • P473 is a protocol that declares the AquaTru water filtration system is designed to handle contaminants.

 Berkey has NSF 53, certified to handle and eliminate health-concerning contaminants.

Although it seems like AquaTru has more certifications, it is because of the nature of its models and designs.

Types of Models

AquaTru offers countertop and under-sink reverse osmosis filters. It also has a carafe countertop filter.

Berkey has a wider range of models: under-sink, countertop, portable, and shower filters.

Certified Sellers

You can buy an AquaTru water filtration system from Amazon, Walmart, and AquaTru’s official website.

Berkey water filtration systems are available only at Amazon or on the official website.

AquaTru vs. Berkey: Who Comes Out on the Top?

You’ve seen everything about the AquaTru and Berkey water filter systems in detail, but picking your favorite can still take a while. Let’s review some pros and cons to make your decision easier.

AquaTru Pros & Cons

AquaTru has some amazing benefits, so let’s weigh them out.

Pros

  • Most AquaTru models have a digital display with a shelf-life indicator. The indicator lets you know when to change the filter
  • AquaTru can remove up to 83 contaminants, so it ensures maximum purity
  • AquaTru filters are quick; they can filter 10-12 cups within ten minutes
  • Most filters have a holding capacity of a gallon and 3 quarts
  • AquaTru’s 4-stage RO technology ensures complete satisfaction
  • AquaTru has NSF 42,53,58,401 and P473 certification

Cons

  • AquaTru filters require electricity, so they won’t work when the power is out. Running on electricity will also minorly boost your bills
  • AquaTru filters might not be able to remove particular contaminants like acetone.
  • AquaTru filter systems don’t have a great lifespan; the filters don’t last more than a year or two, and the filtration system has a limited warranty of a year
  • AquaTru doesn’t have a wide range of models; it only offers countertop and under-sink filters.
  • AquaTru requires yearly maintenance of at least $200, so it’s much more expensive in the long run.

Berkey Pros & Cons

You have seen what Berkey offers, but let’s see if it’s worth the purchase:

Pros

  • Berkey filters have an amazing lifespan of at least 10 years, so they’re a great investment
  • Berkey’s 3-stage gravity-fed filtration technique enables it to remove over 200 contaminants, ensuring the highest water purity and quality
  • Berkey water filters have a holding capacity of 2.25 gallons
  • Berkey water filters are cheap and cost up to $40-50 for yearly maintenance
  • Berkey water filtration systems don’t require electricity, so they’re good for the environment and your wallet

Cons

  • Berkey models are a little traditional, so they won’t come with digital displays
  • Berkey water filters are a little slow and can take up to an hour to filter a gallon
  • Berkey water filters have only NSF 53 certification

The Final Verdict?

AquaTru surely brings a lot to the plate; AquaTru water filtration systems are fast, effective, and modern. They can remove up to 83 contaminants and have major NSF certifications.

On the other hand, Berkey is a little orthodox, but it makes up with its high quality and stunning performance. Berkey water filters can remove over 200 filters, have an amazing shelf life, and last for decades with only $40-50 yearly maintenance.

So which one should you choose? Well, AquaTru is great if you’re looking for a quick and easy solution. But Berkey surely wins the match with its long lifespan, amazing quality, and electricity-free techniques.

Edvinas

This is my blog about the ways and solutions that can help you improve your health by taking more value from drinking water. As improving health means a lot to me, I decided to create the Water On Top project with the purpose to reveal the benefits of water, the finest products to take our daily water to another level, and much more great stuff about water that I believe is on top of our nutrition.

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