Generators are sold on peak watts and brand hype. What matters is running watts, the power it actually supplies, and how much of it you get for your money. This ranks every popular model by cost per 100 running watts. Filter by inverter or conventional, since they are different tools, then size it to what you need to power.
We costed 40 generators on price per 100 running watts, the measure this page sorts by, and the result has nothing in common with the price list: 0 of 40 hold the same position in both. The cheapest power comes from the WEN 56877 (8750W), which supplies 7,000 running watts, at $8.57 per 100 of them, and the dearest from the Honda EU3000iS at $82.14 on 2,800 running watts, a spread of 9.6 times. That headline flatters the cheap end, because it runs a conventional at one end to an inverter at the other and those are different tools. The figure to act on is that among inverters alone the spread is still 4.9 times. No conventional on this list costs more per running watt than the cheapest inverter, but that is a coincidence of what is listed rather than a rule: the dearest conventional comes within 10 per cent of the cheapest inverter, and one new model closes it.
Method: street price divided by running watts, not peak watts, then the median of each type. Counts: Conventional 19, Inverter 21. An inverter costs more per watt for reasons worth paying for on some jobs: cleaner power for electronics, less noise and less weight. This measures what a watt costs, not whether you need that kind of watt. Cite this: "usefulHQ Generator Value Study 2026", usefulhq.com/generators/.
Prices reviewed 28 August 2026 . Generator prices spike around storm season, so check the live listing.
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| Generator | Running W | Peak W | Fuel | Type | Price | $/100W | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEN 56877 (8750W)Best value | 7,000 | 8,750 | Gas | Conventional | $600 | $8.57 | Check price |
| Westinghouse WGen9500 | 9,500 | 12,500 | Gas | Conventional | $900 | $9.47 | Check price |
| Predator 9000 Open Frame | 7,250 | 9,000 | Gas | Conventional | $700 | $9.66 | Check price |
| Westinghouse WGen7500 | 7,500 | 9,500 | Gas | Conventional | $750 | $10 | Check price |
| Predator Predator 13000 | 9,500 | 13,000 | Gas | Conventional | $1,000 | $10.53 | Check price |
| Firman P08004 | 8,000 | 10,000 | Gas | Conventional | $850 | $10.63 | Check price |
| Firman T07571 | 7,500 | 9,400 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $800 | $10.67 | Check price |
| Generac GP6500 | 6,500 | 8,125 | Gas | Conventional | $700 | $10.77 | Check price |
| Generac GP8000E | 8,000 | 10,000 | Gas | Conventional | $900 | $11.25 | Check price |
| Pulsar PG10000 | 8,000 | 10,000 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $900 | $11.25 | Check price |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DF | 9,500 | 12,500 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $1,100 | $11.58 | Check price |
| Champion 100302 Dual Fuel | 7,500 | 9,375 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $900 | $12 | Check price |
| A-iPower SUA12000E | 9,000 | 12,000 | Gas | Conventional | $1,100 | $12.22 | Check price |
| DuroMax XP13000EH | 10,500 | 13,000 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $1,300 | $12.38 | Check price |
| Westinghouse WGen12000DF | 12,000 | 15,000 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $1,500 | $12.5 | Check price |
| DuroMax XP12000EH | 9,500 | 12,000 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $1,200 | $12.63 | Check price |
| DuroMax XP15000EH | 12,000 | 15,000 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $1,700 | $14.17 | Check price |
| Champion 201158 Dual Fuel | 9,375 | 12,500 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $1,400 | $14.93 | Check price |
| Champion 100891 Dual Fuel | 7,250 | 9,200 | Dual-fuel | Conventional | $1,100 | $15.17 | Check price |
| DuroMax XP11000iH | 9,000 | 11,000 | Dual-fuel | Inverter | $1,500 | $16.67 | Check price |
| WEN 56380i | 3,400 | 3,800 | Gas | Inverter | $600 | $17.65 | Check price |
| WEN 56235i | 1,900 | 2,350 | Gas | Inverter | $400 | $21.05 | Check price |
| Westinghouse iGen11000DF | 9,000 | 11,000 | Dual-fuel | Inverter | $2,000 | $22.22 | Check price |
| Firman WH03242 | 2,900 | 3,200 | Dual-fuel | Inverter | $700 | $24.14 | Check price |
| Westinghouse iGen4500 | 3,700 | 4,500 | Gas | Inverter | $900 | $24.32 | Check price |
| Champion 8500W Dual Fuel Inverter | 6,500 | 8,500 | Dual-fuel | Inverter | $1,600 | $24.62 | Check price |
| Westinghouse iGen2500 | 2,200 | 2,500 | Gas | Inverter | $550 | $25 | Check price |
| Pulsar G2319N | 1,600 | 2,300 | Gas | Inverter | $400 | $25 | Check price |
| DuroMax XP2300i | 1,800 | 2,300 | Gas | Inverter | $450 | $25 | Check price |
| Predator 3500 Inverter | 3,000 | 3,500 | Gas | Inverter | $800 | $26.67 | Check price |
| A-iPower SUA2000iV | 1,600 | 2,000 | Gas | Inverter | $450 | $28.13 | Check price |
| Champion 4500W Inverter | 3,500 | 4,500 | Gas | Inverter | $1,000 | $28.57 | Check price |
| Champion 4250 Dual Fuel Inverter | 3,500 | 4,250 | Dual-fuel | Inverter | $1,000 | $28.57 | Check price |
| Generac GP2200i | 1,700 | 2,200 | Gas | Inverter | $500 | $29.41 | Check price |
| Westinghouse iGen4500DF | 3,700 | 4,500 | Dual-fuel | Inverter | $1,100 | $29.73 | Check price |
| Champion 2500W Inverter | 1,850 | 2,500 | Gas | Inverter | $550 | $29.73 | Check price |
| Generac iQ3500 | 3,000 | 3,500 | Gas | Inverter | $900 | $30 | Check price |
| Honda EU2200i | 1,800 | 2,200 | Gas | Inverter | $1,200 | $66.67 | Check price |
| Honda EU7000iS | 5,500 | 7,000 | Gas | Inverter | $4,500 | $81.82 | Check price |
| Honda EU3000iS | 2,800 | 3,000 | Gas | Inverter | $2,300 | $82.14 | Check price |
Add the running watts of what you power at once. Fridge, lights and phones: ~2,000. Add a window AC or sump pump: 3,500-5,000. Most of a house: 7,500-10,000. Size by running watts and leave headroom.
Running (rated) watts is continuous power and the number to size by. Starting (peak/surge) watts is a brief burst for motors kicking on. We rank by cost per running watt, the honest continuous capacity.
Inverter: cleaner, quieter, fuel-sipping, electronics-safe, but pricier per watt. Conventional: far more watts per dollar for tools and rough backup. Compare within one type.
For backup, usually. Propane stores for years unlike petrol, so dual-fuel is more reliable for unpredictable emergencies, for a small price premium.