AquaTru vs Berkey: the AquaTru Carafe is certified by IAPMO R&T under NSF/ANSI 58 for lead, fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate, and under NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS. NSF International certifies the Big Berkey only under NSF/ANSI 42, for chlorine, taste, and odor, and only with Phoenix elements.
The catch: The AquaTru needs an outlet, makes half a gallon per batch, and leaves wastewater in its tap tank. The Berkey needs no power at all.
Health information, not medical advice. Guidance differs for infants, pregnancy, and existing conditions. Test your own water and speak to a doctor or your local health authority. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links; it never affects our scores.
How do AquaTru and Berkey compare?
They solve different problems. The AquaTru Carafe is a countertop reverse osmosis appliance: it plugs in, runs tap water through four filter stages, and collects it in a glass carafe. The Big Berkey is a stainless steel gravity filter: you pour water into the top chamber and it drips through two elements into the bottom one, with no power. The AquaTru carries the longer certified list by far; the Berkey works anywhere, including off the grid. How we score
| # | Filter | Score | Certified by | Lead | PFAS | Fluoride | Running cost | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | AquaTru CarafeBest of the twoCountertop RO | 4.6 | IAPMO R&T | Certified | Certified | Certified | $0.33/gal | $356.25on Amazon › |
| 02 | Big Berkey with Phoenix elementsBest with no power | 3.4 | NSF (Phoenix elements) | Lab test | Lab test | No | $267.00on Amazon › |
Certified: Certified by an independent body (named in each pick). Lab test: Tested by a named independent lab, not certified. Claim: The maker's claim, not certified. No: No claim. PFAS means PFOA/PFOS, or Total PFAS where the pick says so.
What is each one certified to remove?
The AquaTru Carafe is certified by IAPMO R&T under four reduction standards; the Big Berkey is certified by NSF International under one. The Berkey column covers the Big Berkey fitted with Phoenix Gravity New Millennium Edition elements (PGF9-2), the configuration NSF International lists.
| Contaminant | AquaTru Carafe | Big Berkey (Phoenix) |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | Certified (NSF/ANSI 58) | Not certified |
| Fluoride | Certified (NSF/ANSI 58) | Not certified; maker’s claim of up to 75.5% at first |
| Arsenic (pentavalent) | Certified (NSF/ANSI 58) | Not certified |
| Nitrate, nitrite | Certified (NSF/ANSI 58) | Not certified |
| Chromium-6, copper, radium | Certified (NSF/ANSI 58) | Not certified |
| Cysts | Certified (NSF/ANSI 58) | Not certified |
| PFOA and PFOS | Certified (NSF/ANSI 53) | Not certified; lab-tested by RaYnu Lab |
| VOCs | Certified (NSF/ANSI 53) | Not certified |
| Microplastics | Certified (NSF/ANSI 401) | Not certified |
| Chlorine | Certified (NSF/ANSI 42) | Certified (NSF/ANSI 42) |
| Chloramine | Certified (NSF/ANSI 42) | Not certified (maker’s claim) |
| Taste and odor | Not on the data sheet | Certified (NSF/ANSI 42) |
| TDS (total dissolved solids) | Certified (NSF/ANSI 58) | No claim; Berkey says TDS is unchanged |
AquaTru Carafe: IAPMO R&T listings for models AT100 to AT140, including NSF/ANSI 58 file W-10194 and NSF/ANSI 53 file W-10193; reduction figures from AquaTru’s Carafe performance data sheet. Big Berkey: NSF International lists New Millennium Concepts Ltd under NSF/ANSI 42 for the Big, Royal, and Travel Berkey with Phoenix PGF9-2 elements, for chlorine reduction and taste and odor reduction, at a 1,050-gallon service cycle (listing current as of 12 October 2026). NSF International showed no New Millennium Concepts products under NSF/ANSI 53 on 12 October 2026, and lists no Black Berkey elements.
The gap is widest on health contaminants. AquaTru’s data sheet shows average reductions of 99.2% for lead, 96.4% for fluoride, 98.8% for pentavalent arsenic, and 99% for PFOA and PFOS, each under a certified standard. For the Berkey, the PFOA and PFOS evidence is a report Berkey publishes from RaYnu Analytical and Research Lab, which found both below 0.005 µg/L in filtered water through 1,500 liters. Berkey says Phoenix elements cut fluoride by up to 75.5% at first and that carbon’s fluoride reduction declines quickly. See our fluoride guide and PFAS guide.
Which one works without power?
Only the Berkey. NSF International lists it as a pour-through unit, so it filters by gravity in a cabin, an RV, or a power outage. The AquaTru Carafe runs on a 120-volt outlet, and its manual says to plug it into a GFCI-equipped outlet. If you need certified lead and PFAS reduction without power, the Culligan MaxClear gravity filter is certified for them by IAPMO R&T. Neither the AquaTru nor the Berkey is meant for untreated water: AquaTru’s data sheet says not to use water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality without adequate disinfection, and Berkey says to disinfect questionable water before filtering it.
Does either one waste water?
The AquaTru does, and the Berkey doesn’t. Reverse osmosis flushes contaminants away in reject water. AquaTru’s data sheet gives the Carafe an efficiency rating of 63%, and its manual says the water left in the tap tank holds concentrated contaminants and must be poured away before you refill. Skipping that step, AquaTru warns, will damage the unit and void the warranty. A gravity filter like the Berkey has no reject stream. See how reverse osmosis works.
Which makes more water at a time?
The Berkey holds more. Berkey gives the Big Berkey a storage capacity of about 2.25 gallons, and Berkey says a pair of Phoenix elements filters up to 4.2 gallons an hour, slowing as the water level drops. The AquaTru Carafe’s tap tank holds 0.66 gallons and fills a 0.5-gallon glass carafe; its manual puts a full tank at about 12 to 15 minutes. The Carafe’s data sheet rates it at 35 gallons a day, so it keeps up with a household if someone refills it, but each pour is half a gallon. The Travel Berkey holds 1.5 gallons.
Which is cheaper to run?
The Berkey. At AquaTru’s prices, the Carafe’s pre/carbon filter is $29.95 for 300 gallons, the VOC carbon filter $39.95 for 300 gallons, and the RO filter $59.95 for 600 gallons. Dividing each price by its rated gallons and adding the three gives about $0.33 a gallon. Berkey prices a pair of Phoenix elements at $120 and rates the pair for 5,500 gallons, which works out the same way to about $0.02 a gallon, or about $0.11 a gallon if you replace them at NSF International’s certified 1,050-gallon service cycle. AquaTru also caps each filter by time: 6 months for the pre/carbon filter, 12 for the VOC filter, and 24 for the RO filter.
Can you still buy a Berkey?
Yes, but with limits that the AquaTru doesn’t have. Berkey’s store lists the Big Berkey as “Limited supply, please contact Account Manager to order”, says the Travel Berkey is out of stock or limited, and doesn’t sell either to residents of California or Iowa. Its Big Berkey page says the system “comes standard with 2 Black Berkey® Elements”, which aren’t certified, so buy Phoenix PGF9-2 elements to get the listed configuration.
Black Berkey elements are covered by EPA stop-sale orders. EPA Region 8 issued one to James Enterprise, doing business as Berkey Filters, on December 27, 2022, and one to Berkey International on May 8, 2023, saying the silver-containing elements, sold with virus and bacteria claims, were unregistered pesticides. Each order says it stays in effect until the EPA revokes, terminates, suspends, or modifies it in writing, and on September 18, 2026 the First Circuit upheld the refusal to block Berkey International’s order. See what happened to Berkey.
How do the two score in detail?
The AquaTru Carafe scores well ahead because certified contaminant reduction carries the most weight in our scoring; the Berkey scores on independence from power and a low filter cost.
AquaTru Carafe
One of the broadest certified claim lists we've seen, including fluoride and arsenic, with no plumbing. It needs an outlet and makes half a gallon at a time, and its filters work out to about $0.33 a gallon at AquaTru's prices.
Big Berkey with Phoenix elements
Works with no power or plumbing, which suits off-grid homes and emergencies. Only chlorine, taste and odor are certified; the Black Berkey elements it used to ship with aren't certified at all.
AquaTru or Berkey: which should you buy?
Buy the AquaTru Carafe if you have an outlet and want certified removal of health contaminants; buy the Berkey only if you need water without power.
Pick the AquaTru Carafe if
Lead, fluoride, arsenic, nitrate, or PFOA and PFOS is on your water report, you have a free outlet, and you rent or can’t install anything.
Pick the Big Berkey if
You live off-grid or want backup water in outages, certified chlorine reduction is enough, and you’ll fit Phoenix elements.
Consider the AquaTru Classic if
You like AquaTru’s countertop reverse osmosis and want to compare its other countertop model. Our AquaTru Classic review.
Compare more options
See our countertop roundup and gravity filter roundup.
What do people ask about AquaTru and Berkey?
Answers to the questions that come up once you’ve narrowed it to these two.
Is AquaTru better than Berkey?
For certified removal, yes: IAPMO R&T certifies the AquaTru Carafe under NSF/ANSI 58 for lead, fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate, and NSF/ANSI 53 for PFOA and PFOS. NSF International certifies the Big Berkey only for chlorine, taste, and odor, with Phoenix elements. The Berkey is better when you have no power.
Does AquaTru work without electricity?
No. The AquaTru Carafe runs on a 120-volt outlet, and AquaTru says to use a GFCI-equipped one. For filtered water during outages, a gravity filter like the Big Berkey works with no power, and the Culligan MaxClear adds certified lead and PFAS reduction without power.
How much water does AquaTru waste?
AquaTru’s data sheet gives the Carafe an efficiency rating of 63%, so by that rating about 37% of the tap water you pour in ends up as reject water. It stays in the tap tank, which AquaTru says to empty before every refill. A Berkey wastes none, though it removes far fewer contaminants with certification.
Does Berkey remove fluoride like AquaTru?
No. The AquaTru Carafe is certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for fluoride, at 96.4% average reduction. Berkey says Phoenix elements reduce fluoride by up to 75.5% at first, declining quickly, and that claim isn’t certified. Berkey also sells PF-2 fluoride elements, which don’t appear on NSF International’s Berkey listing.
How often do you change the filters?
On the AquaTru Carafe, change the pre/carbon filter every 6 months or 300 gallons, the VOC filter every 12 months or 300 gallons, and the RO filter every 24 months or 600 gallons. Berkey rates a pair of Phoenix elements for 5,500 gallons; NSF International’s certified service cycle is 1,050 gallons.
Sources
- IAPMO R&T product listing directory (AquaTru, models AT100 to AT140, files W-10193, W-10194)
- AquaTru Carafe performance data sheet
- AquaTru Carafe owner’s manual
- AquaTru Carafe product page
- AquaTru Carafe pre/carbon filter
- AquaTru Carafe VOC carbon filter
- AquaTru Carafe reverse osmosis filter
- NSF International listing, New Millennium Concepts (NSF/ANSI 42)
- NSF International, New Millennium Concepts under NSF/ANSI 53 (no products)
- Berkey: Big Berkey system
- Berkey: Travel Berkey system
- Berkey: Phoenix Gravity New Millennium Edition elements
- Berkey Phoenix elements, claims and lab reports
- RaYnu Analytical and Research Lab, PFOA and PFOS report for Phoenix elements
- EPA: Stop Sale, Use, or Removal Order to James Enterprise, doing business as Berkey Filters
- EPA: Stop Sale, Use, or Removal Order to Berkey International
- Berkey International v. EPA, No. 24-1917 (1st Cir. September 18, 2026)
Prices as of October 14, 2026. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.