The 18 Best Generator Brands of 2024

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Finding the right generator for your needs, whether for your home, RV, or jobsite, begins with selecting a reputable brand.

When a storm strikes and the power goes out, a generator from one of the best generator brands can prevent hours in the dark and a fridge full of spoiled food. Depending on its size, a portable generator can provide up to 15,000 watts of energy, enough to keep the lights on and power the air conditioner and refrigerator. However, a generator is only as good as it is reliable. 

With so many brands on the market, finding a model that provides dependable backup power without breaking the bank can pose a challenge. In this guide, we delve into the world of generators—both portable and stand-by systems—to identify the best brands in the business. We leveraged our own experience using generators as a backup source of power for home and RV, along with extensive research to inform our selections of the best generator brands. 

1. Honda

Price Range: $$ to $$$$
Our Top Picks: Honda 2,200-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $999 and Honda 1,000-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $999.

Not only is it a manufacturer of some of the most reliable automobiles on the market, but Honda also produces some of the best generators available. Honda revolutionized the generator market when it introduced the now legendary EU1000i model in 1998, redefining the market for portable power. 

Since then, the company has continued to improve on that technology, while others have sought to copy it. Though this generator is more expensive than others, consumers are willing to shell out the extra dough because of Honda’s reliability and reputation for quiet operation. The EU2200i produces around the same amount of noise as a coffeemaker at its loudest (between 48 and 57 decibels). 

Shop Honda generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Northern Tool + Equipment.

2. Generac

Price Range: $ to $$$$
Our Top Picks: Generac 2,500-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $649 and Generac 22,000-Watt Standby Generator with Automatic Transfer Switch for $6,247.  

Generac made a name for itself some 60 years ago when it began engineering and producing affordable generators for home use. In addition to producing a line of generators for commercial use, the company today puts out inverters, portable generators, and standby generators for home use. Generac also produces other home products such as pressure washers, heat towers, and water pumps.

It continues to stick to its mission of producing affordable products, with portable generators that fall within the $500 to $1,000 range and whole-house generator options that start at the $2,000 price point. Generac’s product line includes its inverter and portable generators, which produce up to 8,000 watts, and its Guardian series of home backup generators. Many Generac home generator models, including the 22,000-watt standby model, offer an automatic transfer switch.

Shop Generac generators at Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, or The Home Depot.

3. Westinghouse

Price Range: $ to $$$
Our Top Picks: Westinghouse 9,500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $1,049 and Westinghouse 6,500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $579.

One of the older companies on this list, Westinghouse was founded by George Westinghouse in 1886 as an electric company. The company produced its first generator, a steam turbine–driven machine, in 1901. Today, Westinghouse produces many different types of portable generators. Its products range from small inverters that generate about 1,200 starting watts to monster machines that produce 15,000 peak watts. 

Westinghouse’s large product line, coupled with affordable prices (on a watt-per-dollar basis), allows the company to serve a broad range of customers. The company has been an innovator in the market: In recent years, it also developed a line of solar-powered generators. Westinghouse has also improved the efficiency of its gas-powered models, extending their runtimes to an industry-leading 12 hours. Dual-fuel options like the Westinghouse WGen9500DFc and WGen5300DFcv also offer great versatility.

Shop Westinghouse generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Menards.

4. Champion Power Equipment

Price Range: $ to $$$
Our Top Picks: Champion Power Equipment 4,550-Watt Portable Generator for $566.27 and Champion Power Equipment 10,625-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $929.00. 

Although Champion launched its generator line in 2003, it quickly rose to the upper echelons of the industry thanks to its innovations in dual-fuel technology and relatively low prices. Its generators are among the most affordable on the market. 

The company’s dual-fuel generators, like the 10,625-watt model that made our list of top picks, can run on either propane or gasoline. Its generators also come equipped with a broad range of plugs, including 30-amp and 50-amp outlets in addition to standard 120-volt outlets. These versatile connections, coupled with their ability to run off propane, have made these generators popular in the RV market. Like its rival Westinghouse, Champion also boasts a broad line of generators that range from smaller 2,000-watt inverters to 12,000-watt beasts. 

Shop Champion Power Equipment generators at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Camping World.

5. Briggs & Stratton

Price Range: $ to $$$
Our Top Picks: Briggs & Stratton 2,400-Watt Inverter Generator for $799.00 and Briggs & Stratton 6,500-Watt Portable Generator for $1,079.95.

As one of the world’s largest producers of small gasoline engines for everything from lawn mowers to go-karts to generators, Briggs & Stratton should know about building durable engines. The company has a reputation for producing reliable and powerful engines for a broad range of equipment. In fact, its engines are so well regarded that the company provides the engines for several other popular generator brands. 

Briggs & Stratton produces some of the top generators on the market. Although the company has a variety of generators to choose from, including portable, inverter, and home standby generators, it’s perhaps best known for its energy-efficient compact PowerSmart Series like the 2,400-watt model above, as well as its Elite Series of powerful portable generators that can produce as much as 9,000 watts. 

Shop Briggs & Stratton generators at Amazon or The Home Depot.

6. DuroMax

Price Range: $ to $$$$
Our Top Picks: DuroMax 13,000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $1,499 and DuroMax 4,850-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $734.

DuroMax makes its own engines, which are renowned for their durability. Like its rival Champion, DuroMax is an innovator in dual-fuel technologies with many of its generators capable of running off both propane or gasoline. Several of its generators are loaded with a variety of connections, including 30-watt and 50-watt sockets, making DuroMax generators popular with RVers. 

Some of DuroMax’s dual-fuel generators can produce up to 15,000 watts, thanks to a 23-horsepower V-twin engine. DuroMax generators also have innovative features, including the company’s MX2 power-boost technology, which doubles the amperage of a 120-volt outlet to 240 volts to handle heavier loads. Models like the DuroMax 13,000-watt dual fuel generator also offer the added safety of a carbon monoxide alert.

Shop DuroMax generators at Amazon, Lowe’s, or The Home Depot.

7. Predator

Price Range: $ to $$$
Our Top Picks: Predator 9,500-Watt Inverter Generator for $2,299.99 and Predator 3,500-Watt Inverter Generator for $799.99. 

Discount tool and equipment company Harbor Freight, which was founded in 1977, markets its own brand of generators under the name Predator. Like its other product lines, Harbor Freight makes generators that boast high performance at a budget price. 

One of the company’s most popular generators is a super-quiet inverter that produces a maximum of 3,500 watts, which it sells at a fraction of the price of similar-powered inverters from other brands. The Predator line, which is popular with RVers as well as homeowners and contractors, also includes bargain-priced 4,000-watt generators and larger inverters that produce as much as 9,500 watts. 

Shop Predator generators at Harbor Freight.

8. Wen

Price Range: $ to $$
Our Top Picks: Wen 3,800-Watt Portable Inverter Generator for $774.06 and Wen 11,000-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator for $789.99.

Wen was a pioneer in the power tool market in the mid-20th century, helping to develop chainsaws, soldering guns, electric jigsaws, and other products since its launch in 1951. The company’s mission is to help woodworkers and artisans execute their wildest dreams. 

Over the years, Wen has expanded to include a variety of other power tools, including ge