Anker vs. Aukey Power Banks: Who makes the best portable chargers?

  Anker and Aukey are two of the highly commendable power banks on the market. Both brands take pride in releasing high-quality and affordable power banks that suit nearly every device – from smartphones such as Android phones and iPhones, iPads, laptops, and even low-output devices like Bluetooth Headphones. In addition, these brands have their own charging technologies such as Anker’s PowerIQ and Aukey’s AiPower that provides efficient fast-charging for your devices. That's why in this article, we present to you, Anker vs. Aukey! When pitted against each other, which of these two brands will stand out? Which of these power banks from both brands offer more efficient fast-charging? Which of their models are affordable enough to not end up hurting your wallet? We have compared the most popular power banks from these two brands to evaluate whose power banks are better in delivering fast-charging while also considering the price, appearance, and TRUE capacity of their packs. We have also included in the equation our own findings on the efficiency of some of the power banks as we subject them to our in house testing. Links on some of the tests provided below. Let's find out, who makes the best power banks: Anker or Aukey?

Basic 10000 mAh packs

Anker Powercore 10000 vs Aukey Powerbank 10000

	ANKER POWERCORE 10000 (A1263)	AUKEY POWERBANK 10000 (PB-N50)
AMAZON PRICE	$19.99	Not available on Amazon / $18.54 on Aukey Philippines
DIMENSIONS/VOLUME	91.95 x 59.94 x 22.1 mm (121.8 cm3)	116.1 x 72.9 x 16 mm (135.4 cm3)
WEIGHT	178.6 g.	188.8 g.
TOTAL OUTPUT	12W (5V/2.4A)	15W (5V/1A, 5V/2A)
CHARGING OUTPUT PER PORT	USB-A 12W (5V/2.4A PowerIQ)	USB-A 5W, USB-A 10W (Both with 2.4A AiPower)
CHARGING TIME PER DEVICES	iPhone X: 2.4 charges iPhone 8: 3.6 charges Samsung Galaxy S9: 2.2 charges	iPhone 8: 3.3 charges;      iPhone X: 2.2 charges;        Samsung Galaxy S8: 2 charges;                                      iPad Air: 1.1 charges
SIMULTANEOUS CHARGING ALLOWED?	No	Yes
RECHARGE TIME
LINK	Amazon Powercore 10,000	Aukey PB-N50 Amazon

Let’s start with the basic 10000 mAh power bank models of the two brands: the Anker PowerCore 10000 and the Aukey Powerbank 10000. These packs are not capable of fast-charging devices using Power Delivery, Quick Charge, and other fast-charging protocols. However, these power banks can still provide efficient-charging using their fast-charge technologies such as Anker’s PowerIQ and Aukey’s AiPower. It can charge a wide array of devices such as iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Galaxy Note phones, Huawei Smartphones, Google Pixels, Blackberry phones, and even low-power devices such as Bluetooth Headphones, GPS Devices, and more. However, these power banks offer charging only through USB-A ports, so don’t expect great charging results on these packs. Looking at their charging offers, both the Anker and Aukey packs have their advantages. The Anker PowerCore 10000, for instance, only has a USB-A port that charges at a 12W (5V/2.4A) output. On the other hand, while the Aukey Powerbank 10000 has a 15W total output, its two USB-A ports have different charging outputs that are much lower than that of Anker – one port charging at 10W (5V/2A) and the other at 5W (5V/1A). The Aukey pack can also charge two devices simultaneously. However, among the two, the Aukey pack is the only one capable of low-current charging that is suitable for devices below 50 mA such as wireless headphones, GPS devices, fitness trackers, and more. That’s why if you want a power bank that could efficiently charge two devices at once and could provide an ample charge for your low-current devices, the Aukey Powerbank 10000 is perfect for you! However, if you only need a lighter pack for your smartphone but with a higher output, you can give the Anker PowerCore 10000 a try.

10000 mAh PD-compatible packs

 

Anker Powercore Slim 10000 PD vs. Aukey Sprint Lightning 10000 PD

	ANKER POWERCORE SLIM 10000 PD (A1231)	AUKEY SPRINT LIGHTNING 10000 PD (PB-Y13)
AMAZON PRICE	$29.99	$22.30
DIMENSIONS/ VOLUME	149.1 x 68.07 x 13.97 mm       (141.8 cm3)	137.9 x 71.9 x 15.2 mm (150.7 cm3)
WEIGHT	212.6 g.	243.8 g.
TOTAL OUTPUT	18W	18W
CHARGING OUTPUT PER PORT	USB-C 18W PD,  USB-A 12W Power IQ,	USB-C 18W PD,  USB-A 18W  QC 3.0,  USB-A 5V/2.4A
CHARGING TIME PER DEVICES	iPhone XS: 2.4 charges            2018 iPad Pro 11": 0.8 charge                                      Pixel 3: 2.1 charges	iPhone X: 2.5 charges,  Samsung Galaxy Note8: 2 charges,  iPad Air 2: 0.9 charges,  Nintendo Switch: 6 hours’ worth of play
SIMULTANEOUS CHARGING ALLOWED?	Yes	Yes
RECHARGE TIME	4.5 Hours on USB-C PD (using USB-C PD wall charger);                                                                                                                                   10.2 Hours on USB-A (using USB-A to A charger and cable)	est. 4 hours (using USB-C PD port)
LINK	Anker Powercore Slim Amazon	Aukey PB-Y13 Amazon

Now, we look at the 10000 mAh power banks that offer fast-charging via Power Delivery (PD)-compatible devices such as iPhones (iPhone 6/7/7 Plus/8/8 Plus/X/XR/XS/XS Max...,), iPads (10.5/11/12.9 Gen. 1-3), Samsung Galaxy phones (S8/S8+/S9/S9+/10/S10+/S10e), Nintendo Switches, and many more. For this part, we will compare the Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD and the Aukey Sprint Lightning 10000 PD. Looking at their charging offers, both packs are similar in that they both have a total output of 18W, both of their PD ports also have an 18W output and have USB-A ports that amount to 12W. However, Aukey Sprint Lightning’s huge advantage is that it also offers another port and fast charge protocol for devices that have Quick Charge protocols such as Samsung phones (Samsung Galaxy Note 4/5/Edge/9, Samsung Galaxy S5/S6/S7/S8/S9/S10/etc…), Xiaomi Smartphones (Xiaomi Mi 3/4/4c/Xiaomi Mi 5-8/Max-Max 3/Note/Note Pro, etc…), Blackberry phones (BlackBerry Evolve/KEYone/KEY2/KEY2 LE) and more. If this did not convince you, PowerUp has tested the capacity of both packs under various charging loads; with the Aukey pack outperforming the Anker pack on all three tests! In the 5W test alone, the Aukey pack performed at a much higher efficiency of 99% as compared to the Anker pack’s efficiency at only 93%. The difference in performance, however, is more obvious at the 18W test with the Aukey pack having a still-impressive 84.05% efficiency as compared to the Anker pack that performed horribly at 47.49%. In reality this means that when charging at its max speed, the Aukey will be able to provide you with less than half of its stated capacity. The Aukey has other advantages other than the efficiency and true capacity. For a power bank that offers fast and efficient charging over, the Aukey pack is also relatively cheap, especially when compared to the Anker Powercore Slim. That’s why we recommend the Aukey Sprint Lightning, and not the Anker powercore speed. For those who want a cheap power bank that can give amazing charging rates not just for iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones that are PD-compatible, but also for Xiaomi Smartphones, Google Pixels, and other Android smartphones as well. Cheap and affordable don’t always equate to low-quality as is the case with the Aukey Sprint Lightning! In this rounD, for the better slim 10,000 mAh pack, Aukey wins hands down.

Basic 20000 mAh packs

Anker Powercore 20100 mAh vs. Aukey 20000 Powerbank

	ANKER POWERCORE 20100 (A1271)	AUKEY 20000 POWERBANK (PB-N36)
AMAZON PRICE	$49.99	$39.99
DIMENSIONS/ VOLUME	168.7 x 57.9 x 22.1 mm  (215.9 cm3)	149.9 x 82.8 x 20.3 mm (252 cm3)
WEIGHT	354.4 g.	348 g.
TOTAL OUTPUT	24W (5V/4.8A)	17W (5V/3.4)
CHARGING OUTPUT PER PORT	2 x USB-A (2.4A PowerIQ, Voltage Boost each port)	2 x USB-A (2.4A with AiPower Max on each port, 3.4A total)
CHARGING TIME PER DEVICES	iPhone 8: 6.8 charges,          iPhone X: 4.6 charges,           Samsung Galaxy S8: 4.8 charges, iPad Air 2: 1.5 charges	Google Pixel 4 XL: 4.3 times                 iPhone 11 Pro: 4.9 times                Galaxy Note10+: 3.5 times                 iPad Air: 1.8 times
SIMULTANEOUS CHARGING ALLOWED?	Yes	Yes
RECHARGE TIME	10 hours (using 5V/2A charger);                                       20 hours (using 5V/1A charger)
LINK	Anker Powercore 20,000mAh Amazon	Aukey 20,000 PB-N36 Amazon

Let’s now dive into the basic 20000 mAh power banks of both brands: the Anker Powercore 20100 and the Aukey Powerbank 20000. Just like their 10000 mAh counterparts, these packs do not offer fast-charging over USB-C via Power Delivery and Quick-Charge, and instead, only use their charging technologies such as Anker’s PowerIQ and Aukey’s AiPower. However, these packs can be a little out of date, but are still popular enough that you can still find these on more obscure online shopping sites. In this case, the Anker Powercore 20100 can offer faster charging for your device because of its 24W (5V/4.8A) total output across its two USB-A ports; each having a 12W (5V/2.4A) maximum output. Thus, you can get the most of the pack’s charge speed even if you charge two devices simultaneously. As for the Aukey Powerbank 20000, while it also has two USB-A ports that each measure 12W (5V/2.4A), the pack only has a 17W (5V/3.4A) total output. This means that if you use this pack to charge two devices at the same time, only one device can charge up to a faster rate of 12W, while the other will only charge at a significantly slower rate at 5W (5V/1A). One key factor to consider here is the price with the Anker pack costing $10 more than the Aukey pack on Amazon. It can be a deal-breaker for those who are looking for affordable power banks that can give satisfying results to your device. If you’re one of those people, you can go for the Aukey Powerbank 20000 as long as you only need a pack for your one smartphone. However, if you’re looking for similar power banks to charge more than one device, you might want to consider other basic 20000 packs in the market. Still, we at PowerUp recommend the Anker PowerCore 20000 for those who are willing to pay more for a more efficient charging for your two devices and don’t need power delivery.

20000 mAh PD and QC-compatible packs

Anker Powercore Speed 20000 PD / Anker Powercore Speed 20000 QC 3.0 vs. Aukey Sprint Go Lightning 20000

	ANKER POWERCORE 20000  Q.C. 3.0 (A1278)	ANKER POWERCORE SPEED 20000 (20100 mAh) (A1275)	AUKEY SPRINT GO LIGHTNING 20000 (PB-Y23)
AMAZON PRICE	Not available	Not available	Not available
DIMENSIONS/ VOLUME	165.1 x 60.96 x 22.86 mm  (230.1 cm3)	165.1 x 60.96 x 22.86 mm  (230.1 cm3)	177.3 x 68.8 x 24.6 mm (300 cm3)
WEIGHT	360 g.	360 g.	470.6 g.
TOTAL OUTPUT	24W	24W	18W
CHARGING OUTPUT PER PORT	USB-A 24W Quick Charge 3.0, PowerIQ                                                    USB-A 10 W (5V/2A)	USB-C 24W PD 2.0 with PowerIQ USB-A 10W (5V/2A)	USB-C 18W PD 3.0;  USB-A 18W Q.C.
CHARGING TIME PER DEVICES	iPhone 7: 6 charges;         Samsung Galaxy S8: 4 charges;                                                  iPad Air 2: 1.5 charges	iPhone 6/7/8: 7 charges iPhone Plus/X/XR: 4 charges Samsung Galaxy S8/S9: 4 charges	iPhone XS: 6 times,  iPhone XR: 5.4 times,  Google Pixel 3: 5.4 times,  Samsung Note9: 4 times,  12.9 inch iPad Pro: 1.5 times
SIMULTANEOUS CHARGING ALLOWED?	Yes	Yes	Yes
RECHARGE TIME	5.6 hours (using Q.C. charger);                                           10 hours (using 5V/2A charger);                                       20 hours (using 5V/1A charger)	4 hours (using USB-C PD wall charger included)	6 hours (using PD port)
LINK	Anker Powercore QC 20,000	Anker Powercore Speed PD 20,000	Aukey 20,000 PD

This time, we’ll be combining our discussion and analysis on the PD and QC-compatible power banks from both brands. In this case, we’ll be comparing the Anker PowerCore 20000 PD, the Anker Powercore 20000 QC, and the Aukey Sprint Go Lightning 20000 that has both PD and QC ports. Comparing the three packs side-by-side, both Anker packs have higher maximum outputs than the lone Aukey pack. In our experience, power banks that offer fast-charging to both PD and QC have a higher output than those that can only offer fast-charging to either PD or QC. However, in this case, both Anker packs have 24W outputs; higher than Aukey’s 18W output. For the PD features, the Anker PD pack has more to offer than the Aukey pack because of the former’s 24W PD output as compared to the latter’s 18W. While both power banks are capable of charging 12” laptops such as Macbooks, the Anker PD pack can provide more power to such devices in a shorter charging time than the Aukey pack that charges small laptops at a much slower rate. Interestingly enough, when PowerUp tested the Anker PD pack on various charging loads, it performed at an average efficiency ranging from 84% to 91% across the 5W, 9W, 18W, and 24W tests. In fact, Anker PD performed best at the 9W test with 91% and performed well even at the maximum power load of 24W. As for the QC features, the Anker QC pack still tops the Aukey power bank because of its 24W QC-output, as compared to the Aukey’s 18W output. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the three power banks? For the Anker packs, a significant advantage is that these packs can also give efficient charge to other smartphones using the USB-A ports that amount to 10W (5V/2A). Whether you’re using the PD pack or the QC pack, you can still charge two devices at the same time at a satisfying rate. On the other hand, the Aukey pack has separate ports for PD-devices and QC-devices. Sadly, these ports share the 18W total output which means that you can charge two devices at the same time but there will be no fast-charging involved. Instead, both devices will charge at a standard rate. This makes the Anker packs more viable options since these packs provide fast-charging on one device and efficient charging on another – but with amazing results! In conclusion, we recommend the Anker Powercore 20000 PD if you prefer a power bank that fast-charges your USB-C PD-compatible devices such as iPhones and Samsung Galaxy Smartphones even if you charge another device on the USB-A port. Similarly, if you have a QC device such as Xiaomi Mi phones and Blackberry smartphones or older Samsung phones that are QC-compliant while also using Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging (AFC) protocol, and you want to charge another device without compromising the fast-charging output of your QC-device, the Anker Powercore 20000 QC suits your needs!

26800 mAh PD-compatible packs

Anker Powercore+ 26800 PD vs. Aukey Powerbank 26800 PD

	ANKER POWERCORE+ 26800 PD (A1376)	AUKEY POWERBANK 26800 PD (PB-Y24)
AMAZON PRICE	$129.99	Not available
DIMENSIONS/ VOLUME	195.07 x 89.92 x 59.94 mm (466.8 cm3)	164.1 x 86.1 x 30 mm (423.9 cm3)
WEIGHT	725.74 g.	698.5 g.
TOTAL OUTPUT	45W	60W
CHARGING OUTPUT PER PORT	USB-C PD 45W 2 x USB-A 15W PowerIQ (5V/3A each port)	USB-C 60W PD (In/Out Port),     USB-C 18 W PD,                         USB-A 18W QC 3.0 (INOV (Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage)
CHARGING TIME PER DEVICES	iPhone 6/7/8: 9 charges iPhone Plus/X/XR: 6 charges Samsung Galaxy S8/S9: 6 charges Samsung Galaxy S10: 5 charges	Samsung Galaxy S10 4.9 times,iPhone 11 Pro Max 5 times, 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2.2 times.
SIMULTANEOUS CHARGING ALLOWED?	Yes	Yes
RECHARGE TIME	3.3 hours (using Powerport Atom III 60W, charger included)	7.5 hours (using USB-C PD 45W charger),                           12.5 hours (using USB-C PD 18W charger),                            20.5 hours (using USB-C PD 12W charger)
LINK	Anker Powercore 26,800 PD	Aukey 26,800 PD

For the last part, let’s look at the following 26800 mAh power banks that offer fast-charging to iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, and other devices using the PD protocol: the Anker Powercore+ 26800 PD and the Aukey Powerbank 26800 PD. Just by looking at their total outputs, the Aukey Powerbank 26800’s 60W PD output is very interesting enough as compared to the relatively high 45W output of the Anker Powercore+. What’s more insane is that the Aukey pack has two PD ports. Yes! Two PD ports but with different max outputs – with one port having a 60W output and the latter having 18W. You can even use both of these PD ports without sacrificing the fast-charging capability of the pack. Aside from its PD features, the Aukey pack also has an 18W USB-A output for QC-compatible devices. This port incorporates Aukey’s Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage (INOV) that is for “fine tuned power output and a more optimized charging cycles” according to the Aukey website. On the other hand, while the Anker pack doesn’t have a QC-port, it still has two USB-A ports to charge devices at a 15W (5V/3A) output with Power IQ. While it is evident that Aukey offers a lot more charging features with this 26800 PD pack, it is not to say that there’s nothing to love with the Anker pack. If there’s something that could convince you to buy the Anker pack instead, it’s the fact that the pack also includes a Powerport Atom III Charger with a 60W output. It can give the Anker pack a full recharge for just 3.3 hours. In conclusion, the Aukey Powerbank 26800 PD is perfect for those who want a near-perfect fast-charge for PD-devices such as iPhones, Samsung Phones, and laptops while also providing great charging rates for Quick Charge phones. Its high PD output plus its two PD ports make this the ideal 26800 pack for people who own several PD gadgets. The down side is that you can’t find one on Amazon, but you’re lucky if you can find this model on other online shopping sites. However, we also want you to consider the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD. This packs’ 45W output may be lower than Aukey’s 60W, but it’s still relatively higher than other PD packs in the market! With a 60W charger included, this pack is perfect for those with PD devices but highly prefer more affordable 26800 power banks.

The Verdict

After comparing various sets of power banks from Anker and Aukey, here are our main takeaways:

• Most Aukey packs provide a step-up in terms of their fast charge features as compared to Anker packs of similar capacity. They simply offer more fast-charge protocols.
• Aukey packs can charge with a wider range of devices because of its compatibility with a wider range of fast-charge protocols as compared to Anker. 
• Aukey power banks are relatively cheaper than Anker power banks, but the quality of the packs vary.

Comparing Anker and Aukey power banks can be difficult mainly because we’re dealing with packs that have their own advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes, Anker packs can be more suitable for others, and sometimes, it’s the other way around. However, it’s still much more evident for the most part that Aukey products offer more features such as additional ports than Anker packs, and maybe other power banks of similar capacity. Both Anker and Aukey have their strengths and weaknesses. While Anker packs can be a viable option since these are more dependable for iPhones, for the most part, Aukey is still the best brand between the two. Aukey provides better charging for a wider range of fast-charging protocols -- even the ones used by older Android and iPhones, has better performance and output speed, and tends to be much cheaper than Anker packs. Although, you might want to check the capability of the pack to handle charging on your device because, as we found out, Aukey packs can be a hit-or-miss. However, in conclusion, Aukey power banks are still the best option as it ensures efficient fast-charging for nearly every device possible.   asdf