Victron Phoenix Inverter 48/1200 vs MultiPlus-II 48/3000: Specifications and What We Ran

Victron lists the 48/1200 Phoenix at 1200 VA (1000 W at 25 C) and 2200 W peak, the MultiPlus-II 48/3000 at 3000 VA, 5500 W peak. Not a recommendation.

Last reviewed 2026-10-15.

What the manufacturer documents

• Victron's Inverters VE.Direct datasheet (250 VA to 1600 VA, 230 V and 120 V; no version number printed; the file's own metadata is dated 2025-12-09) lists the 48/1200 at 1200 VA continuous at 25 C (77 F), with the footnote nonlinear load, crest factor 3:1. In watts it lists 1000 W at 25 C and 850 W at 40 C, and peak power of 2200 W without a duration. The sheet lists the 12, 24 and 48 V models of each size in one column and gives the three values separated by slashes, so we read the 48 V figure as the last one in each such row. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's Inverters VE.Direct datasheet (250 VA to 1600 VA, 230 V and 120 V; no version number printed; the file's own metadata is dated 2025-12-09) lists an output of 230 VAC or 120 VAC plus or minus 3 percent at 50 Hz or 60 Hz plus or minus 0.1 percent, described as adjustable. It lists an input voltage range of 36.8 to 62.0 V for the 48 V models, DC low shut down (adjustable) of 37.2 V, DC low restart and alarm (adjustable) of 43.6 V and battery charged detect (adjustable) of 56.0 V. It also lists a dynamic, load dependent DC low shut down that is fully configurable. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's Inverters VE.Direct datasheet (250 VA to 1600 VA, 230 V and 120 V; no version number printed; the file's own metadata is dated 2025-12-09) lists maximum efficiency of 92 percent and zero load power of 12 W for the 48/1200, and a default zero load power in ECO mode of 3.0 W (default retry interval 2.5 s, adjustable), without stating battery voltage, temperature or other conditions for those figures. It says ECO mode stop and start power are adjustable. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's Inverters VE.Direct datasheet (250 VA to 1600 VA, 230 V and 120 V; no version number printed; the file's own metadata is dated 2025-12-09) gives the protection key a to f for all models: output short circuit, overload, battery voltage too high, battery voltage too low, temperature too high and DC ripple too high. The text above the table says the full bridge plus toroidal transformer design is short circuit proof and protected against overheating from overload or high ambient temperature. We only repeat what the sheet lists and give no assurance about how any protection behaves in use. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's Inverters VE.Direct datasheet (250 VA to 1600 VA, 230 V and 120 V; no version number printed; the file's own metadata is dated 2025-12-09) lists an operating temperature range of -40 to +65 C with fan assisted cooling and a derating of 1.25 percent per C above 40 C, humidity (non-condensing) up to 95 percent, a steel chassis with plastic cover, screw terminals for the battery connection, protection category IP 21, and a weight of 7.4 kg (16.3 lb) in the 1200 VA column. The 120 V outlet is listed as NEMA 5-15R with GFCI. The sheet lists a safety line of EN-IEC 60335-1, EN-IEC 62109-1 and UL 458, with a footnote that UL 458 applies only to inverters with a GFCI output socket. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's Inverters VE.Direct datasheet (250 VA to 1600 VA, 230 V and 120 V; no version number printed; the file's own metadata is dated 2025-12-09) lists dimensions for the 1200 VA column as 117 x 232 x 327 mm (4.6 x 9.1 x 12.9 in), in the order height, width, depth, and, in parentheses labelled 12 V model, 117 x 232 x 362 mm (4.6 x 9.1 x 14.2 in) as an exception for the 12 V model only. We use the 327 mm figure for the 48 V unit, read from the rendered page. It lists remote on-off, a VE.Direct communication port that connects to a smartphone only with the separately ordered VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart dongle, and the Filax automatic transfer switch as an accessory, quoted at a switchover time of less than 20 milliseconds. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's MultiPlus-II 120 V datasheet (no version number printed on it) lists the 48/3000/35-50 at 3000 VA continuous at 25 C (77 F) per unit (non-linear load, crest factor 3:1) and, in watts, 2400 W at 25 C (77 F), 2200 W at 40 C (104 F) and 1700 W at 65 C (150 F). It lists peak power of 5500 W without a duration, output of 120 VAC plus or minus 2 percent at 60 Hz plus or minus 0.1 percent, and a DC input voltage range of 38 to 66 V. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's MultiPlus-II 120 V datasheet (no version number printed on it) lists maximum efficiency of 95 percent for the 48/3000/35-50 and zero load power of 11 W (7 W in AES mode and 2 W in Search mode), without stating battery voltage, temperature or other conditions for those figures. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's MultiPlus-II 120 V datasheet (no version number printed on it) gives the protection key a to g: output short circuit, overload, battery voltage too high, battery voltage too low, temperature too high, 120 VAC on inverter output and input voltage ripple too high. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's MultiPlus-II 120 V datasheet (no version number printed on it) lists an operating temperature range of -40 to +60 C (-40 to 140 F) with fan-assisted cooling, humidity (non-condensing) up to 95 percent, a steel enclosure, protection category IP22, a weight of 19 kg (42 lb), dimensions in the order height, width, depth of 572 x 277 x 147 mm (22.5 x 10.9 x 5.8 in) for the 48/3000 listed as UL1741 certified (536 x 277 x 147 mm for a model that is not UL1741 certified), and a battery connection of 2 M8 bolts. It lists a safety line of EN-IEC 60335-1, EN-IEC 60335-2-29 and CSA 22.2 107.1-16, with UL1741 listed for the model in the listings row. (victronenergy.com)
• Victron's MultiPlus-II 120 V datasheet (no version number printed on it) also lists a built-in battery charger (maximum 35 A for the 48/3000/35-50, up to 25 C ambient), one AC input of 90 to 140 VAC with a 50 A transfer switch, two AC outputs, a VE.Bus communication port, and up to 6 units in parallel or two same-model units for 240 V split phase. The Phoenix datasheet text we extracted lists no battery charger or AC input. (victronenergy.com)
• Neither datasheet text we extracted uses the words sine wave or states a waveform for these models, so the table lists none. In our videos the owner calls the Phoenix a pure sine wave, low frequency transformer based inverter; that is his spoken description, not a figure from either datasheet. (victronenergy.com)

What happened to us

• We reviewed a Victron Phoenix 48 V 1200 VA inverter, described on camera as the 48/1200, with a VE.Direct Bluetooth Smart dongle, and put it in a portable power station of about 5 kWh with an EG4 waterproof battery. On camera we described it as a low frequency transformer based inverter with ECO mode and an alarm light, and said we assumed about 850 W continuous for 1200 VA (we said it depends on the load) and a peak of about 2200 W, which we said from memory ('I believe'). The Phoenix datasheet above lists 1000 W at 25 C, 850 W at 40 C and 2200 W peak. Those were spoken figures, not our measurements, and we did not state an ambient temperature. (video)
• In that video we said the Phoenix could start a compressor but not keep it running, and that a handful of tools it would not run, and we asked on camera for a 2000 VA 48 V model. We said we had used the system on a job site with a dust extractor and an air cleaner and had no issues. No readings, durations or tool models are given for those uses, and we make no claim that the inverter suits any tool. We said the inverter would draw up to about 30 A from the battery ('I think') and that the EG4 waterproof battery could do about 200 A continuous ('I believe' it was a refurbished one). Both were spoken statements, not checked against a document here, and the battery model and sheet revision are not recorded. We also said it only inverts and cannot charge the battery. (video)
• In the under-seat build we ran a Victron Phoenix 48 V 1200 VA inverter (the owner describes two built-in GFCI outlets) from an EG4 waterproof battery that he names on camera as an EG4 LifePower4 LFP 48 V 100 Ah (about 5 kWh, as spoken); the exact model label and sheet revision are not recorded. A heat gun was the load. On the Victron app the load showed roughly 500 to 600 VA at one setting, with the AC output between about 110 and 120 V and the battery at about 52.3 V; the EG4 app showed about 10 A discharging. At the heat gun's maximum setting the app showed close to about 1200 VA. All of these are spoken, approximate readings. No duration or ambient temperature figure is stated (we only said the battery took a while to warm up because it was very cold overnight). (video)
• In the same video we said we had boiled water with it and that the unit is very efficient especially in ECO mode. We gave no load readings for that and no measured efficiency, so the efficiency statement is not verified here. At the end we gave a rough spoken figure of somewhere close to 800 W continuous. That is an estimate without a stated load, power factor or temperature, not a measurement, and we make no claim of suitability for any device. We also said the battery might be discontinued and that other models would be available from the retailer. (video)
• In another video we used a 12 V Phoenix 1200 VA inverter (the 12 V model, not the 48 V one in the table) with a 12 V 150 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery and a heat gun. The battery app we showed (we called it the Eco-Worthy app) read about 99 percent, about 13.2 V, roughly 5 to 7 A and about 70 to 80 W, with the remaining capacity read as about 148 Ah, and we said that at that rate it would last roughly a day. On the Victron app the AC output was about 120 V and the load about 50 to 100 VA; with the heat gun at about five bars the reading was about 1,000 VA, and at all six bars about 1,200 to 1,300 VA, with the battery app showing about 92 to 95 A discharging. We said at full heat it could run about an hour and a half; that was a spoken estimate, not a timed run. These are approximate readings from a different model, and we do not claim they apply to the 48 V model. (video)

Specifications side by side

What we did not verify

• This page compares manufacturer figures. The only things that come from our own use are under 'What happened to us'. We make no claim about which product suits any system, and several table rows are marked as not like for like because the two products are different kinds of device (a standalone inverter and an inverter and charger). We did not run a MultiPlus-II 48/3000 in these videos.
• The Phoenix datasheet gives the 12, 24 and 48 V models in one column with slash-separated values, so we read the 48 V values as the last of each group. It is a single file for 250 VA to 1600 VA. We did not find the Phoenix manual on the manufacturer site and do not cite it.
• The readings in 'What happened to us' were spoken from the Victron app and a battery app and are approximate. No duration or ambient temperature figure is documented and the heat gun's rating is not recorded, so this page does not show that either product can sustain any level. Readings near 1200 VA are not stated at the datasheet's 25 C condition.
• Our spoken statements (about 850 W continuous and about 2200 W peak in the first video, about 800 W continuous in the under-seat video (the spoken power factor is garbled in the caption, so it is not used here), about 30 A draw, about 200 A battery) were not checked against documents when said, and the 200 A battery figure has no document cited here. Our first video was published 2024-08-30; the Phoenix datasheet's file metadata is dated 2025-12-09, after it. We do not say either is wrong; the datasheet lists 1000 W at 25 C and 850 W at 40 C. We show both.
• Our videos were published 2024-08-30 (XkIJsiWjGtk), 2025-01-17 (MrMYv9LS69E) and 2025-02-21 (HzloqYTLfIQ). The 12 V Phoenix in the last video is a different model from the 48 V model compared here. Not recorded: the exact Phoenix 48/1200 variant and label (the under-seat video says it has two built-in GFCI outlets, and the first 48 V video mentions a US 120 V receptacle), whether the two 48 V videos show the same unit or different units, the firmware version and serial number, the EG4 battery's sheet revision and whether the spoken 200 A continuous figure comes from a document (the under-seat video names it as an EG4 LifePower4 48 V 100 Ah), the heat gun's rating, the ambient temperature figure, and how long each load level was held. The only reading recorded for the heat gun is about 600 VA in the Victron app at one setting, and close to about 1200 VA at its maximum setting. We also have no recorded run of a MultiPlus-II 48/3000 in a portable build like these.
• Sizing a battery bank, wiring or protection for either product is work for a licensed professional using the manufacturer's current documents.

Questions and answers

How much lower is the Phoenix 48/1200 rating than the MultiPlus-II 48/3000?

Victron's datasheets list 1200 VA (1000 W at 25 C, 850 W at 40 C) for the Phoenix 48/1200 and 3000 VA (2400 W at 25 C, 2200 W at 40 C) for the MultiPlus-II 48/3000, with peak power of 2200 W and 5500 W. We did not measure either against its rating.

Does the Phoenix charge the battery like the MultiPlus-II?

The Phoenix datasheet text lists no charger or AC input, while the MultiPlus-II datasheet lists a built-in charger of up to 35 A for the 48/3000. In our video we said the Phoenix only inverts and cannot charge the battery.

What did you see when you loaded the Phoenix?

With a heat gun, the Victron app showed roughly 500 to 600 VA and then close to about 1200 VA on the 48 V unit, and about 1,000 to 1,300 VA on a 12 V Phoenix. All were approximate, spoken, untimed readings, so they do not show a sustained rating.

Which one should I buy?

We do not make that recommendation. Their specifications are listed above, and the right choice depends on your loads and system, which a licensed professional can size.

Sources

• Victron Inverters VE.Direct datasheet, 250 VA to 1600 VA (Victron Energy), no version printed, file metadata dated 2025-12-09, checked 2026-10-14
• Victron MultiPlus-II 120 V datasheet (Victron Energy), no version printed, checked 2026-10-14

Videos this comes from

• Victron Phoenix 48v 1200va Inverter review and portable power station build | ve direct – Our review of a Victron Phoenix 48 V 1200 VA inverter and the portable power station we built with it, with the VE.Direct Bluetooth dongle
• Portable under seat power station 5 kwh | Victron Phoenix 48v 1200VA | #victronenergy – Our portable under-seat 48 V 5 kWh power station using a Phoenix 48/1200 and an EG4 battery, with a heat gun as the load
• DIY Portable Low Frequency Transformer based Power Station | $530 | 1.9 KWh | victron Phoenix – Our portable power station using a 12 V Phoenix 1200 VA inverter (a different voltage model from the 48 V unit) with a 12 V battery

Related topics

• Victron MultiPlus-II, Quattro and Phoenix

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