FIND YOUR BACKUP APPROACH
Generator types.
Know your options.
Home backup options differ in operation, power delivery and fuel. Start with automatic standby, manually deployed portable power or stored battery energy. Then compare inverter technology and fuel choices within that approach.
Find your generator type
Read the guides for the equipment and fuel choices you're considering.
↓02 · PLAN CAPACITY & COSTBuild a realistic plan
Connect your backup needs to a load estimate and a complete system budget.
↗03 · BUILD YOUR SHORTLISTCompare brands & models
Explore the equipment once you know the kind of system you need.
↗THE HOME BACKUP LIBRARY
Explore by setup, fuel or comparison
Ready to compare equipment? Use the home backup buying shortlist alongside your load and budget plan.
These categories overlap. Use the setup guides to understand the equipment, then use the fuel guides to explore how it would be supplied at your home.
Choose your backup setup
Explore permanent standby systems, portable equipment and battery-based alternatives.
Whole House Generators: The Complete Home Standby Generator Guide
A whole house generator — also commonly called a home standby generator — is a permanently installed backup power system designed to turn on automatically when utility power fails.
Read the guide ↗Portable Generators for Home Backup: Sizes, Fuels, Runtime & What to Buy
Learn how to choose a portable generator for home backup, including wattage, gasoline vs propane vs natural gas, runtime, inverter models, transfer switches and safety.
Read the guide ↗Inverter Generators: Are They Worth It for Home Backup?
Learn how inverter generators work, whether they're worth the extra cost, how quiet they are, what size to buy, and when conventional portable generators are better.
Read the guide ↗Solar Generators for Home Backup: What They Are, Runtime, Solar Charging & Are They Worth It?
Learn how solar generators really work, including battery capacity, inverter output, solar charging, runtime, whole-home backup and when a fuel generator is better.
Read the guide ↗Generator Safety: Portable Operation and Standby Planning
Review portable-generator carbon monoxide precautions, electrical connection and refueling safety. Find the right guidance for permanent standby planning.
Read the guide ↗Connecting a Portable Generator to a House: Plan the Right Method
Choose a portable-generator connection method before an outage. Direct appliance connections and professionally installed building connections serve different needs.
Read the guide ↗Understand your fuel options
Fuel labels describe another part of the choice. A portable generator can also be an inverter model, dual-fuel or tri-fuel.
Dual-Fuel Generators: Gasoline vs Propane, Best Uses & Whether They're Worth It
Learn how dual-fuel generators work, gasoline vs propane output, runtime, home-backup sizing, inverter options and whether dual-fuel or tri-fuel is better.
Read the guide ↗Tri-Fuel Generators: Gasoline vs Propane vs Natural Gas & Are They Worth It?
Compare tri-fuel generators on gasoline, propane and natural gas, including output, runtime, home backup, 30A/50A connections and whether tri-fuel is worth it.
Read the guide ↗Natural Gas Generators: Costs, Sizes, Fuel Use & Best Uses for Home Backup
Learn how natural gas generators work, what sizes are available, fuel consumption, operating cost, gas-line requirements and when natural gas is the best choice.
Read the guide ↗Propane Generators: Tank Size, Runtime, Cost & Best Uses for Home Backup
Learn how propane whole-house generators work, what tank size you need, runtime, fuel consumption, cold-weather limits, installation cost and when propane is the best choice.
Read the guide ↗Diesel Generators for Home Backup: Cost, Runtime, Fuel Use & When They Make Sense
Learn when a diesel whole-house generator makes sense, including sizes, fuel consumption, tank runtime, operating cost, maintenance and diesel vs natural gas or propane.
Read the guide ↗Compare the options side by side
Use the comparisons to narrow your approach, then explore equipment shortlists.
Whole-House Generator vs Portable Generator: Which Is Better for Home Backup?
Compare whole-house standby and portable generators by cost, power, fuel, runtime, installation, safety and convenience to decide which is better for your home.
Read the guide ↗Whole-House Generator vs Home Battery Backup: Which Is Better in 2026?
Compare whole-house generators vs home battery backup by cost, runtime, power, solar, maintenance, noise and long-outage performance.
Read the guide ↗Natural Gas vs Propane Generators: Which Fuel Is Better for a Whole-House Generator?
Compare natural gas vs propane whole-house generators by output, fuel cost, runtime, tank requirements, outages, cold weather and installation.
Read the guide ↗Best Generators for Home Backup in 2026: Standby, Portable & Inverter Picks
Compare the best home generators for outages, including whole-house standby, portable, inverter and tri-fuel options by power, fuel, runtime and use case.
Read the guide ↗Best Whole House Generators of 2026
The best whole house generator is not necessarily the model with the highest kW rating or the brand with the biggest dealer network. For most homeowners, the better choice is the generator that:
Read the guide ↗Start with what you need to power
Make a list of the appliances you want available during an outage and decide which ones you expect to use together. That gives you a useful starting point for comparing backup approaches.
Build your load worksheet with the generator size calculator →