Buying guide · Inverters
Solar Inverter Comparison: String vs Hybrid vs Microinverter
The three inverter topologies compared, when each wins, and a plain-English brand guide across the major UK inverter makers.
The three inverter types
Every solar system needs to convert DC from the panels into AC for your home. How it does that — one central inverter, a battery-capable inverter, or one small inverter per panel — is the single biggest design choice, and it shapes cost, monitoring and how well the system copes with shade.
String inverters
A string inverter connects a 'string' of panels to one central unit. It's the most cost-effective and widely-used option for simple, unshaded roofs with a single orientation. The trade-off is that panels in a string work together, so heavy shade on one panel drags down the rest of that string, and monitoring is at string level rather than per panel.
Hybrid inverters
A hybrid inverter is a string inverter that can also charge and discharge a battery. If storage is on your roadmap — now or in a few years — a hybrid unit saves you adding separate battery electronics later. It's the default choice for most new UK installs that expect to include a battery at some point.
Microinverters
Microinverters put a small inverter under each panel, so every panel produces independently. That makes them strong on shaded, split-orientation or complex roofs, and they give true per-panel monitoring and generally simpler DC safety. The cost per watt is usually higher, and battery pairing is less direct than with a hybrid string inverter.
A quick brand guide
- 1 Victron — the off-grid, marine and leisure benchmark; superb monitoring and flexibility.
- 2 Sunsynk — popular hybrid units with strong battery support for UK homes.
- 3 Solis — widely-stocked, keenly-priced string and hybrid inverters.
- 4 Growatt — a common budget-to-mid choice across residential installs.
- 5 Solax — hybrid and string inverters with an established UK battery ecosystem.
- 6 FoxESS — competitive hybrids that pair neatly with FoxESS storage.
- 7 Renogy — geared to 12V/24V campervan and off-grid systems rather than grid-tie homes.
Which should you choose?
Simple unshaded roof and tight budget? A string inverter. Planning a battery, or want to future-proof? A hybrid. Shaded, multi-facet or complex roof where every panel counts? Microinverters. Match the topology to the roof first, then choose a brand for battery compatibility, firmware and support.
See the full range in our inverters category, grouped by type and brand — and open a trade account if you're speccing inverters in volume.
Still weighing up your options?
Send us your spec or a shortlist and we'll help you compare — no obligation, reply by email.