Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
BOROUX Water Filtration vs Waterdrop（EU）
What sets them apart
| Compare | BOROUX Water Filtration ReviewVisitVisit | Waterdrop（EU） ReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Filter system | Countertop | Reverse osmosis |
| Reference models | BOROUX 3-Gallon Water Filter System, BOROUX 1.8-Gallon Water Filter System, BOROUX Proactive Fluoride Reduction Filter, Shower Filter System | Waterdrop X Series Reverse Osmosis System X12, Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO System, Waterdrop X16 Undersink Reverse Osmosis System |
| Price from | €245.95 | €20.99Lower |
| Cartridge price | €163.95 | €33.99Lower |
| Cartridge life (l) | 22,712Higher | 4,164 |
| Filter cost per year | €163.95 | €33.99Lower |
| Certification scope | WQA Gold Seal certification of BOROUX water filter systems and filters: NSF/ANSI 42 drinking water treatment units, aesthetic effects (Nominal Particulate Class I), NSF/ANSI/CAN 401 emerging contaminants (microplastics 0.5 um to under 1 um) and NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 lead-free materials | X12 certified NSF/ANSI 42, 58 and 372 for reduction of TDS, PFOA, PFOS, chlorine, fluoride, barium, salt, chromium-VI, lead, heavy metals, taste and odor; F1A filter certified by IAPMO R&T (NSF/ANSI 58 & 372) and SGS |
| Installation required | No | YesHas it |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 to 2 yearsHigher |
| Markets | US, CA, AU, FR, MX, GB | AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LU, LV, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, TR |
Same on both: PFAS and lead reduction (Yes).
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Key differences
- Waterdrop（EU） scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 8.8.
- Price from is lower at Waterdrop（EU）: €20.99 vs €245.95.
- Cartridge price is lower at Waterdrop（EU）: €33.99 vs €163.95.
- Cartridge life (l) is higher at BOROUX Water Filtration: 22,712 vs 4,164.
- Filter cost per year is lower at Waterdrop（EU）: €33.99 vs €163.95.
- Installation required: only Waterdrop（EU）.
- Warranty is higher at Waterdrop（EU）: 1 to 2 years vs 1 year.
- NSF/ANSI standards: only BOROUX Water Filtration offers 401.
- NSF/ANSI standards: only Waterdrop（EU） offers 58.
- Waterdrop（EU） is available in 24 more countries.
Our verdict on each
BOROUX Water Filtration
BOROUX Water Filtration suits households that want certified filtration on a countertop with no plumbing work. The €245.95 entry price sits above the middle of this group, and the €163.95 cartridge is the line to watch, so running cost is the trade-off rather than the ticket.
Waterdrop（EU）
Waterdrop's EU store suits European households that want certified reverse osmosis and a cheap annual filter bill. Filters come to €33.99 a year, which ranks 2 of 46 brands compared, and support answers by phone, live chat and email if a fitting ever leaks.
Score breakdown
| Area | BOROUX Water Filtration | Waterdrop（EU） |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4Filters at €163.95 and €163.95 a year sit at the expensive end, offset by a countertop system that needs no fitting. | 9.8HigherFilter running cost is €33.99 a year, ranking 2 of 46, and the entry price is €20.99. |
| Offer | 9.2A countertop system that needs no installation, sold across US, CA and AU, covers most homes without plumbing work. | 9.5HigherReverse osmosis system, PFAS lead reduction stated as yes, and a replacement filter rated at 4,164 litres. |
| Trust | 8.8WQA Gold Seal certification to 42 and 401 standards, PFAS and lead reduction, and support on email, chat and phone. | 8.8Founded 2015, support on email, chat and phone, warranty of 1 to 2 years, and IAPMO R&T and SGS certification on the replacement filter. |
Choosing between them
Pick BOROUX Water Filtration if cartridge life (l) matter most.
Pick Waterdrop（EU） if cost, offer, price from, cartridge price, and filter cost per year matter most.
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | BOROUX Water Filtration | Waterdrop（EU） |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States | Not confirmed |
Available in 1 country for both. Additional countries for BOROUX Water Filtration: 5. Additional countries for Waterdrop（EU）: 29.
The numbers side by side
| Fact | BOROUX Water Filtration | Waterdrop（EU） |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €245.95 | €20.99 |
| Cartridge price | €163.95 | €33.99 |
| Cartridge life (l) | 22,712 | 4,164 |
| Filter cost per year | €163.95 | €33.99 |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 to 2 years |
Sources behind this comparison
BOROUX Water Filtration
- boroux.com: 16 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Waterdrop（EU）
- waterdropfilter.eu: 14 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | BOROUX Water Filtration | Waterdrop（EU） |
|---|---|---|
| Water filters | 11 of 80 | 2 of 80 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | BOROUX Water Filtration | Waterdrop（EU） |
|---|---|---|
| NSF/ANSI standards | 42, 401 | 42, 58 |
| Legal entity | James Enterprise Inc. | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | United States | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 2015 | 2015 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | BOROUX Water Filtration | Waterdrop（EU） | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | €245.95highest quarter | €20.99lowest quarter | €77.77 |
| Cartridge price | €163.95highest quarter | €33.99below the median | €35 |
| Cartridge life (l) | 22,712highest quarter | 4,164above the median | 2,862.5 |
| Filter cost per year | €163.95highest quarter | €33.99lowest quarter | €99.99 |
| Warranty | 1 yearbelow the median | 1 to 2 yearsat the median | 2 years |
Median across 47 listed brands.
Pros and cons
BOROUX Water Filtration
Pros
- Cartridge life of 22,712 litres ranks at 2 out of 26 brands, so the pricey media goes further.
- WQA Gold Seal certification covers drinking water treatment units for aesthetic effects, emerging contaminants including microplastics, and lead-free material requirements.
- Installation required is listed as no, so a countertop system is set up where you already have a tap, with no plumber involved.
Cons
- Filters cost €163.95 each and €163.95 a year, and cartridge price ranks at 46 out of 50 brands.
- The entry price of €245.95 ranks at 35 out of 52 brands, above the middle of the group.
- Warranty cover of 1 year is short for a system most households expect to keep in place.
Waterdrop（EU）
Pros
- Filter running cost of €33.99 a year ranks 2 of 46, among the cheapest supplies compared.
- PFAS lead reduction is stated as yes, and the certification scope names NSF/ANSI 42 and 58 plus IAPMO R&T and SGS certification for the replacement filter.
- An entry price of €20.99 ranks 4 of 52.
Cons
- Installation is required, so plan on fitting the unit before the first glass, which rules out a plug and play setup for renters.
- Warranty cover runs 1 to 2 years, which is brief for a fixed system with tubing and fittings.
- Cartridge life of 4,164 litres ranks 7 of 26, mid field on that measure.
Who each suits
BOROUX Water Filtration
Who it suits
- Households that want certified countertop filtration without booking an installer.
- Buyers in the United States, CA and AU who want both tank sizes, a fluoride reduction filter and a shower filter in one range.
- People who filter a lot of water each week and can plan around a €163.95 cartridge.
Who should look elsewhere
- Reverse osmosis shoppers, since Waterdrop (EU) and Culligan Consumer Products both run reverse osmosis and reverse osmosis systems where BOROUX is countertop.
- Anyone set on a plumbed kitchen purifier, because the IBBL range is built around compressor purifiers such as the IBBL E-Due Eletrônico Prata Bivolt and the IBBL Viváx Touch.
Waterdrop（EU）
Who it suits
- Households that want certified reverse osmosis (reverse osmosis) and treat PFAS and lead reduction as a must have.
- Buyers who plan filters as a yearly line item, since the running cost is €33.99.
- People shopping in the markets the service policy covers: AT, BE and BG.
Who should look elsewhere
- Lifestraw, if a jug format fits your kitchen better than a plumbed reverse osmosis unit.
- IBBL, whose countertop format suits buyers who prefer equipment that stays on the counter.
- Culligan Consumer Products, whose reference models span reverse osmosis, tankless reverse osmosis and an under sink good water machine, if you want a wider second RO range to shortlist.
Country by country
| Country | BOROUX Water Filtration | Waterdrop（EU） |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | No |
| Austria | No | Yes |
| Belgium | No | Yes |
| Bulgaria | No | Yes |
| Canada | Yes | No |
| Croatia | No | Yes |
| Cyprus | No | Yes |
| Czechia | No | Yes |
8 of 35 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
BOROUX Water Filtration
What does a BOROUX water filter cost to buy?+
BOROUX lists its entry price at €245.95 for the system itself, paid once rather than as a subscription. That ranks at 35 out of 52 brands in this group, so it sits above a basic jug or tap filter in the same set. The next price to check is the replacement media.
What do the replacement filters cost?+
A replacement cartridge is €163.95, and the annual filter spend on the range is €163.95. The cartridge price ranks at 46 out of 50 brands and the yearly figure at 40 out of 46, which makes the media the line to weigh before the system price. It is the part of the cost that repeats.
Waterdrop（EU）
What do filters cost each year?+
A replacement filter costs €33.99, and the yearly filter cost is €33.99. The two figures match, so budgeting a replacement filter every year is the practical assumption rather than a saving. That running cost ranks 2 of 46 brands compared.
What does a Waterdrop system cost to start with?+
The lowest price in the EU store is €20.99, which is the cheapest item rather than a complete system. The reference models named by the brand are a reverse osmosis system, a tankless reverse osmosis unit and an undersink model, and each one is a fitted unit that needs installing.