It's not unusual for people to ask us about AquaTru before upgrading to a Clearly Filtered pitcher… 

AquaTru is known for two countertop water purifiers: the Classic and the Carafe. Both rely heavily on reverse osmosis (RO) filtration, leverage three separate filters to clean your water, and target a nearly identical list of contaminants. We've focused this comparison on the Carafe because it comes with a detachable pitcher.

Transparency is everything to us. That's why every claim is backed by third-party testing and all of our performance data is public. 

We took the same approach to this comparison… 

Rather than spin the story to make our pitcher appear to be the better option, we compared both systems on the factors that make all the difference: what they do (and don’t) target, costs, certification, convenience, and more. 

Here's what we found…

• The AquaTru Carafe targets up to 84 contaminants. Clearly Filtered's Filtered Water Pitcher targets up to 386+.
• AquaTru removes healthy minerals from your water. Clearly Filtered does not.
• AquaTru requires power, counter space, and three filters to operate. Clearly Filtered’s pitcher is gravity-fed, fits in your fridge, and requires just one filter. 
• Clearly Filtered’s pitcher costs up to 4x less upfront and is certified by NSF International. The AquaTru Carafe is certified by IAPMO.

Despite leveraging reverse osmosis technology, the AquaTru Carafe targets just 84 tap water contaminants. That's roughly 26% of the 324+ contaminants detected in U.S. tap water supplies.

Clearly Filtered's pitcher, powered by proprietary Affinity® Filtration Technology, targets up to 386+ common contaminants. Here’s a snapshot of how the two systems compare: 

In fact, the AquaTru Carafe’s performance data doesn’t even mention any of the following dangers:

• Phthalates. These hormone-disrupting chemicals leach from plastics and have been detected in tap water nationwide.
• Birth control hormones. AquaTru targets just one hormone. Clearly Filtered targets seven, including ethinyl estradiol, the synthetic hormone used in oral contraceptives.
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Like many medications, traces of acetaminophen can end up in tap water when it's flushed, improperly disposed of, or excreted through urine.
• Fluoxetine (Prozac). This antidepressant can reach your tap water the same way other pharmaceuticals do.
• Aluminum, mercury, and lithium. Aluminum has been linked to dementia. Mercury can cause permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, especially in children. And lithium, an unregulated contaminant, has been linked to kidney, thyroid, and neurological harm.
• Glyphosate. Best known as the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup, this herbicide reaches tap water through agricultural runoff and has been associated with cancer and reproductive harm.
• GenX. GenX is a next-generation "forever chemical" developed to replace PFOA after it was finally regulated. It's been linked to liver and kidney damage. The AquaTru Carafe targets some PFAS, but GenX isn't one of them.

Clearly Filtered's pitcher filter protects you from all of the dangers above.

On top of missing many of the dangers Clearly Filtered targets, the reverse osmosis filter inside the AquaTru Carafe removes healthy minerals from your water like calcium and magnesium.

That's a big deal for your body. And it's a big deal for your taste buds, too… 

Without minerals, many people describe RO-filtered water as tasting "flat," "dead," or "bitter.”

To get those minerals back, AquaTru sells a Mineral Boost VOC filter that replaces the standard VOC filter in both the Classic and Carafe. However, it comes at a higher price. (More on that in just a second.)

Meanwhile, Clearly Filtered is the only pitcher on the planet proven to protect you from up to 386+ dangers—without targeting the healthy minerals already in your water. 

Clearly Filtered's pitcher uses one filter, replaced every 100 gallons. The AquaTru Carafe uses three filters, on three different schedules:

• Pre/Carbon filter: every 6 months or 300 gallons
• VOC filter: every 12 months or 300 gallons
• Reverse osmosis membrane: every 24 months or 600 gallons

And if you want AquaTru to add minerals back into your water, you'll need to swap their standard VOC filter for the aforementioned Mineral Boost VOC filter. The Mineral Boost VOC filter is an additional $20 upfront—and an additional $20 every time you replace it. 

The bottom line is, Clearly Filtered protects you from more dangers with one filter than AquaTru does with three.

Per the performance data, the AquaTru Carafe operates at a 63% efficiency rating. That means for every gallon that enters the system, more than a third goes down the drain instead of reaching your glass…

For a household drinking just two gallons a day, that's nearly 270 gallons wasted every year.

All that waste comes at a cost, to your water bill and to the environment, especially in areas facing drought or water restrictions.

Clearly Filtered's pitcher relies on gravity, not pressure. So instead of separating clean water from waste, it filters everything you pour in. The result is virtually no wastewater.

You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to enjoy clean water. Here's how the two systems compare day to day:

• AquaTru requires electricity. Both the Carafe and the Classic have to be plugged into an outlet. Clearly Filtered’s pitcher is gravity-fed, and therefore portable.
• AquaTru requires counter space. The system sits on your counter. Clearly Filtered’s pitcher fits on your fridge shelf.
• The AquaTru Carafe holds less clean water than Clearly Filtered’s pitcher. The AquaTru Carafe holds 64 oz of clean water. Clearly Filtered's pitcher holds 80 oz. That means AquaTru requires more frequent refills.

Cleaner water shouldn't ask more of you… and with Clearly Filtered, it doesn't.

The AquaTru Carafe retails for $375. The Clearly Filtered pitcher retails for $100… 

That means the AquaTru Carafe costs nearly 4x more upfront. And yet it targets about 4x fewer dangers than Clearly Filtered's pitcher.

Cost per contaminant is another way to measure value. Here's how each system's price compares to what it actually protects you from:

As you can see, Clearly Filtered is almost 16.5x cheaper for the protection you actually get. And that's without the added cost of AquaTru’s Mineral Boost filter, which bumps AquaTru’s upfront cost up to $395. 

The Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher is Certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 372.

AquaTru, in their words, says the Carafe is "rigorously tested and certified by IAPMO to NSF standards."

See the difference?

We chose NSF because it's the most recognized name in third-party testing, and because we wanted the same authority that wrote the standards to put their mark on our best-selling product.

On top of that, our pitcher is independently tested against 386+ contaminants by EPA-accredited laboratories. That's well beyond what NSF certification requires.

We invite you to view the performance data for both systems: tap here to view Clearly Filtered's pitcher data, and tap here to view AquaTru’s Carafe data.

You'll notice the difference right away.

Many people make the mistake of assuming reverse osmosis is the gold standard in water filtration… 

And yet, the data shows that Clearly Filtered’s pitcher filter is stronger and smarter than AquaTru's Carafe filters.

Clearly Filtered's pitcher filter targets up to 4x more dangers, preserves the healthy minerals your body needs, and is certified by NSF International. And it does all of it with one filter and no fuss. 

Clean water should be part of your everyday routine, not a chore. That’s why Clearly Filtered makes enjoying clean water effortless.

Tap here to upgrade to the Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher, powered by our proprietary Affinity® Filtration Technology and trusted by hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

It's the only pitcher on the planet proven to protect you from up to 386+ dangers, without removing the healthy minerals your body needs.

Want to know exactly what's in your tap water?

Simply enter your zipcode here to get a free report that reveals the specific contaminants in your local tap water supply, risks associated with each, and personalized recommendations to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers flowing from your tap.