Best UPS Systems in 2025: Protect IT Equipment from Downtime

The best UPS systems are the key to an effective IT infrastructure. If the primary power source fails, UPS systems provide a backup power source to keep your IT equipment functional.

The purpose of this is to prevent downtime, which you should avoid at all costs. According to Pingdom, downtime can cost large businesses as much as $16,000 per minute, while small businesses can suffer a loss of $427 per minute. 

In this article, our team has looked at the leading UPS system manufacturers (Vertiv, Eaton, APC, etc.) and listed the best UPS battery backup systems from them on the market. Before we review those, let’s look at key buying considerations for UPS systems.

Key considerations when selecting a UPS system

Before investing in a UPS system for your IT infrastructure, it’s important to understand:

1. The different types of UPS systems
2. Your UPS power requirements
3. Battery backup runtime
4. Outlet requirements
5. UPS form factor

Below is a detailed look into each of these.

1. Different types of UPS systems

Before you go into more detail, first decide on the type of UPS system you need. Generally, there are three types of UPS systems:

1. Standby: Standby UPS systems provide basic protection, are the cheapest to configure, and take the least space. They are best for simple home and office use where power outages are infrequent and brief.
2. Line-interactive: Using a line-interactive UPS, the inverter is always on and part of the output. If the AC input fails, the inverter switches to battery power, which provides voltage regulation and filtering.
3. Online double conversion:  Online double conversion UPS systems continuously convert incoming AC power to DC and then back to AC. The result is a clean, consistent power supply with zero transfer time during outages.

If you’re still not sure which one is the best, CyberPower has a great chart that helps to understand which UPS system solves your problems:

Image via CyberPower

As the chart tells, double conversion UPS systems are the most advanced and offer the most protection for valuable and sensitive computers and electronics. 

Line interactive UPS systems offer more cost-effective protection for most IT equipment.

2. UPS power requirements

The UPS system’s output capacity is typically measured in volt-amperes (VA) and defines how much power the unit can supply in battery mode to support connected IT equipment. A UPS must have at least as much power as the connected equipment, or it’ll overload and can’t support the equipment during an outage.

You can estimate the UPS’s power requirements by adding up the wattage of all the devices you intend to connect.

3. Battery backup runtime

Battery backup runtime refers to the time that the UPS system can provide support for connected IT equipment during an outage. Depending on how many devices are connected to the UPS system’s outlets, the runtime varies.

Most large-scale enterprise UPS systems can provide 2-15 minutes of runtime until power is restored or systems are safely shut down.

4. Outlet requirements

If you’re planning to buy a desktop or tower UPS, make sure it has enough outlets to support all your critical devices.

If you’re planning to buy a rack-mount UPS, you’ll most likely connect it to separate power distribution units (PDUs). In this case, you’ll need to make sure the UPS has enough outlets to plug the PDUs in.

5. UPS form factor

The types of UPS systems differ, and so do their form factor.

UPS form factors refer to their position and shape. There are generally three types of form factors available:

1. Desktop UPS: Compact, designed for small office/home use

Desktop UPS example (via Vertiv)

2. Tower UPS: A freestanding, vertical UPS that typically has outlets in the back.

Tower UPS example (via Eaton)

3. Rack-mount UPS: Designed to be mounted inside a standard server rack. It is the best option for most enterprises due to it’s easy integration with existing IT infrastructure.

Rack-mount UPS example (via CyberPower)

The 5 best UPS battery backup systems in 2025

According to our research and the hundreds of customer reviews we went through, the five best UPS systems in 2025 are:

1. Eaton 9PX UPS – Best overall UPS system
2. Vertiv PowerUPS 9000 – Best enterprise UPS system
3. Vertiv Liebert APS – Best scalable UPS system
4. APC Smart-UPS SRT10KXLT – Best for large server rooms
5. CyberPower PR1500LCDRT2U – Best UPS battery backup for small to mid-sized businesses

For a detailed review of each of these, keep on reading!

1. Eaton 9PX UPS – Best overall UPS system

The Eaton 9PX UPS is a double-conversion online UPS that can either be mounted in a server rack or used independently as a tower UPS. It is our choice for the best UPS backup battery system due to its strong reviews from real users, advanced battery management technology, and high efficiency, even at low load levels.

The 9PX UPS model can provide power for up to five minutes at full load or 14 minutes at half load. Eaton 9PX UPS units are equipped with Eaton Gigabit Network Cards, which help IT admins oversee power management.

In this Reddit thread, a few IT managers commented on this model:

• “An Eaton 9PX will survive the apocalypse. If you don’t need a double conversion UPS, the 5PX is fine, too.”

• “I’ve had lots of failures with the APC SmartUPS 3000s, have a handful of CyberPowers just give up the ghost, and one or two Eatons fail. Eaton, for the most part, is the most reliable of the three brands.”

2. Vertiv PowerUPS 9000 – Best enterprise UPS system

Aside from Eaton, Vertiv is another highly popular UPS system provider, and its PowerUPS 9000 is our choice for the best enterprise UPS system. It is designed to support various IT equipment, from high-density applications to traditional computing. This model can achieve up to 97.5% efficiency and 99% efficiency with dynamic online mode.

According to Vertiv, the PowerUPS 9000 is the most efficient UPS of its class, with a physical footprint 32% smaller than previous models.

3. Vertiv Liebert APS – Best scalable UPS system

The Vertiv Liebert APS is the best scalable UPS system for environments like server rooms, network closets, or branch offices. Its modular design allows you to start with a smaller system and add more power or battery modules over time. Each power module is 5kVA/4.5kW.

Compared to Vertiv PowerUPS 9000, the Liebert APS is designed for smaller IT environments.

One Reddit user commented on this model, “We had a Liebert unit in our data center for 18 years without a failure. Although regular maintenance was performed…so to answer your question, Liebert/Vertiv.”

4. APC Smart-UPS SRT10KXLT – Best for large server rooms

If you need a reliable double-conversion online UPS system for protecting high-end network equipment, the APC Smart-UPS SRT10KXLT is a great choice. It is a popular choice among IT administrators, mainly because it is highly reliable and has great built-in quality. It is capable of supporting loads from 1 to 20kVA in a rack/tower configuration. When at full capacity, it can run for up to 3 minutes and 44 seconds.

A few IT administrators commented the following on APC’s UPS systems:

• “Nobody ever got fired for buying APC.”

• “APC has you covered. They use only the finest razor-sharp sheet metal in their 300-pound units.”

5. CyberPower PR1500LCDRT2U – Best UPS system for small to mid-sized businesses

The CyberPower PR1500LCDRT2U is a cost-effective line-interactive UPS system and perhaps the best UPS backup battery for small businesses. It provides battery backup for corporate and departmental servers, storage appliances, network devices, and telecom systems.

CyberPower offers a generous 3-year warranty for their UPS systems, including the batteries. The UPS system can be connected to CyberPower’s cloud management tool for simple remote management. While it can be useful for simple power-level monitoring, it can’t provide the performance monitoring that most enterprises need.

Monitoring your SNMP-enabled UPS systems with Atera

Most UPS systems from companies like Eaton, Vertic, and APC support SNMP, which allows you to track key performance metrics on your UPS systems remotely. To monitor UPS systems via SNMP, you need a third-party SNMP monitoring software, like Atera.

Atera allows users to track SNMP-enabled devices, such as UPS systems, network switches, printers, and other network devices. 

You can monitor key performance metrics, such as:

• Input/output voltage
• Battery level and status
• Load percentage
• Runtime remaining
• Temperature

Besides SNMP, you can even monitor generic non-SNMP UPS systems with Atera.

Atera’s AI Copilot assists with this entire process through its AI-powered OID generator, which allows you to create the correct OIDs for your UPS systems quickly.

So, if you’re ready to revolutionize your IT management with Atera’s innovative Agentic AI product, you can get started easily with the 30-day free trial.

You can cancel at any time; no credit card is required!