Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Which One Should You Get?

Buying a wood heating appliance is a big decision. And while there are plenty of benefits to wood heating, not every wood heating appliance is right for every home. Getting the best warmth for your buck means getting the right kind of heater.

While there are plenty of varieties of wood heating units on the market today, two that prove particularly popular are wood stoves and pellet stoves. And though they have some things in common, pellet stoves and wood stoves differ from each other quite a bit, too.

At HY-C, we manufacture a third kind of heating appliance: wood burning furnaces. We also manufacture stove boards, an essential appliance both for wood stoves and pellet stoves. We know wood heating very well. And in this guide, we want to help you decide whether a wood stove or a pellet stove is right for you.

Using data we gathered for our best pellet stove and best wood stove articles, we’ll cover the cost differences between these two types of heaters, how much heat they put out, the burn times you can expect from each unit, and much, much more.

By the time you’re finished here, you’ll be able to decide whether or not a wood stove or a pellet stove is the right choice for you and your home.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Price

For many homeowners, cost is one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a wood heating appliance. And when it comes to wood stoves and pellet stoves, there’s a pretty stark difference between what you can expect to pay for each one.

Wood stoves tend to cost between $1,500 and $4,500 depending on which model you get. This is a wide range, obviously, and the price you pay will depend on the quality of the model you buy, how much heat it puts out, its operating efficiency, and many more factors.

Pellet stoves, on the other hand, tend to be a bit simpler in their construction and operation. As a result, you can expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,500 for a pellet stove.

Keep in mind that these prices only take the unit itself into account. They don’t include the cost of installation or the price of any materials your installer may need to purchase to install the unit.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Heat Output

When it comes to the amount of delivered heat you can expect from a wood stove or a pellet stove, wood stoves put out quite a bit more.

Depending on which stove you buy, you can expect to get anywhere from 10,000 BTUs to 68,000 BTUs of heat from a wood stove. This is mostly a function of their design and the fact that they burn cordwood fuel — a more potent heat source.

Pellet stoves, on the other hand, put off anywhere from 7,000 BTUs to 35,000 BTUs of heat. There are many benefits to burning wood pellets for fuel, but pellets simply don’t give off as much heat energy as their cordwood counterparts.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Heating Area

Another metric where wood stoves edge out their pellet stove competition is heating area. Wood stoves are capable of heating between 1,000 square feet and 3,000 square feet. This makes them ideal for small and medium-sized homes.

Conversely, pellet stoves heat smaller areas. They can typically heat between 800 square feet and 2,500 square feet. They’re best used for single rooms, basements, garages, or similar applications. Only high-end pellet stoves have enough power to heat an entire home.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Burn Times

In terms of burn times, pellet stoves have the upper hand over wood stoves. In general, you can expect between 20 hours and 40 hours of burn times from your pellet stove due primarily to the way they’re designed.

Pellet stoves utilize a hopper — a top-loaded section into which several pounds’ worth of pellets are dumped. The stove then drops a few pellets at a time into the burn pot — the metal chamber in which the pellets are burned. This allows the pellet stove to burn at a slow, consistent, and efficient rate.

Wood stoves work basically the opposite way: you toss wood in, you light it, and you let it burn. This method delivers more heat to a broader area, but the wood fuel burns up much more quickly. Expect between 8 hours and 12 hours of burn time from a wood stove fuel load.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Efficiency

Though they have virtually the same efficiency ceiling, pellet stoves and wood stoves have different efficiency floors. Wood stoves are between 70% and 80% efficient, while pellet stoves are between 75% and 80% efficient. The reason for this primarily comes down to the fuel source.

Pellets have very low and consistent moisture levels, typically around 7%. Cordwood moisture levels, though, can vary widely between 15% and 50% depending on how well-seasoned the wood is. The lower the moisture the level, the more efficient the burn.

As mentioned earlier, pellet stoves deliver fuel automatically through a hopper, while wood stoves burn up an entire fuel load in one go and need to be reloaded manually. This automated fuel delivery allows pellet stoves to burn more efficiently.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Emissions

Due to recent regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), wood stove and pellet stove models burn more cleanly than ever. When it comes to the cleanest emissions levels, though, pellet stoves have the upper hand.

Pellet stoves put out anywhere from 0.74 grams of particulates an hour to 1.2 grams of particulates per hour. Wood stoves, on the other hand, give off between 0.8 grams of particulates per hour to 2.4 grams per hour.

Again, this primarily comes down to fuel type. Low-moisture pellets burn more efficiently and produce fewer emissions than unseasoned or lightly seasoned cordwood.

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Creosote

If you have a wood stove, it’s more likely to develop creosote than a pellet stove.

Once again, this is due to the fuel type and its moisture contents. If you don’t season your firewood well enough, it won’t combust fully in the firebox. This leads to a cooler flue and more smoke — ideal conditions for creosote formation.

Wood pellets, on the other hand, burn very cleanly and produce much less smoke. Their lower moisture results in fewer gaseous byproducts that cause creosote.

This isn’t to say that chimney pipes connected to pellet stoves never get creosote; they certainly can (and do) develop it. But wood stoves develop it more quickly and need to be cleaned more often as a result.

Should You Get a Wood Stove or a Pellet Stove?

This has been an in-depth look at the differences between pellet stoves and wood stoves. And if you’re still having trouble deciding which one is right for you, consider the following.

Wood stoves have the clear advantage in terms of heat output and heating area. If you’re looking for a unit that can provide a lot of heat to a large area, a wood stove is a good choice. You will spend a bit more, though, and you’ll experience lower burn times and higher emissions.

Pellet stoves, on the other hand, cost much less, burn more efficiently, give off fewer emissions, and tend to be more efficient. As drawbacks go, they heat smaller spaces and produce quite a bit less heat per hour than a wood stove.

When it comes to choosing the right one for you, be sure to pick the heater that best fits your budget and the size of the home or room you want to heat. And while you’re at it, be sure to pick up a stove board to keep your home protected from stray embers and thermal radiation.