115 V or 230 V mini split?
Of the 31 single-zone DIY systems with a live price, 12 run on 115 V, 15 on 208–240 V, and 4 do not state a voltage. 115 V exists only at 9,000 and 12,000 BTU; from 18,000 BTU up every system with a stated voltage needs a 230 V circuit.
Prices retrieved: September 7, 2026, 20:37 UTC. Voltage is read from each listing; 4 live systems do not state one and are left out of the counts rather than guessed.
What is sold at each voltage
The voltage is not a preference, it is a constraint: a 115 V unit plugs into the kind of circuit most rooms already have, a 230 V unit needs a dedicated double-pole circuit that a house may or may not have where the wall bracket goes. So the first question is which sizes even exist at 115 V.
| Size | 115 V live | Cheapest 115 V | 230 V live | Cheapest 230 V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,000 BTU | 5 | $580 TURBRO 9,000 BTU Ductless Mini Split 115V | 1 | $2,150 Zone Air 9,000 BTU DIY Ductless Mini Split 230V |
| 12,000 BTU | 7 | $550 Albott DIY 12K Pro Fast-Fit | 4 | $560 Albott Easy DIY 12K 220V |
| 18,000 BTU | 0 | none | 3 | $800 Electactic SE7203SP 18K Easy DIY |
| 24,000 BTU | 0 | none | 4 | $690 TABU 24,000BTU Mini Split Air Conditioner wi |
| 36,000 BTU | 0 | none | 3 | $2,500 PerfectAire Perfect Aire 35000 BTU Quick Connect… |
Single-zone DIY systems with a live price. 208, 220, 230 and 240 V listings are one class here — all need the same kind of circuit.
Same line, both voltages
Where a brand sells the same size in both, the price gap is the cleanest measure of what the voltage itself is worth, because everything else about the two units is the same.
| Line | 115 V | 230 V | 230 V costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 9,000 BTU | $2,100 | $2,150 | +$50 |
| Albott 12,000 BTU | $550 | $560 | +$10 |
| Klimaire 12,000 BTU | $1,589 | $1,489 | −$100 |
| Zone 12,000 BTU | $2,200 | $2,250 | +$50 |
Across 4 lines sold at both voltages, the 230 V version costs between −$100 and +$50 relative to the 115 V one. The voltage itself is close to free; what costs money is the circuit it needs.
Cheapest live listing of each voltage within the same brand and size. Where the table is short it is because few brands sell both; the catalogue lists what is on Amazon, not what the brand makes.
What the circuit does to the saving
- If you already have 230 V at the wall
- Then the voltage costs you nothing and the table above is the whole answer: pick by size and price. A dryer, range or older window unit circuit nearby is the usual sign.
- If you do not
- A new double-pole circuit is an electrician's job in most places, and it is priced by the run from the panel, not by the unit. It is the one part of a “DIY” install that is not DIY, and it can be a meaningful share of the $1,000–$3,500 that professional installation would have cost.
- Why 115 V stops at 12,000 BTU
- A 115 V circuit is normally 15 or 20 A; above roughly 12,000 BTU the compressor's draw crosses what that can carry with margin, so manufacturers move to 230 V. This is why the 115 V column above is empty from 18,000 BTU up: not a pricing choice, a wiring one.
Price per BTU by voltage
Across the catalogue the typical 115 V system costs $146.67 per 1,000 BTU/h (median of 12) and the typical 230 V system $84.39 (median of 15). That gap is mostly the sizes, not the voltage: 115 V units are the small ones, and small units cost more per BTU. Compare within one size, as in the table above, before reading anything into the overall figure.
Every system listed here is a heat pump that both cools and heats, and every one is new, not refurbished or open-box. 40 of 43 catalogued systems have a verified live price right now.
Full ranking by $/BTU · Settle the size first · What one costs to buy