# Whole House Filters

> Whole house water filters, well water systems and water softeners compared on published specs, dated US prices and a scoring formula you can check. US English comparison of whole house water filters, well water filters, water softeners and salt-free conditioners (Aquasana, SpringWell, Waterdrop, iSpring, SoftPro, US Water Systems, Fleck): official specs, US prices checked on November 9, 2026 and scores from a published formula.

- Website: https://whole-house-filters.com/
- Language: English (US)
- Publisher: Mint Technology LLC, 4405 Jager Dr NE, Ste C4-4375, Rio Rancho, NM 87144, USA
- Contact: contact@whole-house-filters.com
- Full version (one block per system with specs): https://whole-house-filters.com/llms-full.txt

## Methodology

- [How we score](https://whole-house-filters.com/methodology/): score out of 10, weighted average of criteria each scored out of 10. Filters: flow rate 15%, media life 15%, yearly upkeep 15%, contaminants covered 15%, certification 10%, warranty 10%, return window 5%, price 15%. Softeners: flow rate 15%, certification 10%, hardness treatment 25%, routine care 15%, warranty 10%, return window 10%, price 15%. Missing criterion removed and weights renormalized; no score without a price or with fewer than three known technical criteria. Displayed score = 7.4 + 0.4 × (raw − 4), kept between 7.0 and 9.8. Each system compared in its 1-3 bathroom size.
- [Affiliate disclosure](https://whole-house-filters.com/disclosure/): buy buttons go to the brands' own stores; some links may be affiliate links, which never change scores.

## Rankings

- [The best whole house water filters of 2026](https://whole-house-filters.com/): No. 1 SpringWell CF1 Whole House Water Filter
- [Best whole house water filter for well water in 2026](https://whole-house-filters.com/best-whole-house-water-filter-for-well-water/): No. 1 SoftPro Iron Master AIO Iron Filter
- [The best water softeners of 2026](https://whole-house-filters.com/best-water-softener/): No. 1 US Water Systems Matrixx Smart Metered Water Softener
- [Best salt-free water softener in 2026](https://whole-house-filters.com/best-salt-free-water-softener/): No. 1 Aquasana Whole House Salt-Free Water Conditioner
- [All rankings](https://whole-house-filters.com/rankings/)

## Systems (overall score)

- [SpringWell CF1 Whole House Water Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/springwell-cf1/): 8.9/10, $1,365, whole house filter, city water, 9 GPM · 10 years or 1,000,000 gal · 5 contaminant groups
- [SoftPro Iron Master AIO Iron Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/softpro-iron-master/): 8.8/10, $1,517, well water filter, 4 contaminant groups
- [Aquasana Rhino Whole House Water Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/aquasana-rhino/): 8.7/10, $1,998, whole house filter, city water, 14.6 GPM · 10 years or 1,000,000 gal · 2 contaminant groups
- [SpringWell WS1 Well Water Filter System](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/springwell-ws1/): 8.6/10, $2,625, well water filter, 12 GPM · 10 years · 3 contaminant groups
- [Waterdrop WHF3T-PG 3-Stage Whole House Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/waterdrop-whf3t-pg/): 8.4/10, $369.99, whole house filter, city water, 15 GPM · 12 months · 2 contaminant groups
- [iSpring WGB32BM Iron & Manganese Whole House Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/ispring-wgb32bm/): 8.4/10, $535.99, well water filter, 15 GPM · 6 months · 5 contaminant groups
- [Aquasana Rhino Well Water with UV](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/aquasana-rhino-well-water-uv/): 8.3/10, $3,498, well water filter, 14.7 GPM · 5 years or 500,000 gal · 2 contaminant groups
- [iSpring WGB32B 3-Stage Whole House Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/ispring-wgb32b/): 8.3/10, $516.99, whole house filter, city water, 15 GPM · 6 months · 3 contaminant groups
- [Waterdrop WHF3T-FG Iron & Manganese Whole House Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/waterdrop-whf3t-fg/): 8.3/10, $419.99, well water filter, 15 GPM · 6 months · 4 contaminant groups
- [US Water Systems Matrixx Smart Metered Water Softener](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/us-water-systems-matrixx/): 9.1/10, $1,466.95, salt-based water softener, Softens · 35k grains · 10 GPM
- [SoftPro Elite Smart HE Water Softener](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/softpro-elite/): 8.9/10, $1,367, salt-based water softener, Softens · 32k grains
- [Fleck 5600SXT Metered Water Softener](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/fleck-5600sxt/): 8.8/10, $876, salt-based water softener, Softens · 35k grains · 10 GPM
- [Aquasana Whole House Salt-Free Water Conditioner](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/aquasana-salt-free-conditioner/): 8.8/10, $1,758, salt-free conditioner, Scale prevention · 15.3 GPM
- [SpringWell SS1 Salt-Based Water Softener](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/springwell-ss1/): 8.7/10, $1,890, salt-based water softener, Softens · 32k grains · 11 GPM
- [SpringWell FutureSoft FS1 Salt-Free Conditioner](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/springwell-futuresoft/): 8.6/10, $2,100, salt-free conditioner, Scale prevention · 12 GPM
- [SoftPro Fortress Salt-Free Water Conditioner](https://whole-house-filters.com/review/softpro-fortress/): 8.6/10, $529, salt-free conditioner, Scale prevention · 10 GPM

## Head-to-heads

- [SpringWell CF1 Whole House Water Filter vs Aquasana Rhino Whole House Water Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/springwell-cf1-vs-aquasana-rhino/)
- [Aquasana Rhino Whole House Water Filter vs Waterdrop WHF3T-PG 3-Stage Whole House Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/aquasana-rhino-vs-waterdrop-whf3t-pg/)
- [iSpring WGB32B 3-Stage Whole House Filter vs Aquasana Rhino Whole House Water Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/ispring-wgb32b-vs-aquasana-rhino/)
- [SpringWell CF1 Whole House Water Filter vs iSpring WGB32B 3-Stage Whole House Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/springwell-cf1-vs-ispring-wgb32b/)
- [SoftPro Elite Smart HE Water Softener vs SpringWell SS1 Salt-Based Water Softener](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/softpro-elite-vs-springwell-ss1/)
- [SpringWell SS1 Salt-Based Water Softener vs US Water Systems Matrixx Smart Metered Water Softener](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/springwell-ss1-vs-us-water-systems-matrixx/)
- [SpringWell WS1 Well Water Filter System vs SoftPro Iron Master AIO Iron Filter](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/springwell-ws1-vs-softpro-iron-master/)
- [SpringWell FutureSoft FS1 Salt-Free Conditioner vs SpringWell SS1 Salt-Based Water Softener](https://whole-house-filters.com/vs/springwell-futuresoft-vs-springwell-ss1/)

## Guides

- [Water softener installation cost in 2026](https://whole-house-filters.com/guides/water-softener-installation-cost/): Water softener installation cost in 2026: about $1,500 on average per Angi, $150 to $1,000 of labor, plus what drives the bill up and what salt costs each year.
- [Whole house water filter cost: system, install and five years of filters](https://whole-house-filters.com/guides/whole-house-water-filter-cost/): Whole house water filter cost in 2026: $370 to $3,498 for the system in our data, $200 to $600 to install, and five-year totals that include every cartridge.
- [Whole house water filter vs water softener: which one do you need?](https://whole-house-filters.com/guides/whole-house-water-filter-vs-water-softener/): Whole house water filter vs water softener: a filter removes chlorine, sediment or iron, a softener removes hardness. How to tell which problem you have, and when you need both.
- [Salt-free vs salt-based water softener: what each one really does](https://whole-house-filters.com/guides/salt-free-vs-salt-based-water-softener/): Salt-free vs salt-based water softener: only salt-based systems remove hardness; salt-free conditioners reduce scale with no salt, drain or power. Costs, limits and who each suits.
- [How to remove iron (and the sulfur smell) from well water](https://whole-house-filters.com/guides/how-to-remove-iron-from-well-water/): How to remove iron from well water: test first, then match the treatment to your iron level, from cartridges under 3 ppm to air injection up to 30 ppm. Sulfur smell included.
- [How long does a water softener last?](https://whole-house-filters.com/guides/how-long-does-a-water-softener-last/): How long does a water softener last? Resin typically 10 to 15 years, less with chlorine or iron; valves and tanks per their warranties. Signs it is failing and what replacing costs.

## Tools

- [Water softener size calculator](https://whole-house-filters.com/water-softener-size-calculator/): grains per regeneration from people, water use, hardness and iron.
- [Comparison tool](https://whole-house-filters.com/comparison-tool/): up to 3 systems side by side.