The two filters side by side
Aquasana publishes a lab result for each contaminant it tested, and says the Claryum keeps calcium, magnesium and potassium in13. Its filters add about $184 a year7. The WD-10UA’s filters cost $30.99 a year, but the only certified claim found for it is chlorine, taste and odor1117. Neither listing could be confirmed in the certifier’s own database1381516.
Prices are US list prices on each maker’s site, before tax and shipping, checked on October 13, 2026. Member prices and checkout codes aren’t used. The three-year cost adds three years of filters to the purchase price. Neither needs electricity, so there’s no power cost to add. Where a cell says a figure isn’t stated, we didn’t find it on the maker’s pages.
| Question | Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow (Chrome) | Waterdrop WD-10UA |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $449.99 list, no sale. Chrome was out of stock. Water for Life members see $359.9912 | $58.99 list. The page shows $39.99 only with code WDUA at checkout910 |
| Faucet | Its own all-metal faucet. Needs a hole at least 1/2 in wide; a sprayer or soap-dispenser hole works14 | Feeds your existing kitchen faucet, so there’s no extra hole9 |
| Filters inside | A 5-micron pre-filter, then two Claryum filters with carbon and ion exchange17 | One cartridge: polyester membrane, carbon block and KDF, rated at 0.5 micron10 |
| Flow | 0.72 gpm13 | 0.75 GPM on the spec table; the FAQ cites 2.0 gpm at 60 psi9 |
| Filter life | 800 gallons or about 6 months17 | 12 months, and 11,000 or 8,000 gallons depending on the Waterdrop page911 |
| Filters per year | $183.98, two $91.99 sets7 | $30.99, one WD-RF10 cartridge11 |
| Three-year cost | $1,001.9317 | $151.96 plus installation1011 |
| Certification claim | WQA, to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401, per Aquasana. WQA’s database blocked access, and NSF lists no AQ-6300M138 | NSF/ANSI 42 and 372, per Waterdrop, but NSF lists no 10UA. A third-party database points to IAPMO R&T for chlorine, taste and odor9131617 |
| Published lab results | Lead 99.6% at pH 8.5; PFOA and PFOS 99.7%; chlorine 97.3%; chloramine 91%; cysts 99.995%3 | None. Waterdrop claims chlorine, odor, sediment and heavy-metal reduction with no lab or percentage910 |
| Water limits | 20 to 80 psi, 40 to 90°F, cold water only14 | 10 to 125 psi, 35 to 100°F, cold water only, indoors910 |
| Power | None. A coin battery runs the change alarm, and each filter set includes a new one47 | None, and no wastewater10 |
| Size | 4.25 L × 12 W × 12.85 H in. Weight not listed1 | 3.9 × 3.6 × 12.3 in on the spec table; 3.30 lb on Waterdrop’s comparison page914 |
| Warranty | 1 year. Filters are excluded, and the faucet may not be covered. You pay labor and shipping5 | 1 year on manufacturing defects9 |
| Returns | 90 days, for direct purchases. You pay return shipping. The policy doesn’t say whether an installed system qualifies6 | 30 days. No restocking fee if it’s like new, otherwise 10%. You pay return shipping unless it’s defective12 |
Which one fits your water
Start with your water report. If lead, PFAS or chloramine is the problem, only one of these has published results for it. If your water is safe and you just dislike the chlorine taste, the cheaper filter may be all you need.
- Lead, PFAS or chloramine: Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow. Aquasana’s data sheet reports 99.6% lead reduction at pH 8.53. PFOA and PFOS drop 99.7%, and chloramine drops 91%3. It filters rather than purifies, so Aquasana says calcium, magnesium and potassium stay in1. The catch: filters cost $91.99 a set every six months, about $184 a year7. WQA’s database couldn’t be checked, so the certification rests on Aquasana’s documents13.
- Chlorine taste at your own faucet: Waterdrop WD-10UA. It connects to the cold line and feeds the faucet you already have, so you drill nothing9. It’s $58.99, and one $30.99 cartridge a year keeps it going1011. The catch: the only certified reduction found is chlorine, taste and odor, and it rests on a third-party database, not a certifier’s listing17. Its heavy-metal claims come with no test data910.
What each one is shown to remove
Aquasana says WQA certified the Claryum to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 40113. Its data sheet gives a separate result for each contaminant, including lead, PFOA and PFOS, chloramine, cysts and 15 trace drugs and chemicals3. WQA’s database blocked automated access, so the listing wasn’t confirmed with WQA. NSF lists only two Aquasana products, both whole-house UV systems8. The sheet doesn’t cover arsenic, fluoride or nitrate3.
Waterdrop says the WD-10UA is certified to NSF/ANSI 42 and 372, and its NSF page credits NSF International913. NSF’s database doesn’t list the 10UA or its WD-RF10 cartridge1516. A third-party database ties it to IAPMO R&T listings for chlorine, taste and odor, and for lead-free parts17. NSF/ANSI 372 covers the lead in the parts that touch water, not what the filter removes.
So the gap is wider than the price suggests. If you need lead or PFAS reduction from an under-sink filter, the Claryum is the one with numbers behind it. If you need fluoride or nitrate lowered, neither fits, and you’d want a reverse osmosis system instead.
Filters and what they really cost
Over three years, the Claryum comes to $449.99 + 3 × $183.98 = $1,001.9317. The WD-10UA comes to $58.99 + 3 × $30.99 = $151.96, before any installation cost1011. Waterdrop’s comparison page still shows $51.99 and a $24.99 average yearly cost, which don’t match its store14.
Gallon limits matter more than the months. Aquasana rates a Claryum set for 800 gallons or six months, about 4.4 gallons a day7. A kitchen that uses more will change filters sooner. The WD-10UA’s ratings work out to about 22 to 30 gallons a day1011. But every drop of cold water at your faucet runs through it, including water for rinsing dishes.
Water for Life members pay $78.19 a Claryum set instead of $91.997. Aquasana’s manual also says to replace the Claryum’s housing sumps every five years, and no price is given4.
Installation, warranty and returns
Aquasana says no plumber is needed for the Claryum1. A brass tee goes on the cold line, the manifold screws to the cabinet wall, and the faucet goes in a hole at least 1/2 in wide4. If you have to drill a new hole, the manual strongly recommends a professional4. The WD-10UA uses push-to-connect fittings and fits faucets with 1/2 in or 3/8 in female NPT threads910. Waterdrop doesn’t say whether you need a plumber, and it says well water needs a whole-house filter first9.
Both carry a one-year warranty59. Aquasana excludes filters, may not cover the faucet and leaves you to pay labor and shipping on a claim5. Water for Life members get an extended limited warranty for as long as they stay members1. Waterdrop’s service policy gives no specific terms for under-sink filters12.
Aquasana takes returns for 90 days on direct purchases, and you pay return shipping6. Waterdrop gives 30 days, with no restocking fee on a like-new return and 10% otherwise12. Orders from Amazon and other third-party sellers don’t qualify12. Neither policy says whether an installed filter can come back612.
Sources
- Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow, Chrome (SKU 100391705) Aquasana · manufacturer
- Under Sink Water Filters Aquasana · manufacturer
- AQ-6300M Performance Data Sheet Aquasana · manufacturer
- AQ-6200, AQ-6300 and AQ-6300M Owner's Manual Aquasana · manufacturer
- Claryum 2, 3 and 3+ Stage 1-Year Limited Warranty Aquasana · manufacturer
- Refunds, Returns & Cancellations Aquasana · manufacturer
- Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Filter Replacements (AQ-C3M-R) Aquasana · manufacturer
- NSF Drinking Water Treatment Units listings: Aquasana NSF · certifier
- Under Sink Water Filter | Direct Connect Filtration System (WD-10UA) Waterdrop · manufacturer
- Direct Connect Filtration System store listing (variants, prices, description) Waterdrop · manufacturer · data file
- Replacement Undersink Water Filter WD-RF10, WD-RF15, WD-RF17 store listing Waterdrop · manufacturer · data file
- Service Policy (returns, warranty, price match and shipping) Waterdrop · manufacturer
- NSF Certification Waterdrop · manufacturer
- Single-stage Under Sink Water Filter Comparison Waterdrop · manufacturer
- NSF listings: drinking water treatment units, trade name Waterdrop NSF · certifier
- NSF listings: drinking water treatment units, trade name 10UA NSF · certifier
- Waterdrop 10UA certification record TapWaterData
How this was written. Written from the sources listed above, checked . It is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before acting on anything here if you have a health condition or take medication.
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