Viomi V8 PRO vs Waterdrop G5P700A: Faucet Readings, App Alerts and Built-In Minerals

Purified-water TDS and filter life appear on the faucet display of both the Viomi V8 PRO and the Waterdrop G5P700A, so the comparison between these two tankless systems turns to what each adds beyond the tap. For a family that wants those readings on a phone too, along with a usage report and replacement reminders through the Viomi app, the Viomi V8 PRO is the better fit.

The G5P700A answers a different priority. Waterdrop builds an alkaline mineralization layer into its CF composite cartridge, so the water from its faucet comes out with minerals added back.

The Two Systems in This Comparison

Both are tankless under-sink reverse osmosis systems that make water as the faucet runs. The Viomi V8 PRO's membrane is rated at 800 GPD with a 3:1 pure-to-drain ratio. The Waterdrop unit compared here, the WD-G5P700A, is rated at 700 GPD with a 2:1 ratio, and it is a different model from Waterdrop's G5P700A-PRO. Stage counts come to 9 and 8. The ratio describes how each system splits its feed water: at 3:1, the Viomi V8 PRO is rated to send one part to the drain for every three parts of purified water, and at 2:1 the G5P700A is rated to send one part for every two.

Each system runs on two cartridges, though the work is divided differently. The Viomi V8 PRO pairs a PCB composite cartridge rated for 12 months with an RO800 membrane rated for 24 months, and the box includes a second PCB as a spare. In the G5P700A, the G5P700A-CF cartridge combines a sediment pre-filter, a carbon block post-filter and the alkaline mineralization layer, and Waterdrop rates it for 6 months; the G5P700-RO membrane is rated for 24 months, the same membrane life as the Viomi V8 PRO's RO800.

The monitoring hardware follows the same pattern on both: a display faucet on the counter and filter-life lights on the main unit. On the Viomi V8 PRO, the same information also reaches the Viomi app over Wi-Fi.

Readings and Ratings Side by Side

The first three rows show the two systems reporting the same things in the same places: TDS and filter life at the faucet, filter status on the main unit. The last two are where the ratings part ways, and for the Viomi V8 PRO the Viomi app and the timing of its panel warning add to the monitoring picture.

Reading TDS and Filter Life at the Faucet

On the Viomi V8 PRO, the smart faucet shows a real-time TDS reading of the purified water and the filter-life status at a glance. The faucet is wired to the main unit with a signal cable, so the numbers on the counter come straight from the system under the sink. Anyone filling a pot sees the current reading and how close each cartridge is to its change, since the filter-life status sits on the same display as the TDS number, and one glance covers both.

Waterdrop's manual describes the G5P700A's faucet screen in similar terms: a built-in TDS sensor sends its reading to the RO faucet screen, which wakes when the faucet is turned on and goes dark after the water stops, so the reading appears with each pour. The same screen shows CF and RO filter life. Waterdrop also notes that the TDS of its weakly alkaline mineralized version reads slightly higher, which fits with minerals being added back to the water.

TDS gives an overall picture of the dissolved solids in the water, which makes the number at the faucet a handy everyday reference on either system. Our guide to reading the TDS numbers on an RO display goes further into what those numbers mean.

What the Viomi App Adds on a Phone

The Viomi app gives the faucet readings a second home on a phone. Before-and-after TDS lets the household compare its tap water with the purified water, a usage report gives a picture of how much purified water gets drawn, and cartridge tracking leads to a replacement reminder when a change approaches. Because the usage report and the reminders sit in the same app, water use and maintenance can be followed from one place.

For a busy family, that means the person who keeps cartridges stocked hears about a change on the phone paired with the purifier, even on days spent away from the kitchen. Our comparison of smart water purifier brands by feature sets these app functions next to other smart systems.

Warning Before a Cartridge Comes Due

The Viomi V8 PRO's PCB composite cartridge is rated for 12 months and its RO800 membrane for 24 months, and the faucet and the app follow each one's remaining life. With the spare PCB in the box, no extra pre-filter purchase is needed for up to two years under normal household use. Ten to 15 days before a change is due, the control-panel lights turn orange, which leaves time to order a cartridge before the old one runs out. Separately, the app sends its own replacement reminder. The swap itself is a tool-free twist and pull.

On the G5P700A, the CF cartridge is rated for 6 months and the RO for 24 months, and filter life appears on both the faucet screen and the system housing, where separate CF and RO indicators track each cartridge. Because the mineralization layer lives inside the CF cartridge, each six-month CF change also renews the mineral stage, so one swap covers both jobs.

When the Viomi V8 PRO Fits Better

The Viomi V8 PRO suits a household that wants its filter status in more than one place: on the faucet for whoever is pouring, on the panel 10 to 15 days ahead of a change, and in the app for whoever orders cartridges. It also carries the higher rating of the two, 800 GPD against 700 GPD; converted from the daily ratings, that is about 0.56 gallons per minute against about 0.49, a conversion of the ratings and not a measured faucet flow.

When the Waterdrop G5P700A Fits Better

Built-in minerals are the main reason to choose the G5P700A. Waterdrop says the G5P700A-CF cartridge enriches the purified water with calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium during filtration and balances its pH to about 7.5. Because that layer sits inside one of the two standard cartridges, the system delivers mineralized water with no external filter to plumb in and no extra cartridge to track.

A household that already knows it prefers mineralized RO water, and is satisfied with a faucet screen and housing indicators for monitoring, gets that combination in a single box at a rated 700 GPD, within 100 GPD of the Viomi V8 PRO's rating. Since both systems carry a 24-month RO rating, the upkeep difference lies in the pre-filter: 6 months for the G5P700A-CF and 12 months for the Viomi PCB, with each CF change on the G5P700A doubling as a refresh of the mineral layer.

For minerals added back together with app monitoring, Viomi offers the Viomi M1, its RO system with remineralization built in.

Setup Notes for Both Systems

On either system the main unit sits out of sight under the sink, and the only part on the counter is the display faucet, which is where the household interacts with it every day. Each connects to the standard cold-water supply and the sink drain. The G5P700A's faucet has its own power cord, which feeds down through the faucet hole along with the water tubing, while the Viomi V8 PRO's faucet connects to the main unit through its signal cable.

Under the sink, the Viomi V8 PRO's main unit measures 16.3 inches long, 5 inches wide and 12.8 inches high, a slim footprint for a cabinet shared with cleaning supplies. Waterdrop asks for 2 inches of open space around the G5P700A so it does not sit against the cabinet walls. For the Viomi V8 PRO, installation parts come in the box, and a step-by-step installation video walks through the setup.

Once running, the Viomi V8 PRO also flushes itself automatically between uses, opening the inlet valve every 12 hours for a 70-second rinse without running the pump.

FAQ

What does the Viomi app show once the Viomi V8 PRO is connected?

After installation, the Viomi V8 PRO is paired with the home Wi-Fi network by holding the Select and Reset buttons for 3 seconds. Once connected, the app shows TDS before and after filtration, keeps the usage report, follows each cartridge's remaining life and sends the replacement reminder.

How is the filter reminder reset after a cartridge change?

Once a new cartridge is in, a 3-second press of the Reset button on the unit starts tracking the fresh cartridge, and filter life shows 100% again on both the faucet display and the app.

Where do the filter reminders appear besides the app?

Two places on the purifier itself carry filter status: the smart faucet, which is wired to the main unit and shows TDS and filter life, and the control panel, whose lights turn orange 10 to 15 days before a change. The app is a separate layer on a phone that adds the usage report, before-and-after TDS and replacement reminders.

Who in the household sees a filter reminder?

Anyone who fills a glass sees the faucet display on either system, and the G5P700A's screen shows filter life each time the water runs. On the Viomi V8 PRO, the reminder also appears in the app on the phone paired with the purifier, so the notice also reaches someone who is away from the kitchen.

What the Monitoring Comparison Adds Up To

Both systems put the same readings on the faucet, so the choice rests on what a household wants beyond that. A phone that carries those readings and a usage report, plus orange panel lights that give 10 to 15 days of notice before a change, belong to the Viomi V8 PRO's side of the comparison. Mineralized water from a single CF cartridge is where the G5P700A makes its case.