A basic PDU distributes one input circuit to several outlets with no monitoring and no remote control, per every maker's own description of the class - the cheapest of the four PDU classes and the one with the least to fail electronically. 9 tracked in stock right now, from $101.41. Metered units start 16% higher, computed live below.
Prices updated · live figures update every 4-5 hours
Cheapest basic unit we track: $101.41. Cheapest metered unit: $118.00 - a 16% step for the load readout the manufacturer adds to that class. Computed from our own live rows, not a maker's claim.
Every basic PDU we track is described by its own maker the same way: an input circuit distributed to a fixed set of outlets, with no display, no remote readout, and no remote control. That is the entire feature set, and it is also why the class is the cheapest of the four we track - there is no monitoring or switching circuitry to pay for.
Who this suits, stated as a capability difference rather than a use case we are inventing: anyone who does not need to know how much a rack is drawing or to power-cycle anything remotely. A basic PDU is a distribution block, not an instrument.
0U (vertical, mounted along the side rail, consuming no rack unit space) and 1U (horizontal, consuming one RU) both exist in this class - check the table above for which each unit is, since a listing that does not state a form factor renders as unverified rather than a guess.
We do not answer whether a specific circuit can take a specific load - that question has a real answer for your building and your wiring, and it belongs to a licensed electrician, not a website reading Amazon listings.
Where to go next
The PDU hub covers all four classes and the plug-and-receptacle section · Metered and switched are the next two steps up · The rack hub covers the enclosure this mounts in.
Frequently asked questions
What does a basic PDU not do, compared to metered or switched?
Per every manufacturer's own description of the class: no display or remote readout of load (that's metered), and no remote outlet control (that's switched). A basic PDU distributes power to its outlets and nothing else - which is also why it is the cheapest of the four classes and has the least electronics to fail.
Is a basic PDU safe to fully load?
We don't answer that - it depends on your circuit, your other loads and your local code, and that question belongs to a licensed electrician. What we publish is the unit's own stated input current limit and outlet ratings, sourced from its listing.
Why would I pay more for metered or switched instead of basic?
Visibility (metered) or remote control (switched), per the manufacturer's own description of what those classes add - see the live price step above for what that costs today. A basic PDU is the right choice when neither of those is worth the money to you.
What plug and outlets does a basic PDU have?
Whatever its own listing states - our table above shows the exact input plug (NEMA or IEC) and outlet type/count per unit, sourced from the listing text. Nothing here is inferred from the product name or photo.
Can a basic PDU be upgraded to metered later?
No - metering is built into the unit at manufacture, per how every maker in this category builds the class. If you want a load readout, you need a metered unit from the start, not an add-on for a basic one.
Do basic PDUs come in 0U (vertical) and 1U (horizontal) form?
Yes, both exist across the brands we track, and our table states which for every unit that specifies one. 0U mounts vertically along the side of the rack and does not consume rack unit space; 1U mounts horizontally and takes one RU.
Sources
Specification claims on this page were checked against the pages below on 4 August 2026. Where a widely-repeated figure did not survive that check, we report what the source says now and say so in the text rather than repeating the familiar number.
Used for: APC's own published figures for this specific, discontinued PDU: "Input current limits: 20 A" and "Line Rated Current: 16 A" - both quoted verbatim from the datasheet. Also "Input Connection Type: NEMA L5-20P" and "Number of power socket outlets: 24 NEMA 5-20R," the exact plug and outlet facts for this model.
Used for: The same two figures on APC's CURRENTLY SOLD replacement model: "Input current limits: 20 A" and "Line Rated Current: 16 A" - confirming the pattern is not specific to one discontinued part number. Also "Product availability: Stock - Normally stocked in distribution facility," confirming this model is not discontinued.
Used for: quoted verbatim: "Compared to the 5-15P plug, the 5-20P plug has the neutral blade rotated 90° and shifted..." and "The 5-20R receptacle has a T-shaped neutral hole, to accept both 5-15P and 5-20P plugs" - the mechanical basis for why a 5-15P plug fits a 5-20R receptacle but a 5-20P plug does not fit a plain 5-15R receptacle. The same rotated-blade relationship is confirmed for the NEMA 6 (240V) family between 6-15 and 6-20. The article itself cites the dimensional standard, ANSI/NEMA WD 6-2016.
Used for: quoted verbatim: C13/C14 rated "Max. current (A): 10" with "Pin spacing, centres (mm): 14 (H) / 4 (V)"; C19/C20 rated "Max. current (A): 16" with "Pin spacing, centres (mm): 13 (H) / 8 (V)" - different physical pin spacing at different amperages. Also quoted verbatim, the standard's own design principle: "The shape and dimensions of appliance inlets and connectors are coordinated so that a connector with lower current rating, temperature rating, or polarization cannot be inserted into an appliance inlet that requires higher ratings."
Used for: quoted verbatim from the standard's own text: "This standard covers dimensional requirements for plugs and receptacles rated up to 60 Ampere and 600 Volts" and its own dimension-grouping table showing 5-15/5-20 sharing one envelope size, L5-20/L6-20 sharing a second, and L5-30/L6-30 sharing a third, distinct third size - the standard's own numeric proof that these are mechanically different parts. This is a community-uploaded scan of NEMA's copyrighted standard, not a page NEMA itself publishes for free; stated as that distinction rather than presented as NEMA's own site.
Used for: quoted verbatim: "This 12U open frame rack supports stationary loads up to 1320 lbs" and the spec table's own "Weight Capacity: 1320 lbs" field - a static load rating sourced to the maker's own product page for this specific model. No dynamic/rolling load figure appears on this page; none is claimed here.
Used for: every price in this cluster's tables, read from our catalogue at request time. Seeded 13 September 2026: 44 PDUs across basic/metered/switched/ATS classes, 34 racks (2-post, 4-post, enclosed, wall-mount), 10 rack accessories (shelves, blanking panels, cable management). Every electrical field (plug type, amperage, outlet count/type) is extracted from the listing's own title text and is seller-claim tier unless a specific citation above upgrades it to vendor-fact; a blank field means the listing did not state it and we did not infer one. Static/dynamic load ratings were sourced for exactly one model (source #6); every other tracked rack's load rating is unverified, stated as such rather than estimated.