Which is bigger, freezer or refrigerator?

Refrigerator is 1.6× freezer on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

How do freezers and refrigerators compare on typical lifespan?

Freezer: 11–20 yr. Refrigerator: 10–17 yr. Freezer is somewhat greater than refrigerator on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.

How do freezers and refrigerators compare on typical cost?

Freezer: 250–1,600 $. Refrigerator: 500–3,500 $. Refrigerator is 1.7× freezer on typical cost.

Freezer vs Refrigerator

Freezer vs refrigerator

Refrigerator is larger on weight

Refrigerator is 1.6× freezer on weight.

A freezer and a refrigerator can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
	Freezer	Refrigerator
Weight	35–120 kg	70–170 kg
Typical lifespan	11–20 yr	10–17 yr
Typical cost	250–1,600 $	500–3,500 $
Power draw	25–70 W	35–90 W
Volume	140–600 L	340–740 L

What the numbers say

Refrigerator is 1.6× freezer on weight.
Freezer is somewhat greater than refrigerator on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.
Refrigerator is 1.7× freezer on typical cost.
Refrigerator is somewhat greater than freezer on power draw — about 1.4×.
Refrigerator is 1.8× freezer on volume.

Weight compared.

Refrigerator 70–170 kg

Freezer 35–120 kg

Freezer

A stand-alone cabinet held below freezing for long-term food storage.

Refrigerator

An insulated cabinet that keeps food cold, normally with a separate freezer compartment.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, freezer or refrigerator?: Refrigerator is 1.6× freezer on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do freezers and refrigerators compare on typical lifespan?: Freezer: 11–20 yr. Refrigerator: 10–17 yr. Freezer is somewhat greater than refrigerator on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.
How do freezers and refrigerators compare on typical cost?: Freezer: 250–1,600 $. Refrigerator: 500–3,500 $. Refrigerator is 1.7× freezer on typical cost.

Sources

Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place
ENERGY STAR Product Specifications — US Environmental Protection Agency (Public domain (US Government))

How these figures are compiled and checked