Goodman vs Amana AC 2026: Same Hardware, Different Warranty

Goodman and Amana sell the same Daikin hardware under two names. Checked on October 16, 2026, both lineups run on R-32 refrigerant from about 15 SEER2 up to 19 SEER2, and the 3-ton variable-speed flagships, Goodman's GXV9S and Amana's AXV9S, publish identical capacity, sound and electrical data. The real difference in 2026 is the warranty: registered within 60 days, Amana's top four models carry 10 years of unit replacement, while Goodman's top three carry 5.

Pick the stronger dealer first, then decide whether five more years of unit replacement is worth the gap between your quotes. A quote naming GSXV9, ASXV9, GSXC7 or ASXC7 comes from an old price sheet: those models no longer appear on either brand's site.

Quick comparison

Decision	Goodman	Amana
Owner	Daikin, since November 2012	Daikin, using the Amana name under license
Models listed	7, all R-32	8, R-32 on every spec sheet we read
Top model	GXV9S, up to 19 SEER2	AXV9S, up to 19 SEER2
Two-stage model	GLXT7C, up to 17.2 SEER2	ALXT7C, up to 17.2 SEER2
Parts, registered or not	10 or 5 years	10 or 5 years
Unit replacement	5 years on 3 models	10 years on 4 models
Registration window	60 days	60 days
3-ton price, one publisher	$3,800 to $6,500	$4,000 to $6,800
Pick it when	Its dealer writes the cleaner scope	The gap buys the longer term

The price row is HVAC Project Cost's standard 3-ton replacement, updated August 3, 2026, without permits, ducts or panel work. Every SEER2 figure is a family maximum; your rating is the AHRI certificate for your outdoor unit and indoor coil together.

How we compared them

Equipment. Each brand's air conditioner range, model pages and dealer spec sheets, dated July 2025 to April 2026, all read on October 16, 2026.
Warranty. The limited warranty certificate linked from each model page, plus both brands' warranty-information pages for state rules. Our Goodman and Amana brand profiles carry the wider brand history.
Prices. Our 3-ton cost model (data version 2026-07-10, reviewed August 16, 2026), HVAC Project Cost (August 2026), Fixr (August 29, 2025) and This Old House (October 2, 2026).
Sound. The AHRI 270 sound rating in dBA for the 3-ton size, taken from each spec sheet. We did no lab testing and hold no first-party quote data.

Who owns and builds Goodman and Amana

Daikin completed its $3.7 billion purchase of Goodman Global on November 1, 2012, according to Daikin's release the next day. In April 2022 it renamed the US company Daikin Comfort Technologies North America. The same release says Daikin consolidated Goodman's four US factories in 2017 into the Daikin Texas Technology Park outside Houston, the largest factory in the Daikin Group. Goodman's model pages say its units are "designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S.A."

Amana is a licensing arrangement. Amana's own spec sheets state that the Amana mark belongs to Maytag Corporation "or its related companies and is used under license," and its site says the equipment is "manufactured under license by Daikin."

Item	Goodman	Amana
Brand name owned by	Daikin	Maytag, licensed to Daikin
Warranty issued by	Daikin Comfort Technologies Manufacturing, Inc.	Daikin Comfort Technologies Manufacturing, L.P.
Homeowner support	Waller, Texas	Same Waller address
Where built	"Assembled in the U.S.A."	Plant not named
Bought online by a homeowner	No warranty unless a dealer installs it to code	Same policy, word for word

What "same hardware" means on paper

The clearest evidence is the flagship spec sheets. Size for size, the 3-ton pages match line for line:

3-ton spec sheet item	GXV9S	AXV9S
Maximum cooling, AHRI rated	35,000 Btu/h	35,000 Btu/h
Compressor	Variable-speed swing, inverter	Same
Sound rating, normal mode	71 dBA	71 dBA
Minimum circuit, maximum breaker	31.8 A, 35 A	31.8 A, 35 A
R-32 factory charge	100 oz	100 oz
Unit weight	163 lb	163 lb

Both list cooling operation from 0 to 115°F. The 5-ton sizes differ: 57,000 against 53,500 Btu/h. Both are also side-discharge cabinets (the fifth letter, S, stands for "Side Discharge Communicating" in both nomenclatures), so neither drops into a top-discharge footprint without checking clearances and the pad.

The 2026 lineups, model for model

Sound is the 3-ton AHRI 270 rating from each spec sheet. Neither brand publishes EER2 on its model pages or spec sheets, and Goodman's sheets say its AHRI system ratings sit in a dealer configuration tool. Unit replacement assumes registration within 60 days.

Entry tier: single-stage, our standard band of $6,000 to $9,800

Goodman vs Amana	SEER2 up to	3-ton dBA	Unit replacement
GLXS3B vs ALXS3B	15 vs 14.5	69 vs 69	None vs none
GLXS4B vs ALXS4B	15.2 vs 15.2	67 vs 66	None vs none
GLXS5B vs ALXS5B	16.5 vs 17	71 vs 69	None vs 10 yr

The 3B models carry an N region code in their model numbers (GLXS3BN, ALXS3BN), so they are northern-region units. DOE requires 14.3 SEER2 for split air conditioners installed in the Southeast and Southwest, which puts the 4B models at the bottom of the ladder there. Amana's pages and spec sheets disagree on two models: the ALXS3B page says 14.5 SEER2 and its spec sheet 15, and the ALXS5B page says 17 while its spec sheet says 16.5. The ALXS5B is the cheapest model in either family with unit-replacement coverage.

Mid tier: two-stage, our better band of $7,200 to $12,800

Goodman vs Amana	SEER2 up to	3-ton dBA	Unit replacement
GLXT7C vs ALXT7C	17.2 vs 17.2	70 vs 70	5 yr vs 10 yr

Both run a two-stage Copeland Ultra-Tech scroll compressor from 2 to 5 tons, and both 3-ton units weigh 216 lb. Our compressor staging guide covers what the second stage buys in humid weather.

Top tier: variable-speed inverter, our premium band of $9,500 to $16,800

Goodman vs Amana	SEER2 up to	3-ton dBA	Unit replacement
GXV6S vs AXV6S	17.2 vs 17.2	68 vs 68	5 yr vs 10 yr
GXV9S vs AXV9S	19 vs 19	71 vs 71	5 yr vs 10 yr

The V6S pair rates only 17.2 SEER2, but our cost model sets tiers by compressor type, so it prices as premium equipment. The "as low as 45 dBA" in both brands' marketing is sound pressure measured 3 feet from the unit at the quietest of three quiet-mode settings, which cuts 3-ton capacity by about 35 percent. The comparable sound power at that setting is 57 dBA, against 71 dBA in normal operation.

Warranty: the one place the brands now differ

Term	Goodman	Amana
Parts, not registered	5 years	5 years
Parts, registered within 60 days	10 years	10 years
Unit replacement, registered	5 years: GLXT7C, GXV6S, GXV9S	10 years: ALXS5B, ALXT7C, AXV6S, AXV9S
Extra condition	None stated	Installed with a new matched coil or air handler
Who keeps the extended term	Original registered owner or spouse	Same
Labor and refrigerant	Not covered	Not covered
Certificate checked	PWGACHPMTT, dated 10/2026	PWAACHPLZA, 10/2026, and PWAOTACHP23LTD, 04/2025

Unit replacement works the same way on both certificates. If the compressor in a registered unit fails inside the term, Daikin furnishes a new equivalent outdoor unit, once. After the term ends, the compressor is still covered as a part through year 10. So when a GXV9S loses its compressor in year 7, Goodman supplies a compressor and you pay a contractor to fit it into a seven-year-old cabinet. When an AXV9S installed with a new matched coil fails the same way, Amana supplies a whole new outdoor unit, and you still pay the labor. For scale, This Old House puts an installed compressor replacement on a 2.5 to 3 ton unit at $900 to $2,100, $1,500 on average, from Angi estimates (updated August 31, 2026). Under warranty the part is free, but labor, refrigerant and freight stay with you on both brands.

State law changes the deadline. Both brands list the same rules: registration cannot be required in California (units installed from January 1, 2004), Florida (from July 1, 2024), Georgia (from January 1, 2026) and Quebec, and the warranty must transfer with the house in Florida (from July 1, 2023), Georgia (from January 1, 2026) and Texas (from September 1, 2021). Both sell an optional ASURE plan covering years 11 to 99, unpriced.

Watch the paperwork. Goodman's GXV9S, GXV6S and GLXT7C spec sheets (July and August 2025) still print "10-Year Unit Replacement," while the model pages and the October 2026 certificate say 5 years. The certificate governs. Third-party pages lag too: This Old House (August 26, 2026) still credits Goodman with lifetime compressor coverage on select models, and HVAC Project Cost's Amana page (August 2, 2026) describes a "Lifetime Unit Replacement" warranty. Neither appears on a current certificate. Our AC warranty guide covers what parts coverage leaves out.

What a 3-ton Goodman or Amana system costs

Our planning bands come from the cost model behind the 3-ton installed cost page and cover the outdoor unit, a matched coil, removal, labor, commissioning and a permit on usable ducts. Brand is not an input; the compressor sets the tier.

3-ton tier	Our installed band	Goodman	Amana
Standard, single-stage	$6,000 to $9,800	GLXS4B, GLXS5B	ALXS4B, ALXS5B
Better, two-stage	$7,200 to $12,800	GLXT7C	ALXT7C
Premium, variable speed	$9,500 to $16,800	GXV6S, GXV9S	AXV6S, AXV9S

Source and date	Goodman	Amana	What it covers
HVAC Project Cost, Aug 3, 2026	$3,800 to $6,500	$4,000 to $6,800	Standard 3-ton swap
HVAC Project Cost brand pages, Aug 2026	$3,500 to $5,500	$3,500 to $5,800	Typical 3-ton
Fixr, Aug 29, 2025	$3,800 to $6,650	$3,600 to $6,000	3-ton unit cost
This Old House, Oct 2, 2026	$7,246	Not listed	Survey average, all sizes

Publisher figures sit below our bands because they price a bare swap. They also disagree about which badge costs more. HVAC Project Cost's by-brand page puts Amana $200 to $300 above Goodman at 3 tons, its own Amana page claims both "$500 to $1,500" and "10 to 20%," and Fixr has Amana slightly cheaper. No dated source supports a fixed Amana premium, so price your own two quotes.

The larger cost swing inside these families is the tier, and part of it is electrical. The 3-ton GXV9S and AXV9S list a 31.8 A minimum circuit ampacity and a 35 A maximum breaker, against 17.8 A for a 3-ton ALXS4B and 20.8 A for an ALXT7C. A circuit sized for an old single-stage unit may need new wire and a new breaker, $400 to $1,800 in our model, and that is a licensed electrician's call (see our electrical scope guide).

Efficiency will not repay the jump on its own. At 1,000 full-load hours a year, a 3-ton system uses 2,368 kWh at 15.2 SEER2 and 1,895 kWh at 19, a saving of 474 kWh, or about $87 at EIA's July 2026 US residential average of 18.31 cents per kWh. Against the $5,250 gap between our standard and premium midpoints, that is roughly 60 such summers. Buy the variable-speed tier for humidity control, low-speed sound and the longer unit replacement, not the bill. Our SEER2 guide runs the same math with your own rate and hours.

Worked example: two quotes for the same 3-ton job

This is an illustration built from our cost model, not real bids. Manual J confirms 3 tons, the gas furnace stays, the ducts test fine, and both dealers quote the variable-speed flagship with a new matched coil.

Line	Goodman dealer	Amana dealer
Quoted total	$11,600	$12,900
Equipment	GXV9S, new matched coil	AXV9S, new matched coil
Line set	"Reuse," no flush or test	Flushed and pressure-tested
Circuit	Existing 30 A "reused"	New circuit, 35 A breaker
Permit	Included	Included
Who registers	"Homeowner"	Dealer, within 60 days
Labor warranty	1 year	2 years
Unit replacement	5 years	10 years
Missing scope, our model	$400 to $3,300	$0
Normalized total	$12,000 to $14,900	$12,900

The Goodman quote wins the headline by $1,300 but leaves two lines open. Undocumented line-set reuse carries a $0 to $1,500 allowance in our model, and the spec sheet calls for a 1-1/8 inch suction line on the 3-ton unit, so the old line has to fall inside its allowable-diameter table. The existing 30 A circuit is below the 31.8 A minimum circuit ampacity, which adds $400 to $1,800. The normalized midpoint, $13,450, lands $550 above the Amana quote, which also carries five more years of unit replacement, a dealer-filed registration and a second year of labor.

Both totals sit inside our $9,500 to $16,800 premium band, so neither is overpriced; the Goodman quote is incomplete. Ask that dealer to price the line-set test and the circuit in writing. If they total under $1,300, Goodman is the cheaper complete job, and the choice becomes money now against years 6 to 10 of unit replacement. Our quote comparison worksheet runs the full 16-line version.

Who should pick which

The budget straight swap. GLXS4B and ALXS4B are the same 15.2 SEER2 tier with 10 years of registered parts and no unit replacement, so take the cheaper complete quote. In the Southeast or Southwest, confirm the model is not a northern-only 3B unit.

Unit replacement without inverter pricing. Amana's ALXS5B single-stage is the cheapest way into either family's unit-replacement coverage; Goodman's GLXS5B has none.

The humid-climate comfort buyer. GLXT7C and ALXT7C are the same 17.2 SEER2 two-stage machine. Amana's extra five years of unit replacement is the whole difference, so weigh it against the gap on your two quotes.

The quiet, variable-speed buyer. GXV9S and AXV9S are identical on paper. Choose Amana when the gap is small and the job includes a new matched coil, and Goodman when its dealer is clearly the better installer. Side discharge also suits a narrow side yard.

Neither dealer is convincing. Price an independent brand such as Rheem with our Rheem vs Goodman comparison, or widen the list with the best central AC brands. Check the size first with the AC sizing and cost calculator, and take a heat pump decision to heat-pumps.guide.

Red flags on a Goodman or Amana quote

A discontinued model name. GSXV9, ASXV9, GSXC7 and ASXC7 pages now return errors on both sites. Ask whether the unit is old stock, which refrigerant is on the dataplate, and what price concession comes with it.
"10-year unit replacement" on a Goodman. The current certificate says 5 years on the three eligible models, even though older Goodman spec sheets still print 10.
Amana's 10 years with the old coil. The certificate requires a new indoor coil or air handler matched by the installer. A quote that reuses the coil cannot promise it.
"Lifetime" anything. Neither brand's current air conditioner certificates list lifetime compressor or unit coverage.
Registration left to you. Miss 60 days outside California, Florida, Georgia and Quebec and parts drop from 10 years to 5, with no unit replacement.
Equipment bought online. Both brands deny warranty on internet purchases unless a dealer installs the unit to code. Refrigerant work needs an EPA Section 608 certified technician either way.
"ENERGY STAR certified" or a federal tax credit. EPA ended the central AC specification on February 1, 2026, and the 25C credit does not apply to equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025.
A big gap explained by the badge. Same parent, same hardware: a gap over a few hundred dollars needs a line-item reason.

Want a second read on two proposals? Send them for an independent quote review.

FAQ

Is Goodman the same as Amana?

On the hardware, nearly. Both are Daikin brands, the ladders match tier for tier, and the 3-ton GXV9S and AXV9S spec sheets list the same 35,000 Btu/h, 71 dBA, 31.8 A circuit and 163 lb weight. They differ on warranty, dealer and price, and a few lower models publish slightly different SEER2 and sound figures.

Does Amana have a better warranty than Goodman?

Yes, on four models, as of October 2026. Both give 5 years of parts unregistered and 10 years registered within 60 days. Amana's ALXS5B, ALXT7C, AXV6S and AXV9S add 10 years of unit replacement when installed with a new matched coil; Goodman's GLXT7C, GXV6S and GXV9S add 5. Neither covers labor.

Is Amana worth paying more than Goodman?

Only for the extra unit replacement, which helps if the compressor fails in years 6 to 10. Publishers disagree on the usual gap, from Amana being cheaper (Fixr) to $200 to $300 more at 3 tons (HVAC Project Cost). If the Amana quote is a few hundred dollars higher with the same scope, it is a fair price for five more years of coverage.

Are Goodman and Amana made in the same factory?

Daikin consolidated Goodman's US plants into its Texas Technology Park near Houston in 2017, and Goodman says its units are assembled in the USA. Amana's documents say only that the equipment is manufactured under license by Daikin. We found no manufacturer statement assigning Amana to the same line.

Which Goodman or Amana model is quietest?

At 3 tons and full output, the ALXS4B lists 66 dBA and the GLXS4B 67, against 71 for the variable-speed GXV9S and AXV9S. The inverter models drop to 57 dBA in their quietest mode, with about 35 percent less capacity, and spend most hours at reduced speed.

Can I buy a Goodman or Amana unit online and install it myself?

Not with a warranty. Both brands deny coverage on internet purchases unless a dealer installs the unit to code. Refrigerant charging requires an EPA Section 608 certified technician, and the 240 V circuit belongs to a licensed electrician.

What we could not verify

Same factory or line. Daikin's release names the Texas plant for Goodman; no document we found says where Amana units are built.
EER2 and certified SEER2 per 3-ton pairing. Neither brand publishes EER2 on its model pages or spec sheets, and Goodman's sheets route AHRI system ratings to a dealer tool. Only the AHRI Directory certificate for your pair settles it.
A reliable Amana price premium. HVAC Project Cost's Amana page names discontinued models (ASXS6, AVXC20) and gives two different gaps, and This Old House lists no Amana average. HomeGuide and Angi block automated access.
Dealer exclusivity. Our earlier version said Amana sells only through authorized dealers. We found no current Amana document stating that, so we dropped the claim.
Which Amana SEER2 is right. The ALXS3B and ALXS5B pages and spec sheets disagree; we show the page figure.
ASURE plan prices and reliability by brand. Neither is published, and we found no independent failure-rate data for either badge.

Sources

Manufacturer pages and documents checked October 16, 2026.