Pit Boss Navigator 850 vs Traeger Pro 780

Side by side

What 152 square inches actually means

Traeger quotes the Pro 780 at 34 burgers, 6 rib racks or 6 chickens. At the same ratio, 932 square inches works out to roughly 40 burgers or 7 rib racks. For a family of four that difference never matters. For someone who hosts, it is the gap between one cook and two.

More consequential is the hopper. 30 lb against 18 lb, at roughly 1.25 lb an hour at smoking temperatures, is about 24 hours against 14. A 14-hour window on a brisket that might run 12 hours leaves no margin for cold weather or a stall, which is exactly when you least want to be topping up a hopper. This is the single strongest practical argument for the Pit Boss.

What WiFIRE actually means

Traeger’s app is the one in this category with a reputation for connecting and staying connected. Pit Boss’s app has drawn persistent complaints across generations. If you plan to start a cook and then go inside, that is worth real money — and it is the only reason we would pick the Pro 780 here.

The above is the owner consensus on each app, drawn from widely repeated owner feedback and labeled as consensus. Check each app’s current store reviews before you let connectivity decide it.

Worth knowing: if what you want is an alert when the meat hits temperature rather than remote control of the pit, a wireless meat thermometer does that on the Pit Boss for a small fraction of the price difference.

The searing difference

The Navigator 850’s Flame Broiler slider opens a gap in the heat deflector for direct flame, which Pit Boss rates to 1,000°F. The Pro 780 is indirect convection at 500°F maximum. On steak the Pit Boss simply wins; on a Traeger you want sear grates or a reverse sear.

The pellets-in-the-box detail

This specific Pro 780 listing bundles an 18 lb bag of Traeger Signature Blend — a full hopper of good pellets. It is a genuine if modest sweetener, and worth noting because it slightly narrows the effective price gap.

Our call

The Navigator 850, for most people, and comfortably. You get more grate, a far better hopper, proper searing and five years of warranty, typically for less money. The Pro 780 wins only on software and resale — real advantages, but narrower than the hardware gap.

If the app is non-negotiable and you want to spend less than the Pro 780, the Traeger Westwood is the cheaper route to WiFIRE. If you want more grate than either, the Navigator 1300 is the next step up.