Deviations between batteries in series appear gradually and increase with the number of cycles. This inconsistency reduces the lifetime of battery packs, increases the cost of using them, and may lead to security issues. Equalization is an important means of reducing battery differences. The relevant research has focused on the design of equalization circuits and the improvement of equalizer efficiency while neglecting a comparative analysis of methods of equalization on the performance of battery packs, which hinders technicians from making the correct choice during application. A quantitative analysis is provided in this paper to compare the effects of methods of equalization on reducing the differences among batteries. Multiple parameters are introduced to describe differences among equalization methods, and the results indicated that equalization worked only at appropriate current rates and failed at large ones. With the same current rate in charging and discharging, the relative equalization time of active equalization was shorter than that of hybrid equalization. Active equalization was better than passive equalization in reducing