No. DeWalt 20V MAX and Makita LXT batteries are not interchangeable, and neither company claims otherwise.
At first glance the two platforms look like they might belong to the same voltage neighborhood. DeWalt’s own DCA1820 Adapter page notes that “Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18.” Makita’s 18V/36V LXT page, meanwhile, states that “The LXT System operates at 18V, with 36V available using two batteries (X2) in supported products.” Read together, both are 18V-nominal-class systems — the same voltage-class coincidence this site has already covered in the DeWalt-vs-Milwaukee and DeWalt-vs-RYOBI guides. That coincidence matters because shoppers often compare the “20V” and “18V” labels at face value and assume the batteries are close enough to swap. In reality, the “20V MAX” figure is a maximum no-load measurement, while “18V” is the nominal working voltage; the two labels describe the same underlying class, not a universal standard. But shared nominal voltage does not mean shared hardware.
The batteries use different slide-on connectors, different battery-management electronics, and different chargers. Those three differences are not cosmetic. The connector shape controls whether a pack can even seat on a tool, the battery-management electronics control how the pack communicates charge state and temperature, and the charger controls how quickly and safely the pack recharges. If any one of those layers differed, cross-use would be risky; all three differ here. DeWalt’s FLEXVOLT Battery System page says “FLEXVOLT batteries are compatible with DEWALT 20V MAX power tools” — a claim limited to DeWalt’s own platform, with no mention of Makita or any other brand. Makita’s LXT page calls the system “the world’s largest compatible 18V slide-style battery system, with over 350 solutions” — again, an own-platform boast, not a cross-brand one. Neither platform page names the other company at all, which is the real compatibility signal: if either manufacturer supported the rival’s tools, it would say so.
There is also no corporate back door. DeWalt is part of Stanley Black & Decker, a US company. Makita is Makita Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer. The two have no shared parent company, so there is no common-ownership angle that might explain an unadvertised compatibility. For a shopper, that means you cannot assume corporate cousins quietly share battery technology, and you cannot look to one brand’s warranty or service network to support the other’s battery. Each company has its own engineering roadmap, its own quality and safety certifications, and its own incentive to keep accessories inside its own ecosystem. That actually makes this pairing simpler to answer than some others: there is no corporate family tree to untangle, just two independent battery systems.
Makita’s newer XGT (40V/80V max) platform is outside the scope of this guide. This article is about LXT, because LXT is the platform people are asking about when they compare DeWalt and Makita batteries.
Practical takeaway
DeWalt 20V MAX and Makita LXT batteries are not physically or electrically compatible, despite both being 18V-nominal platforms — the connector shape and battery-management electronics are proprietary to each brand. The “20V MAX” versus “18V” labeling is a naming difference, not a bridging opportunity. Unlike some other cross-brand pairings covered on this site, there’s no common-parent-company angle here to add confusion — DeWalt and Makita are simply two separate companies with two separate, unconnected battery systems. If you own tools from both brands, you need two full battery/charger sets; there’s no official shortcut, adapter, or bridge product from either manufacturer. Treat the two platforms as completely independent investments.
How this was checked
Facts on this page are drawn from DeWalt’s own FLEXVOLT Battery System and DCA1820 Adapter pages, plus Makita’s own 18V/36V LXT page.
Sources checked: 2026-08-11. A new review date will only be set after the linked pages are re-checked.
Official sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Are DeWalt and Makita batteries interchangeable?
No. DeWalt 20V MAX and Makita LXT packs use different slide-on connectors, different battery-management electronics and different chargers, and neither company claims otherwise - neither brand's platform pages even mention the other.
Both systems are 18V-class - doesn't that make them compatible?
No. DeWalt's DCA1820 page explains that "20V MAX" means 20 volts maximum initial voltage with 18 volts nominal, and Makita's LXT system operates at 18V. The matching nominal voltage is a labeling coincidence, not a shared physical interface.
Is there any adapter that bridges DeWalt and Makita batteries?
Not from the manufacturers. Neither DeWalt nor Makita offers an official DeWalt-to-Makita battery adapter or bridge product; if you own both platforms you maintain two separate battery and charger sets.
Do DeWalt and Makita share a parent company?
No. DeWalt belongs to Stanley Black & Decker, a US company; Makita is Makita Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer. There is no shared-ownership angle that could explain an unadvertised compatibility.
Are all DeWalt 18V batteries at least interchangeable with each other?
Within DeWalt's own platform, DeWalt treats them as one system: its FLEXVOLT batteries are stated to be compatible with DEWALT 20V MAX power tools. That claim stops at DeWalt's own tools - it says nothing about Makita.