Goodman GM9S96 vs GMVC96 turns on one question: will the furnace run a single-stage air conditioner in a small house, or does it have to keep a two-storey even and work with a two-stage or inverter outdoor unit? The GM9S96 is a single-stage 96% AFUE furnace with a multi-speed ECM blower. The GMVC96 is a two-stage 96% AFUE furnace with a variable-speed ECM blower and Goodman's ComfortBridge communicating control. Buy the GMVC96 for most detached homes and the GM9S96 for small houses, rentals and fixed budgets.
One caution before you compare quotes. Goodman's own product pages now list GR-series models in place of both, so the furnace on your invoice may read GR9S96 or GRVT96 instead.
What Is Different Between the GM9S96 and the GMVC96
The heat exchangers and the efficiency are the same class; the gas valve, the blower and the control board are not. Both are condensing furnaces that vent in plastic pipe and need a condensate drain.
- Gas valve: the GM9S96 fires at full input every cycle. The GMVC96 has a low and a high stage and spends most of the winter on low.
- Blower: the GM9S96 uses a multi-speed ECM motor with fixed speed taps chosen at installation. The GMVC96 uses a variable-speed ECM that ramps up and down and holds a target airflow as the filter loads.
- Control: the GMVC96 carries ComfortBridge, which puts the communicating logic on the furnace board. The GM9S96 has a conventional board.
- Thermostat: both run from a standard 24 V thermostat. On the GMVC96 the board decides when to step up to high fire.
- Efficiency: both are rated 96% AFUE, so the gas bill difference between them is small. The difference you notice is noise and evenness.
The Model Numbers Have Changed: GR9S96, GR9T96 and GRVT96
Goodman's current 96% lineup, as listed on its website on October 1, 2026, uses GR and GD prefixes. A quote that still says GM9S96 or GMVC96 is either remaining distributor stock or an old price sheet, and it is worth asking which.
- GR9S96: single-stage, multi-speed ECM, up to 96% AFUE. This is the current equivalent of the GM9S96.
- GR9T96: two-stage, multi-speed ECM, up to 96% AFUE, not ComfortBridge compatible. Goodman says it operates on a two-stage or single-stage thermostat. It is the middle option between the two furnaces in this comparison.
- GRVT96: two-stage, variable-speed ECM with ComfortBridge. This is the current equivalent of the GMVC96.
- GD9S96, GD9T96 and GDVT96: the downflow versions of the three above.
- GRVM97: the modulating, variable-speed model that sits above all of them.
Buying GM-series stock is not a mistake, and we service both generations through our Goodman furnace repair work. Get the full model number written on the quote so the furnace that arrives is the one you priced.
How to Read the Rest of the Model Number
The characters after the series name tell you more than the series does. Take GMVC960603BN: 060 is 60,000 BTU/h of input, 3 is the blower's airflow class in tons of cooling, B is the cabinet width and N is natural gas. Goodman's cabinet letters run A at 14 in., B at 17-1/2 in., C at 21 in. and D at 24-1/2 in.
Use this when two quotes look alike. A GMVC96 at 80,000 BTU and a GMVC96 at 60,000 BTU are the same series and very different furnaces in your house, and a blower digit that does not match your air conditioner's tonnage is a problem in July. Compare input, blower class and cabinet first, then series.
Which One Pairs With Your Air Conditioner or Heat Pump
Match the furnace blower to the outdoor unit you have or plan to buy. The GM9S96 suits a single-stage air conditioner, which wants one airflow and gets it from a fixed blower tap.
The GMVC96 is the one to pair with a two-stage or inverter outdoor unit. Its variable-speed blower can follow the outdoor unit as it changes capacity, and with ComfortBridge the furnace and a compatible Goodman outdoor unit exchange operating data directly. It can also slow the airflow in cooling to pull more moisture out of the air, which is worth having in a humid Lake Ontario summer.
Free quotes, written pricing.
If a hybrid system is in your plans, buy the variable-speed furnace now. A heat pump added in three years will want that blower, and our guide to the best heat pump to pair with a gas furnace explains the match.
Comfort and Noise: What Two Stages Change
A single-stage furnace heats in short, full-output cycles, and a two-stage furnace heats in long, quiet ones. In a small, tight bungalow or townhouse the difference is modest. In a two-storey with bedrooms at the end of long duct runs, the longer cycles are what get heat upstairs before the thermostat shuts the burner off.
The variable-speed blower adds a soft start, so you do not hear the furnace arrive. For the full explanation of staging, see single-stage vs two-stage vs modulating furnaces.
Warranty: Read the Certificate for the Model on Your Invoice
Do not assume the warranty you read about online is the one attached to your furnace. Goodman's current product pages for the GR9S96, GR9T96 and GRVM97 list a 10-Year Parts Limited Warranty, a 20-Year Heat Exchanger Limited Warranty and a 5-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty. Goodman states that online registration must be completed within 60 days of installation to receive them, and that annual maintenance requirements apply to the unit replacement coverage.
Earlier GM-series furnaces were sold under their own certificates, and the heat exchanger and unit replacement terms are not identical across generations. Ask for the warranty certificate that matches the model and serial number, register the furnace yourself or confirm in writing that the installer has, and keep the tune-up invoices.
What Each One Costs Installed
- GM9S96 or GR9S96, single-stage: the lower end of the $4,300–$7,000 band that a new high-efficiency furnace lands in across the GTA.
- GMVC96 or GRVT96, two-stage variable-speed: where most replacements cluster, $4,500–$6,500 installed.
- Premium-badge furnaces at the same tier typically run $500–$1,500 more than a value brand such as Goodman.
Venting changes, a condensate pump, a chimney liner for the water heater and duct corrections are quoted separately on any model. Our pricing page shows the published bands for the common jobs.
Verdict: GMVC96 for Most Houses, GM9S96 for Small Ones
The GMVC96, or the GRVT96 that replaces it, is the better furnace and the right default. The step up buys longer cycles, a quieter blower and a furnace that is ready for a two-stage air conditioner or a heat pump.
- Buy the GMVC96 or GRVT96 if the house has two storeys, the old furnace short-cycled, the outdoor unit is two-stage or inverter, or a heat pump is likely.
- Buy the GM9S96 or GR9S96 if the house is a small bungalow or townhouse with short duct runs, the air conditioner is single-stage, or it is a rental.
- Consider the GR9T96 if you want two-stage heat and do not need variable-speed airflow or communicating controls.
- On any of them, the size has to come from a heat-loss calculation. A correctly sized single-stage furnace beats an oversized two-stage one.
We install Goodman furnaces across Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Hamilton and commission each one with a combustion analysis and a temperature-rise check. Details of the visit are on our furnace installation page. If you have a quote with a Goodman model number on it, send it over and we will decode it for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Goodman GM9S96 discontinued?
Goodman's current product pages list the GR9S96 as its single-stage, multi-speed 96% furnace and no longer show the GM9S96. GM-series furnaces can still be supplied from distributor stock for a time. If your quote names a GM9S96, ask whether that exact model will be installed or whether the GR9S96 will be substituted, and get the answer in writing.
Does the GMVC96 need a special communicating thermostat?
No. ComfortBridge moves the communicating function onto the equipment's own control boards, so the furnace runs from a conventional 24 V thermostat. The board manages the two heating stages and the blower speed itself. A two-stage or smart thermostat can still be used, and we confirm compatibility with the outdoor unit before choosing one.
Can a GM9S96 run a two-stage air conditioner?
It will cool the house, but it is not the right match. A two-stage or inverter outdoor unit changes capacity and needs the indoor airflow to change with it. The GM9S96 blower runs at fixed taps, so you lose part of the comfort and humidity benefit you paid for outdoors. Pair staged outdoor equipment with a variable-speed furnace.
Are Goodman and Amana furnaces the same?
They are sister brands under Daikin and share core components across comparable models. The differences have historically been in the warranty terms and branding rather than in how the furnaces heat. Compare the certificate for the specific Amana and Goodman models on your quotes, because that is where the two diverge.