This paper presents a comparative analysis of control methods to extract the maximum power and to track the maximum power point (MPP) from photovoltaic (PV) systems under changeable environmental conditions. The PV system consists of a solar module and a DC/DC converter, in this case a buck-boost converter, connected to a load. The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms compared are the perturb and observe (P&O) method, the PI control, a neuro-fuzzy and fuzzy technique and finally a backstepping control. The parameters considered for the comparison are the efficiency of the MPPT algorithm taking into account the extracted power from the PV system, steady and dynamic response of the system under changeable conditions such as the temperature and the irradiance and the signals ripple. The methods have been compared and the algorithm with the best results has been implemented in an experimental platform.