In this paper, a soft-switched alternating current (AC)-link buck-boost inverter with a reduced number of switches, referred to as a sparse AC-link buck-boost inverter, was designed and implemented for a photovoltaic (PV) interface. Important features of the sparse configuration included a lower number of switches, lower failure rates, compactness, and cost-effectiveness. The link was composed of a low reactive rating series inductor/capacitor pair. Significant merits of the AC-link buck-boost inverter are a zero voltage turn on and a soft turn off of the switches, resulting in minimum voltage stress on the switches and negligible switching losses. In this paper, 10 switches were used instead of 20 switches as are used in existing buck-boost inverter topology. The reduction in the number of switches did not change the principle of operation of the sparse configuration; hence, it remains the same as that of the original configuration. The pulse width modulation (PWM) technique was used for gating the switches. The inverter operation was validated and implemented for PV interface using a microcontroller.