Humanoid robot guide
How much does a humanoid robot cost?
Start with the live purchase-price bands below, then check the exact package and ongoing costs. A base robot, a research configuration and a supported deployment need different budgets. [s1] [s5]
By humanoidversus Editorial Desk
Published · Last verified Oct 13, 2026
Live tables include catalog data verified through Oct 13, 2026.
TL;DR
- Check the configuration before comparing prices: Unitree separates base models from EDU development editions and optional hardware. [s1] [s2] [s3]
- Budget beyond the advertised robot price; Unitree explicitly assigns customs duties, taxes and import clearance to the customer. [s2]
- Ownership, a home subscription and industrial Robots-as-a-Service are different offers; compare their included services and contract terms. [s4] [s5]
- Allow for supervision and training: Pollen's Reachy 2 guidance calls for trained users and someone ready to stop the robot. [s8]
Start with the live price bands
Use the live table to compare purchase-price bands while keeping MSRP, starting and estimated figures separate. Read each row's source dates and linked examples before comparing packages. Unitree's G1 page illustrates why the variant matters: it advertises a starting price while separating base and EDU specifications. Match the package to your task before using it as a budget. [s1]
For a useful comparison, first write down the task, required hand configuration, developer access and delivery destination. Unitree's G1 specification page separates G1 from G1 EDU, with optional hands and additional computing hardware in the latter configuration. That makes the model name alone an incomplete description of what a buyer receives. [s1]
Also separate intended use from demonstrated usefulness. Hugging Face describes Reachy 2 as a research and education platform, while GXO describes a Digit deployment integrated with warehouse automation. Treat these as different procurement problems. Ask what must be supplied, developed or supported to reproduce the task you need, rather than choosing from a price band alone. [s6] [s5]
Counts and medians use all current MSRP, starting and estimated purchase prices, following the price index methodology. Targets and subscriptions are excluded. Each band and kind shows up to five robots, sorted by USD price.
| Price band | Kind | Records | Median USD | Lowest-priced records / evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Below $10,000 | Msrp | 6 | $4,244 |
|
| Below $10,000 | Starting | 13 | $4,290 |
|
| Below $10,000 | Estimated | 0 | — | |
| $10,000–$49,999 | Msrp | 12 | $25,050 |
|
| $10,000–$49,999 | Starting | 17 | $24,000 |
|
| $10,000–$49,999 | Estimated | 1 | $23,327 |
|
| $50,000 and above | Msrp | 9 | $70,000 |
|
| $50,000 and above | Starting | 6 | $87,800 |
|
| $50,000 and above | Estimated | 4 | $194,480 |
|
Read the price kind before the amount
Use MSRP as a listed purchase price for the recorded package, not a promise about every seller's final invoice. Treat starting as the entry configuration, and estimated as an approximation whose underlying source needs checking. These are this site's comparison labels. For a concrete starting-price example, Unitree advertises G1 with a 'from' price while separately specifying its EDU hardware. [s1]
A target price belongs in planning discussions, not in a purchase budget until there is a matching order offer. A subscription amount belongs in a recurring-cost comparison, not beside an outright purchase as though the amounts buy the same thing. NEO's order page makes this distinction explicit by presenting ownership and monthly subscription packages separately. [s4]
When reading any price, preserve its currency, publication date, verification date and variant note. A downloadable design and a supplied kit need different cost breakdowns: Poppy Humanoid's repository provides printable files and assembly guidance, alongside a bill of materials for the physical build. Before requesting a quote, decide whether you need a kit or assembled equipment and whether printed parts and applicable taxes are included. [s7]
What is included in the quoted package?
Request an itemized hardware list: body, end effectors, tactile sensing, cameras, onboard computer, battery, charger and any control device. On G1's official comparison, optional dexterous hands, tactile arrays and additional compute are distinct from the base specifications. A photograph of a fully equipped robot should not substitute for the written configuration attached to your quote. [s1]
Developer access needs its own line. Unitree's G1 shop says the standard product does not support secondary development and directs buyers to EDU. Its R1 shop likewise reserves secondary development for EDU and sends optional-accessory requests to sales. Ask which SDK functions, documentation, simulator and technical support your purchased edition actually enables. [s2] [s3]
Separate supplied software from work you expect the robot to learn. Request a list of installed functions, update rights, paid software options and cloud dependencies. Ask explicitly about additional subscriptions after purchase rather than assuming hardware ownership resolves every software cost. NEO's page lists different productivity, support and delivery packages, making this an appropriate question for the written offer. [s4]
Consumer, research and industrial budgets
For consumer-oriented buying, begin with the delivered package and household service terms. 1X's NEO offer describes basic initial autonomy and scheduled expert assistance for unfamiliar tasks. Ask which chores are available at handover, which need assistance, and what support is included. A household product description should become a task-specific acceptance list before you compare total spending. [s4]
For research, compare the cheapest suitable development configuration with the equipment and staff you already have. A Poppy build requires acquiring parts and assembling them; a Reachy 2 offer addresses a laboratory platform; Unitree distinguishes EDU access from base products. Use the live bands to find candidates, then request equivalent configurations. Neither a kit's price nor a complete platform's price establishes your total experiment budget. [s7] [s6] [s3]
For industrial work, request a deployment quote and measurable acceptance criteria. GXO's Digit agreement includes robots and Agility Arc for fleet management and workflow integration. Treat the table's bands as budget filters across use cases, not fixed consumer, research or industrial brackets. The lowest-orderable table below identifies purchase offers, but its order links and availability notes still need checking against your required delivery date. [s5]
Up to 20 records from the current dataset. Sorted by USD price; at most ten commercial or preorder robots with an official order URL and an MSRP or starting price. Estimates, targets and subscriptions are excluded.
| Robot | Status | Price | Kind / confidence / source date | Official order host | Available from | Availability notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pollen Microduck | Preorder | from $399 | Starting · Official Price source ↗ · Published Aug 27, 2026 · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Original: $399 before taxes and shipping Introductory pre-order price before taxes and shipping. The localized store price was EUR 340 when checked. | store.pollen-robotics.com ↗ | — | Pre-order at $399 before taxes and shipping. The store targets first deliveries before Christmas 2026. |
| Hiwonder TonyPi Pro | Commercial | from $890 | Starting · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Original: USD 889.99 Base Raspberry Pi 5 2 GB configuration; higher-memory options cost more | www.hiwonder.com ↗ | — | Hiwonder's official product page lists the complete base robot at US$889.99. A separate upgrade-only pack for existing TonyPi owners is not a full robot. |
| Kondo Kagaku KHR-3HV | Commercial | $1,091 | Msrp · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Price source ↗ · Published Oct 8, 2026 · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Original: JPY 172,480 including tax Official ROBOSPOT web-shop price; converted at about JPY 158.1 per USD on 8 October 2026. The item was marked out of stock when checked. | kondo-robot.com ↗ | Jun 2009 | Official ROBOSPOT listing for the 22-axis Ver.3.1 kit; marked out of stock on 8 October 2026. |
| Zeroth M1 | Preorder | from $2,499 | Starting · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 10, 2026 Original: $2,499.00 (sale price) Sale price on Zeroth's store page; press reported a $2,999 MSRP and $2,399 pre-order price at the 2026 launch | www.zeroth0.com ↗ | — | Official store lists M1 at a $2,499 sale price, says pre-orders are open and plans shipping for Q4 2026. |
| Qiyuan PrimeBOT Q1 | Commercial | $2,987 | Msrp · Reported Price source ↗ · Published Sep 22, 2026 · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Price source ↗ · Published Sep 20, 2026 · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Original: CNY 19,999 Launch-event price reported by Xinhua; converted at 6.6960 CNY per USD (20 Sep 2026, currencybeacon). Base Q1 price. | www.primebot.com ↗ | Oct 1, 2026 | The official product page provides purchase links for the Q1 and Q1 Explorer; the contact page provides sales support. |
| Flourish 1 | Preorder | from $3,555 | Starting · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 10, 2026 Price source ↗ · Published Sep 29, 2026 · accessed Oct 10, 2026 Original: USD 3,555 Pre-order price for the first 50 numbered units; no later list price has been announced | flourish-robots.com ↗ | Dec 2026 | Pre-orders for the first 50 numbered units. $1,555 deposit, refundable until shipping. Shipping planned for December 2026. |
| Unitree R1-D | Preorder | from $4,290 | Starting · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Original: From $4,290 Starting price for the R1-D family on Unitree's product page and shop; per-configuration prices are not published | shop.unitree.com ↗ | — | The shop product page shows From $4,290 and asks buyers to contact sales to purchase; there is no add-to-cart button. |
| HighTorque Xiaopai | Commercial | $5,500 | Msrp · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Original: USD 5,500 Price on HighTorque's international online store; domestic configurations cited by the founder have different prices. | store.hightorque.cn ↗ | — | Official international store listing with Add to Cart. |
| Unitree R1 | Commercial | from $5,900 | Starting · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 13, 2026 Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 13, 2026 Original: $5,900 Standard R1, excluding tax and shipping. The family starts at $4,900 for AIR; EDU Standard is $10,500. | shop.unitree.com ↗ | Jun 24, 2026 | AIR $4,900; R1 $5,900; EDU Standard $10,500 before shipping/tax. Store accepts orders but shows both in-stock and backorder wording; confirm timing. EDU accessories need a sales quote. |
| EngineAI SA01 | Commercial | $6,200 | Msrp · Official Price source ↗ · Publication date unknown · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Price source ↗ · Published Oct 8, 2026 · accessed Oct 8, 2026 Original: CNY 42,000 Current price on EngineAI's purchase page; USD rounded from the 2026-10-08 PBOC central parity rate of 6.7367 CNY per USD | item.jd.com ↗ | Jul 2024 | Direct JD product link provided by EngineAI's official purchase page. |
Subscriptions, leasing and Robots-as-a-Service
Compare outright purchase with recurring access over the same intended operating period. Calculate the deposit or initial payment, recurring charges, setup fees, mandatory services and any end-of-contract purchase or return cost. Keep a home subscription separate from an industrial service proposal: NEO publishes a monthly offer, while GXO describes its Digit arrangement as a multi-year Robots-as-a-Service agreement. [s4] [s5]
For a lease or RaaS proposal, ask who owns the equipment, who insures it, who repairs damage and who pays to return it. Request the contract's uptime definition, maintenance responsibilities, replacement arrangements and exit conditions. GXO's announcement establishes that its agreement includes Digit and Agility Arc; it does not provide a universal service bundle that should be assumed for other vendors. [s5]
Compare usable output as well as financing. Define a completed task, acceptable failure rate and the human time needed for setup, supervision and recovery. Reachy 2's instructions require vigilant, trained users and readiness to use the emergency stop. For your budget, ask the vendor to demonstrate the staffing arrangement proposed for your application and price the work needed to reach it. [s8]
Build a total cost of ownership estimate
Divide the estimate into acquisition, commissioning, operation and eventual exit. Acquisition includes the quoted configuration, freight, duties and applicable tax. Unitree's shop expressly places import clearance costs on the buyer. Commissioning should have separate requested prices for installation, calibration, staff training, workspace changes and application development. Get exclusions in writing so an apparently complete quotation can be compared fairly. [s2]
For operation, request consumables, battery replacement policy, spare parts, maintenance intervals, repair transport, software charges and support response times. Estimate electricity, connectivity, insurance, labor and downtime separately, with assumptions labeled. Unitree's FAQ confirms warranty availability but refers buyers to the company for details; obtain its scope, duration and repair process before budgeting around it. [s9]
Finally, record cancellation, return, resale and decommissioning terms. Keep a base scenario and a scenario with delayed commissioning or additional supervision. Show which inputs are binding vendor quotations and which are your assumptions. Pollen's operating guidance provides a concrete reminder that the purchase also needs a suitable workspace and trained people. Revisit the live tables when comparing refreshed offers instead of carrying old headline prices into a new decision. [s8]
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest humanoid robot you can buy?
The live lowest-orderable table ranks recorded MSRP and starting prices for commercial or preorder robots with official order links. Confirm stock, delivery, edition, developer access and accessories before treating a listed price as your budget. [s2] [s3]
Does a humanoid robot price include hands and a computer?
Check the itemized specification. G1's official comparison lists optional hands and additional computing hardware for EDU configurations; those options should not be assumed from the product photographs. [s1]
Why does an EDU humanoid robot cost more than the base model?
Compare the actual package and requested quote. Unitree reserves secondary development for EDU and distinguishes optional accessories; the price difference needs to be evaluated against those specific inclusions. [s3]
Are shipping and import taxes included?
Do not assume so. Unitree's G1 store lists shipping separately and makes customers responsible for customs duties, taxes and import clearance. Ask for a delivered quotation for your destination. [s2]
Can you rent or lease a humanoid robot?
Recurring offers exist: NEO has a monthly subscription offer, and GXO's Digit deployment uses Robots-as-a-Service. Availability, ownership, maintenance and exit terms require the particular vendor's offer. [s4] [s5]
Do you need a software subscription after buying a robot?
Ask for the purchase package's software and service terms. NEO presents ownership and subscription offers separately; that alone should not be read as a complete answer about every optional service after purchase. [s4]
How do you calculate humanoid robot total cost of ownership?
Add acquisition, commissioning, operation and exit costs over your chosen period. Request configuration and import costs in writing, then include staffing and workspace assumptions appropriate to the operating instructions. [s2] [s8]
Evidence
Sources
- [s1]G1 and G1 EDU specifications ↗Unitree Robotics · official · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s2]G1 official store: configuration, shipping and development restrictions ↗Unitree Robotics · official · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s3]R1 official store: editions and optional accessories ↗Unitree Robotics · official · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s4]NEO ownership and subscription packages ↗1X Technologies · official · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s5]GXO signs multi-year Robots-as-a-Service agreement with Agility Robotics ↗GXO Logistics · official · published Jun 27, 2024 · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s6]Hugging Face welcomes Pollen Robotics and offers Reachy 2 ↗Hugging Face · official · published Apr 14, 2025 · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s7]Poppy Humanoid design files, build materials and assembly guidance ↗Poppy Project · official · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s8]Reachy 2 safety guidelines and operator responsibilities ↗Pollen Robotics · official · accessed Oct 13, 2026
- [s9]Unitree store FAQ: cancellation, repairs and warranty ↗Unitree Robotics · official · accessed Oct 13, 2026
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