Six months ago, buying a humanoid robot meant writing a cheque for €15,000 to €25,000. Today, three manufacturers offer monthly leasing. Here’s why the shift happened, and why it’s probably the right one for you.

The car analogy

Cast your mind back: twenty years ago, people bought their cars outright. Today, 80% of new cars are financed or leased. Why? To retain flexibility, avoid tying up capital, and always drive the latest generation.

The humanoid robot is following exactly the same trajectory. Gen 2 is still an early adopter version. Gen 3 arrives in 2027-2028. Buy today at €22,000 and you’re paying top whack for a product that will be outdated within 18 months.

The numbers that matter

Three examples from the market in May 2026:

  • Unitree G1: €450/month (vs €16,000 to buy). Over 36 months = €16,200. Almost a wash, except that you hold on to your cash.
  • Figure 02: €1,800/month for businesses, purchase not an option. Leasing is the only way to get hold of the product.
  • 1X NEO: €500/month on subscription, a Netflix-style model with services included (maintenance, firmware updates, 24/7 support).

Pitfalls to avoid

Leasing isn’t magic. Three classic pitfalls:

  1. The commitment: most contracts run for 24 or 36 months. Exit early and you’ll pay a penalty.
  2. Wear: return it with scratches or damage and you’ll get a bill. Read the definition of "wear and tear".
  3. The end-of-contract buyout: if you want to keep the robot, the residual value can be >50% of the new price. Not always worth it.

Our advice

If you’re not sure how you’ll be using it two years from now, go for leasing. If you know exactly what you want to do with it and plan to use the robot for 5 years or more, buying still stacks up. In 80% of cases, leasing wins.

The Botoide comparison tool will include a leasing vs purchase simulation module for every robot, from MVP2 onwards.