Humanoid robot subscription vs buying: what each option costs (October 2026)

As of October 28, 2026, two home robots have real monthly prices you can sign up for: 1X NEO at $499 a month and Weave Isaac 1 at $449 a month. Figure's $500 to $600 lease is only an idea, and Tau Robotics rents supervised robot cleaning at $30 an hour.

Researched by Riley Hart · updated Oct 28, 2026 · How we research

Short answer

As of October 28, 2026, you can sign up for two home robot subscriptions in the US. 1X NEO costs $499 a month or $20,000 to buy, and Weave Isaac 1 costs $449 a month or $7,999 to buy, plus an optional $99 a month membership. Neither has delivered widely to customers yet. Figure CEO Brett Adcock has floated a home lease of about $500 to $600 a month for Figure 03, but there is no program to join. If you only want cleaning, Tau Robotics rents human supervised humanoid cleaning in San Francisco for $30 an hour, by invite only. Over three years, a $499 subscription costs about $17,964, which is close to the NEO purchase price.

Option	Buy price	Monthly price	Status as of Oct 28, 2026
1X NEO	$20,000 (3 year warranty)	$499	Preorder, $200 deposit; US deliveries promised for 2026
Weave Isaac 1	$7,999	$449, plus optional $99 membership	Preorder, $250 deposit; first California shipments planned fall 2026
Figure 03	Not published	About $500 to $600 (CEO idea)	No lease or order program open
Tau Robotics cleaning	Not for sale	$30 an hour per visit	Invite only pilot in San Francisco
Labrador Caddie	$1,500	$100	Listed by The Gadgeteer in May 2026

Prices from the 1X order page, The Gadgeteer (July 31 and May 20, 2026), Forbes Australia (Oct 7, 2026), Wallstreetcn and KTVU (Aug 18, 2026). Checked October 28, 2026.

Robots in this guide

Humanoids · Weave Robotics Isaac 1 Best for California households that mainly want laundry pickup, folding and daily tidying $7,999 Check price →Full profile

Humanoids · 1X NEO Best for Early adopters who want the first legged home humanoid and are comfortable with remote operators in their home $20,000 Check price →Full profile

Humanoids · Figure Figure 03 Best for Readers tracking which big player reaches homes first No price yet Full profile

Floors · Roborock Saros 20 Best for low furniture and tall thresholds $1,6005.8/10 Check price →Full profile

Floors · eufy Omni S2 Best for cluttered homes with carpet and pets $1,6005.6/10 Check price →Full profile

Humanoids · Unitree R1 Best for Tech enthusiasts, creators and developers who want a walking humanoid at home today $5,900 Check price →Full profile

Which home robots you can actually subscribe to

Only two humanoid style home robots have a monthly price you can sign up for today. 1X lists NEO at $499 a month on its order page, next to a $20,000 Early Access purchase. Weave Robotics offers Isaac 1 at $7,999 outright or $449 a month, with a $250 refundable deposit, according to The Gadgeteer's July 31, 2026 report.

Both are preorders. 1X says US deliveries start in 2026 but puts subscribers behind Early Access buyers. Weave plans first shipments in California in fall 2026 and broader US availability through 2027.

Isaac 1 is not a walking humanoid. It is a wheeled home robot with arms that Weave says can fold laundry, make beds and tidy clutter. NEO is a two legged humanoid. Both can call on a remote human operator when the robot gets stuck, so plan on some teleoperation either way.

Subscription vs buying: the math

Here is what each path costs over time, using only published prices. These numbers leave out electricity, taxes and repairs.

1X NEO subscription: $499 x 12 = $5,988 a year, $17,964 over three years
1X NEO purchase: $20,000 once, with a 3 year warranty, about $556 a month over three years
Weave Isaac 1 subscription: $449 x 12 = $5,388 a year, $16,164 over three years
Weave Isaac 1 purchase: $7,999 once; adding the $99 premium membership costs $1,188 a year
Figure 03 lease idea at $600: $7,200 a year, if it ever launches at that price
Tau cleaning: $30 for each one hour visit; one visit a week is about $1,560 a year

When a subscription makes more sense

For Isaac 1, buying is cheaper fast. The $449 subscription passes the $7,999 purchase price in about 18 months. If you expect to keep the robot longer than a year and a half, buying wins on cost, even if you add the $99 membership.

For NEO, the gap is smaller. Three years of subscription costs about $2,000 less than buying, but you own nothing at the end and you get standard delivery, behind Early Access buyers. Robozaps reported that a six month minimum term from launch coverage no longer appears on the 1X order page, and that the terms reserve a possible minimum, so check the contract before you sign.

A subscription can still make sense when the product is this new. Early hardware may age quickly, and a monthly plan lets you walk away if the robot does not help as much as promised. That is a real benefit for a first generation robot that no independent reviewer has tested in a home over months.

The Figure 03 lease is only an idea

Wallstreetcn reported on May 6 that Adcock said you could lease a Figure 03 for about $600 a month and compared it to leasing a car. Forbes Australia reported on October 7, 2026 that he pictures a humanoid in every home leased for perhaps $500 to $600 a month, and that he says Figure robots could help in homes as early as 2027.

Figure has not published a price, lease terms, a deposit or a sign up page. Treat the number as a CEO's target, not an offer.

Renting robot labor by the hour

Tau Robotics in San Francisco skips the purchase entirely. KTVU reported on August 18, 2026 that Tau charges $30 an hour for cleaning, with sessions capped at one hour, and access by invite code and waitlist. CBS News reported the pilot aims for 1,000 households.

The robots are not fully autonomous. CEO Alex Koch told KTVU each humanoid is jointly controlled by a human operator and AI. CBS reported that remote technicians in VR goggles supervise and step in when a robot gets stuck. This is closer to hiring a cleaning service that uses robots than owning one.

Hidden costs to ask about

Before you sign any robot subscription, ask four things. Is there a minimum term or an early exit fee? What happens to the robot and your data when you cancel? Are remote operator sessions included, or billed extra? Who pays for repairs after a fall or a broken hand?

None of these companies has published long term reliability data, so a warranty or repair promise matters more than usual.

Alternatives you can buy now

If you want help this year rather than a preorder, a top robot vacuum and mop like the Roborock Saros 20 or Eufy Omni S2 costs under $2,000 once, with no monthly fee. The Unitree R1 is a humanoid you can receive today from about $5,900, but it is a programmable robot, not a chore helper. Compare every option on our home humanoid list.

Questions people ask

How much is the 1X NEO subscription per month?

$499 a month as of October 28, 2026, or $20,000 to buy. Subscribers get standard delivery after Early Access buyers.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy a humanoid robot?

Over three years, the NEO subscription costs about $17,964 versus $20,000 to buy. For Weave Isaac 1, the $449 plan passes the $7,999 purchase price in about 18 months, so buying is cheaper if you keep it longer.

Can I lease a Figure 03 for $600 a month?

No. CEO Brett Adcock has floated about $500 to $600 a month, but Figure has no lease program, deposit or sign up page as of October 2026.

Can I hire a humanoid robot to clean my house?

Only in San Francisco, by invite. Tau Robotics charges $30 an hour for one hour sessions, and a remote human operator works with the AI during each visit.

Do home robot subscriptions include remote operators?

1X offers Expert Mode, where a remote operator takes over tasks, and Weave says Isaac 1 can get teleoperation help when needed. Neither has published whether this costs extra beyond the listed plans.