Tesla Optimus vs Figure 03 (2026): Status, Specs and Which Is Closer
Two humanoids you cannot buy yet, compared only on what Tesla and Figure have published or reputable outlets have reported, as of October 2026.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Figure 03 is further along than Tesla Optimus on everything either company has published: 350+ units built by April 2026, an hourly production rate, a BMW deployment and home results across 30 houses. Tesla has not published delivery counts or home results. Neither can be bought. If you want a humanoid at home in 2026, the 1X NEO is the one with a preorder.
Side by side
| Spec | Tesla Optimus | Figure 03 |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Starting price | Quote only | Quote only |
| Pricing model | Not for sale | Not for sale |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Status | Not for sale; internal Tesla use | Not for sale to consumers; deployed at BMW and in Figure's own home trials |
| Announced price | None published by Tesla; a roughly $30,000 figure was cited at the October 2024 We, Robot event | None published |
| Hands | 22 degrees of freedom (Gen 3 hands) | Palm cameras and tactile sensors down to 3 grams |
| Production | Fremont line being installed per the Q1 2026 earnings call | BotQ: 1 robot per hour and 350+ delivered as of April 29, 2026 |
The short answer
| Question | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Which is closer to doing housework | Figure 03 | Published 30 home test, 56% zero shot |
| Which has published production | Figure 03 | 350+ delivered, 1 per hour |
| Which has more manufacturing scale and money | Tesla Optimus | Car factories, $30 billion in new credit lines |
| Which has more joint detail in the hands | Tesla Optimus | 22 DOF hands published |
| Which can you buy | Neither | No order pages |
Pricing
Neither company has a price. Tesla has no order page; the roughly $30,000 figure in circulation comes from reporting on its October 2024 We, Robot event. Figure has published no price, and its launch post describes BotQ capacity of 12,000 units a year and a 100,000 robot goal over four years, which points to commercial buyers first.
For humanoids that do publish terms, see how much a humanoid robot costs: 1X NEO at an announced $20,000 or $499 per month, Unitree G1 listed at $13,500 and Unitree R1 from $4,900.
Models and features
| Item | Tesla Optimus | Figure 03 |
|---|---|---|
| Latest public generation | Gen 2 body (December 2023), newer 22 DOF hands; Optimus 3 production said to start early 2026 | Figure 03, announced October 9, 2025 |
| Height and weight | 5 ft 8 in, 125 lbs (Gen 2) | Not published; 9% less mass than Figure 02 |
| Payload | About 45 lbs carry (Gen 2) | Not published in launch post |
| Hands | 22 degrees of freedom | Palm cameras, tactile sensing to 3 grams |
| AI | Not published as a named model | Helix vision language action model (Helix 02, 2.5) |
| Charging | Not published | 2 kW wireless inductive |
| Production disclosed | Lines being installed (Q1 2026 call) | 350+ delivered, 1 per hour (April 2026) |
| Deployments | Tesla factories | BMW; Figure home and field service trials |
Head to head scenarios
Tidying a house it has never seen
Winner: Figure 03. Figure published results from 30 Bay Area homes with no prior data: tidying, folding towels and making beds at a 56% zero shot success rate. Tesla has published no equivalent home result.
Repetitive factory work
Winner: tie, leaning Tesla on scale. Tesla said in July 2024 that Optimus was handling batteries autonomously in its facilities, and it controls its own factories as a test bed. Figure has F.03 at BMW and reported that Figure 02 contributed to producing 30,000 cars there. Tesla's advantage is how many of its own lines it can deploy into.
Building robots at volume
Winner: Figure 03 today, Tesla on potential. Figure reported a 24x throughput increase to 1 robot per hour in under 120 days. Tesla says it is installing lines for 1 million units a year in Fremont and more in Texas from 2027, and raised $30 billion in credit lines in September 2026, but has not reported output.
Transparency about what the robot can do alone
Winner: Figure 03. Figure publishes success rates and states what has not been solved. Tesla's October 2024 event drew criticism for robots that mainly used teleoperation with crowds without saying so clearly.
Which to wait for as a household
Winner: neither yet. Figure has a stronger home story; Tesla has a bigger factory. Neither has published consumer terms, privacy policies for in home cameras, or dates.
Privacy
Neither company has published consumer privacy terms for in home use. Figure's launch post covers physical safety (foam at pinch points, soft textiles, layered battery protection) but not camera data. Tesla has published nothing for consumers. Compare with 1X, which publishes when remote operators can connect, what data is used and how to opt out.
What to watch next
Figure's next consumer signal would be a price or waitlist with terms, plus a home privacy policy. Tesla's would be published Optimus output numbers and an order page. Whichever comes first changes this comparison more than any demo video.
Verdict
Figure 03 wins this comparison on the evidence that exists: real production numbers, a named AI model with published home results, and candor about the 56% success rate. Tesla Optimus has the resources to catch up fast and may out build everyone once its lines run, but in October 2026 it has fewer verifiable facts behind it. For a buyer, both are watch list robots. Track Figure for home capability and Tesla for scale, and look at the 1X NEO if you want to reserve something now.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Tesla Optimus or Figure 03?
On published evidence, Figure 03 is further along: Figure has reported production numbers, an hourly build rate, a BMW deployment and home task results across 30 houses. Tesla has the larger manufacturing base and financing, but has not published delivery counts or home results.
Can I buy either one?
No. Neither Tesla nor Figure takes consumer orders or publishes a price in October 2026. The home humanoid with an announced price and refundable preorder is the 1X NEO.
Which one is designed for homes?
Both companies talk about homes. Figure designed Figure 03 for home and commercial use and has published home demos and a 30 home test. Tesla's stated path is internal factory use first, then external sales.
Which has better hands?
Tesla's newer hands have 22 degrees of freedom. Figure has not published a degrees of freedom count in its Figure 03 launch post, but its hands carry palm cameras and tactile sensors that detect 3 grams of force. Figure has published more about sensing; Tesla more about joint count.
How much will Optimus and Figure 03 cost?
Neither has an official price. A figure of about $30,000 was reported from Tesla's October 2024 event. Figure has published no price.
Which company is building more robots?
Figure is the only one of the two to publish a number: 350+ Figure 03 units delivered and 1 per hour throughput by April 2026, with initial capacity of 12,000 a year. Tesla says it is installing lines for far higher volume but has not published output.