DEPLOY

Buying guide

Figure 03 vs Tesla Optimus in 2026

Comparing 2 humanoid robots across availability, pricing, capabilities, and verified deployments. Current as of 2026.

Key differences

On DEPLOY's record, Figure 03 is further along: at the commercial stage versus Tesla Optimus at the research stage, as of 2026.

  • Tesla Optimus has more verified real-world deployments (6 vs 4).
  • Figure 03 is at the commercial stage; Tesla Optimus at the research stage.
Attribute
Figure 03 walking through a kitchen/dining area, frame from Figure's official Figure 03 reveal video (timestamp 180s).
Figure 03View full model page →
Tesla Optimus reaching an open hand toward blocks on the sorting table during the autonomous colour-sorting demo.
Tesla OptimusView full model page →
ManufacturerFigure AITesla
Form factorhumanoidhumanoid
Maturitycommercialresearch
Autonomy◐ not independently verified◐ not independently verified
Availabilityinternal-onlyenterpriseannounced-no-dateannounced
PriceNot announced$20,000-$30,000 (manufacturer target)
Capability claims
  • Does dishes (autonomous, demonstrated-once)
  • Folds laundry (autonomous, demonstrated-once)
  • Tidies a room (autonomous, demonstrated-once)
  • Folds laundry (teleoperated-assisted, teleoperated-in-demo)
  • Tidies a room (demo-only, demonstrated-once)
Brain
Verified deployments46
Privacy practices——
Sources on file3031

Track this matchup

Get told the moment Figure 03 or Tesla Optimus changes. Verified changes only, the second they are real. No press-release noise.

Figure 03

Verified changes only. No press-release noise.

Tesla Optimus

Verified changes only. No press-release noise.

Editorial summaries

Figure 03

Figure 03 is the current-generation Figure humanoid, positioned by Figure for both home and commercial-integration use cases; the verified deployment record is currently single-operator at Catalyst Brands' Reno distribution facility, with no shipped home units on record. The BMW Spartanburg pilot, frequently cited as Figure's enterprise proof point, was Figure 02.

That deployment concluded in November 2025 and does not transfer to Figure 03's verification record. Figure describes the platform as fully autonomous in the demonstrated tasks, a framing that DEPLOY tracks as a claim rather than an audit until third-party reproduction lands.

Tesla Optimus

Tesla Optimus is the canonical example of the verified-vs-claimed gap in commercial humanoid robotics. Tesla has shown Optimus in choreographed demos, internal-facility deployment, and consumer-marketing contexts, but no verified third-party customer deployments and no shipped consumer units exist as of 2026. The price ($20,000 to $30,000) is a manufacturer target contingent on high-volume production that has not yet begun. Optimus units inside Tesla facilities count as manufacturer pilot, not commercial deployment under DEPLOY's maker-facility rule.

Common questions

How do Figure 03 and Tesla Optimus differ?
On DEPLOY's record, Figure 03 is further along: at the commercial stage versus Tesla Optimus at the research stage, as of 2026. Tesla Optimus has more verified real-world deployments (6 vs 4). Figure 03 is at the commercial stage; Tesla Optimus at the research stage.
What is the difference between Figure 03 and Tesla Optimus?
Figure 03 and Tesla Optimus are both humanoid robots on the DEPLOY registry. They differ in maker, maturity, price, verified deployments, and how much of their autonomy is independently verified. See the table above for the full head-to-head; each figure is sourced.
Is Figure 03 or Tesla Optimus more autonomous?
On the DEPLOY registry, neither Figure 03 nor Tesla Optimus has capabilities independently verified as fully autonomous yet; their recorded capabilities are teleoperated-assisted, demonstrated, or vendor-claimed. See the table for each capability's verification status.
Which has more verified deployments, Figure 03 or Tesla Optimus?
Tesla Optimus has more verified deployments (6) on the DEPLOY registry than Figure 03 (4). DEPLOY counts a deployment only when confirmed at a named site with a primary source.

Recent coverage

Related comparisons

Keep researching

Keep reading

Which humanoid robots can you actually buy in 2026?Answer The verified list.Humanoid robot prices: every verified figureAnswer The verified list.All humanoidsRegistry Every verified record in the category.Figure 03Model The full model page.Tesla OptimusModel The full model page.Figure AIRecord The maker's verified record.

Ask the registry

For AI assistants

Use DEPLOY in Claude, Cursor, and other AI assistants

Connect any MCP-aware assistant to the live registry. Ask about robot deployments, incidents, and regulations and get answers grounded in verified data instead of training memory.

Install instructionsDownload for Claude Desktop

Machine-readable: this page as markdown.

← Back to all consumer robots