DEPLOY

Buying guide

Adam 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, Tesla Optimus has more verified real-world deployments (6 versus 0) than Adam as of 2026; DEPLOY counts a deployment only when confirmed at a named site with a primary source.

  • Tesla Optimus has the lower recorded price.
  • Tesla Optimus has more verified real-world deployments (6 vs 0).
Attribute
Adam | Unity
AdamView 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 →
ManufacturerPNDboticsTesla
Form factorhumanoidhumanoid
Maturityresearchresearch
Autonomy◐ not independently verified◐ not independently verified
Availabilitypreorder-openpreorderannounced-no-dateannounced
Price$45,000 (manufacturer target)$20,000-$30,000 (manufacturer target)
Capability claims
  • Picks and packs (claimed-only, claimed)
  • Folds laundry (teleoperated-assisted, teleoperated-in-demo)
  • Tidies a room (demo-only, demonstrated-once)
Brain—
Verified deployments06
Privacy practices——
Sources on file731

Track this matchup

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Adam

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Tesla Optimus

Verified changes only. No press-release noise.

Editorial summaries

Adam

Adam, from China's PNDbotics, is a full-size humanoid (~1.6-1.67 m, ~60-63 kg) in several variants (Adam Lite, Adam/Adam SP, the teleop/research Adam-U, Adam Pro), with quasi-direct-drive actuators and five-finger hands. The research-focused Adam-U is offered to research institutions on pre-order at about $45,000; other variants have no published consumer price.

DEPLOY classifies its maturity as research. A China deployment partnership (Tianyong) is stated, not yet a verified deployment.

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 Adam and Tesla Optimus differ?
On DEPLOY's record, Tesla Optimus has more verified real-world deployments (6 versus 0) than Adam as of 2026; DEPLOY counts a deployment only when confirmed at a named site with a primary source. Tesla Optimus has the lower recorded price. Tesla Optimus has more verified real-world deployments (6 vs 0).
What is the difference between Adam and Tesla Optimus?
Adam 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.
Which is cheaper, Adam or Tesla Optimus?
Tesla Optimus has the lower recorded price on the DEPLOY registry than Adam. Prices are sourced; see each record for whether the figure is a manufacturer target, an estimate, or an actual sale price.
Is Adam or Tesla Optimus more autonomous?
On the DEPLOY registry, neither Adam 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, Adam or Tesla Optimus?
Tesla Optimus has more verified deployments (6) on the DEPLOY registry than Adam (0). DEPLOY counts a deployment only when confirmed at a named site with a primary source.

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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.AdamModel The full model page.Tesla OptimusModel The full model page.PNDboticsRecord The maker's verified record.

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