Figure 03 vs Tesla Optimus: which is further along?
Both are general-purpose humanoids, but they sit at different stages. Figure 03 has a partner-confirmed paid commercial deployment (logistics at Catalyst Brands' Reno center); Tesla Optimus has no verified external commercial sale and is recorded at research-and-development maturity. Neither has independently verified full autonomy, and neither is sold to consumers.
Key facts
- Form factor
- humanoid
- Maturity
- commercial
- Verified deployments
- 2
- Maker
- Figure AI
- hands
- tactile sensing hands
- mass kg
- 61
- ai system
- Helix VLA
- height cm
- 173
- weight kg
- 61
On the record
Figure 03 tidying a bedroom. Figure describes the task as performed autonomously by its Helix model.
The short version
Figure 03 and Tesla Optimus are the two most-compared general-purpose humanoids, but they are at different points on the path from demo to product. The cleanest distinction is verified commercial use.
Deployment: the real gap
Figure 03, made by Figure AI, has a partner-confirmed paid commercial deployment: sorting work at Catalyst Brands' Reno distribution center, plus its predecessor Figure 02's completed project at BMW Spartanburg. Tesla Optimus, made by Tesla, has no verified external commercial sale. On Tesla's January 2026 earnings call, Elon Musk acknowledged the robots are not in material use in Tesla's own factories and remain in the research-and-development phase. On the registry, Figure 03 is the more commercially advanced of the two.
Specs and price
Figure 03 is about 173 cm tall and 61 kg, with a soft textile exterior, tactile-sensing hands, and Figure's Helix AI model. Tesla Optimus shares its perception and compute approach with Tesla's Full Self-Driving stack. Neither has a consumer price you can act on: Figure has published none, and Tesla projects a long-run $20,000 to $30,000 target that it calls a projection, not a realized price.
Autonomy: both maker-framed
Both companies show striking autonomy demos, and in both cases the fully autonomous label is the maker's claim. Optimus units at Tesla's October 2024 We Robot event were reported by Bloomberg and TechCrunch to be human-teleoperated; Figure 03's home demos are recorded as demonstrated-only until independently confirmed.
For a three-way view that adds 1X NEO, see Tesla Optimus vs Figure vs NEO.
Frequently asked
Is Figure better than Tesla Optimus?
On verified commercial deployment, Figure is further along: Figure 03 has a partner-confirmed paid deployment at Catalyst Brands, while Tesla Optimus has no verified external commercial sale and remains in R&D per Tesla's January 2026 comments.
Is Figure 03 or Tesla Optimus autonomous?
Both show autonomy demos, but in both cases the full-autonomy framing is the manufacturer's claim. Tesla's We Robot units were reported as teleoperated; Figure's home demos are recorded as demonstrated-only until verified.
Which humanoid can you buy, Figure 03 or Optimus?
Neither is sold to consumers. Figure 03 is enterprise-deployed with no consumer price; Tesla Optimus is consumer-promised at a stated $20,000 to $30,000 target with no purchase path.
Where it is deployed
2 verified deployments on the registry for the Figure 03. Click any marker to open its primary-source record.
Explore the deployment map
See where these robots are verified operating, by place and type.
More questions people ask
- Can humanoid robots cook?
- Can humanoid robots do laundry?
- Can humanoid robots replace human workers?
- Can I buy a humanoid robot in 2026?
- How did DEPLOY correct the Figure 03 BMW deployment narrative?
- How does DEPLOY think about robot insurance?
Explore Figure AI’s other robots
Every robot coming to market, tracked and verified.
DEPLOY is the registry of physical AI: every company, model, deployment, and safety record, with the sources behind each one. Browse the humanoids, robotaxis, drones, and delivery robots being deployed right now.
Explore the DEPLOY registry →Most-tracked robots
For builders & agents
Query this explainer’s entities as structured data.