Rent or buy a robot? Robots-as-a-Service explained (2026)
Renting (Robots-as-a-Service, or RaaS) usually wins when you're trying robots for the first time, need maintenance included, or can't spare the capital. Buying wins when the robot will work long hours for years. Agility's published Digit figures show the gap: about $8,500 a month to rent versus about $200,000 to buy, plus fees either way.
What RaaS includes
With RaaS the supplier owns the robot and charges a recurring fee that usually covers the hardware, software updates, maintenance and support. Buying means a large upfront payment, and you arrange servicing yourself or pay for a support plan.
A real example: Agility Digit
Agility's US filings, reported by Ars Technica, set out "illustrative" economics for its Digit 5 humanoid:
| Rent (RaaS) | Buy (ownership) | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront | About $25,000 delivery and deployment | $200,000 hardware + $20,000 deployment |
| Ongoing | $8,500/month (software and maintenance) | $36,000/year (about $3,000/month) software and maintenance |
| Year one | About $127,000 | About $256,000 |
| Five years | About $535,000 | About $400,000 |
Year-one and five-year rows are our arithmetic on the published figures, using Agility's assumed five-year useful life. These are the company's planning figures, not a quote.
Over a full five years, buying costs less on paper. But renting halves the first-year outlay, keeps the risk with the supplier, and lets you walk away if the robot doesn't earn its keep. Reporting on the same filings (The Conveyor, cited by Modern Robotics) found a leased Digit only beats a human's cost per hour if it runs about 68 hours a week or more.
A UK example: restaurant serving robots
Hospitable Automation publishes both routes for Keenon's T10 serving robot: from £99 a week on a 24-month lease, or £12,995 + VAT to buy. Two years of lease payments come to about £10,300, so for a two-year horizon the lease is cheaper and includes support. Hutech Robotics rents a BellaBot for £510 a month ex VAT over 24 months, maintenance included.
How to decide
| Rent if… | Buy if… |
|---|---|
| It's your first robot and you want to trial it | You've proved the robot works on your site |
| You want repairs and updates included | You have in-house technical support |
| Cash flow matters more than lifetime cost | You'll run it many hours a day for years |
| The technology is moving fast (humanoids) | The category is mature (cleaning, serving robots) |
Read the contract: minimum terms, end-of-term options, insurance, and who owns the data the robot collects. A "from" price is rarely the price you pay.
Sources
- Ars Technica: Agility's Digit rental and purchase figures
- The Conveyor: Digit cost per hour analysis
- Hospitable Automation: Keenon T10 pricing
- Hutech Robotics: BellaBot rental
Frequently asked questions
What is Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS)?
A rental model where the supplier owns the robot and charges a recurring fee that usually includes software, maintenance and support.
How much does it cost to rent Agility's Digit humanoid?
Agility's filings give about $8,500 a month plus about $25,000 for deployment. Buying is about $200,000 plus $20,000 deployment and about $36,000 a year for software and maintenance.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a robot?
It depends on how long and how hard you'll use it. On Agility's figures buying is cheaper over five years, but renting costs about half as much in year one and keeps the risk with the supplier.