// HEAD TO HEAD
The two most-watched American humanoids are almost the same size. Figure 03 is already working for paying customers. Optimus is Tesla's bet that it can build humanoids by the million.
Figure 03 is the commercial machine today, with customers, an on-device AI and a proven 200-hour run. Optimus is in low-volume production for Tesla's own use, with no external customers and commercial sales expected in 2027.
| Figure 03 | Optimus Gen 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Figure AI, Sunnyvale, CA | Tesla, Palo Alto, CA |
| Height | 5'8" / 1.72 m | 5'8" / 1.73 m |
| Weight | 61 kg | 57 kg |
| Payload | 20 kg | 20 kg |
| Battery | 5 hours, autonomous hot-swap | Not disclosed |
| Top speed | Not disclosed | 5 mph |
| Degrees of freedom | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| AI | Helix-02, on-device | FSD-derived neural nets |
| Status | Commercial — scaling | Low-volume production — internal use |
| Customers | BMW Spartanburg, Catalyst Brands | None external |
| Price | Enterprise only, by quote | Not for sale (est. $20,000–30,000) |
Figure reports more than 1,000 Figure 03 units built. It works at BMW's Spartanburg plant and, since May 2026, at a Catalyst Brands distribution centre in Reno that serves more than 1,800 stores. In May three units sorted roughly 250,000 packages over 200 continuous hours with zero hardware failures, swapping tasks among themselves to recharge.
Tesla replaced Model S and Model X production at Fremont with an Optimus line. Low-volume production was reported in August 2026, but Tesla has published no unit count. On 20 August JPMorgan said it expects commercial sales in the second half of 2027. The line is designed for up to about 1 million units a year.
Neither robot has a published list price. Figure 03 is sold to enterprises by quote. Optimus is not for sale; estimates put an eventual price at $20,000–30,000, which would undercut nearly every rival if Tesla reaches volume.
This is a contest between proof now and scale later. Figure has the deployments and the sector's highest private valuation, about $39 billion. Tesla has the factory and the balance sheet, but it has yet to show a customer.
Read the Figure 03 and Optimus Gen 3 profiles, or compare them with the field in Compare Humanoids. The weekly Robot Rankings score both companies every Monday.
For related profile pages, see Atlas Electric, Apollo, Digit, and Unitree G1. The broader specs index is also available.