The average cobot price in 2025 ranges from $10,000 to over $150,000, depending on payload, reach, software, and how many surprise “add-ons” get baked in.

Entry-level models like DOBOT or myCobot land under $20K, but can’t handle much more than demos. 

Higher-end arms for welding, palletizing, or pharma automation often go over six figures, especially once you add grippers, vision, or licensing.

Then there’s RO1. It’s a six-axis cobot with ±0.025 mm repeatability, an 18 kg payload, and built-in AI, all for $37K (list). No license fees, no cage installs, no fine print. 

This guide breaks down what cobots really cost, what drives those numbers, and how to … well, not end up overpaying. 

‍

Why are cobots so expensive?

The average cobot cost is driven by the stack of hardware, software, and integration layers that get priced in long before your robot ever moves a box. Plus, there’s branding and hype. 

What impacts cobot prices?

1. Hardware complexity: Bigger payloads, longer reach, and tighter repeatability drive up price fast. Essentially, you’re paying for motion stability and long-term reliability.
   
   
2. Software and licensing: Many cobot brands charge extra for essential features like motion planning, safety zones, or even basic programming access. RO1 skips the license traps entirely.
   
   
3. Setup and integration time: Some cobot robot systems need external integrators, PLC programming, or weeks of downtime. That’s time and cost you can’t recover.
   
   
4. AI and smart features: Advanced motion planning, object recognition, and learning loops add value, but they also inflate the base price unless they come in a bundle.
   
   
5. Cobot accessories: The robot arm is just the start. Grippers, welders, vision kits, mounts, and enclosures can easily double your total spend if you’re not careful.

Want a deeper breakdown of robotic system costs? Check out how to avoid hidden expenses.

‍

What’s included in a typical cobot price?

When people ask about the cobot price, they usually mean the robot arm, but that’s just the surface. What you’re really paying for depends on the vendor and how many “essentials” get labeled as expensive extras.

What do you pay for?

• The arm itself: The robot’s base price typically includes the arm, controller, and power supply. Everything else is up for grabs.
  
  
• Software licenses: Many cobots charge for basic features like motion planning, safety settings, or update access.
  
  
• Grippers and tooling: Basic grippers might be included. Anything intelligent (suction, welding, or vision-capable) usually costs more.
  
  
• Training and certification: Some vendors sell training as a required add-on. Others offer only some documentation. Check out 6 robotics training courses and their prices.
  
  
• Support and warranties: Support tiers vary. Entry-level plans often mean long delays or email-only help.

What does RO1 include without stacking hidden costs?

• Smart software standard: No-code control, AI motion planning, and machine vision are all in there from the get-go.
  
  
• Welding-ready platform: RO1 integrates directly into welding, CNC, pick-and-place, and QC setups. Take a look at welding robots in depth.
  
  
• Transparent pricing: $37,000 flat. No licenses. No activation fees. No locked features.

‍

Collaborative robot pricing by category

Whether you’re shopping for classroom demos or full-blown production lines, here’s what you can expect across three major price tiers.

Entry-level cobots ($10K–$30K)

These are better for training, R&D, or tinkering. If you’re running a production line, skip this tier.

What’s available in this tier?

• Elephant Robotics myCobot 280-M5:
  $649–$6,325 | 0.25 kg payload
  See specs on Qviro, pricing example on Elephant Robotics
  
  Good for classrooms, hobbyists, and basic automation demos. You’re not loading pallets with this thing, but it moves.
  
  
• DOBOT CR3:
  ~$15,000–$20,000 | 3 kg payload
  Unchained Robotics
  
  For training and light pick-and-place. The price floats around $18K, despite the mythical $6K number on the internet.
  
  
• UFactory xArm 6:
  ~$8,899–$13,799 | 5 kg payload
  Specs on Qviro, pricing example on RobotShop
  
  Designed for desktop automation and research. Entry-level form, mid-level potential, but still not quite ready for heavy lifting.

Mid-range cobots ($30K–$60K)

Cobots in this bracket actually show up to work. Best for shops, factories, and warehouses that need a full shift from their robot.

What’s available in this tier?

• Techman TM5-700:
  $25,000–$36,000 | 6 kg payload
  Specs from TM, pricing breakdown
  
  More common in packaging and simple assembly. Made for entry-level automation, but not made to scale.
  
  
• Universal Robots UR10e:
  ~$45,000–$62,000 | 12.5 kg payload
  UR official announcement, pricing examples on Vention and WiredWorkers
  
  ‍The “default” cobot for a lot of shops. Good specs, solid software, but nowhere near cheap. You’re also paying for the name, because RO1 has it beat on practically every measure. 

• Doosan M0609:
  ~$35,000–$60,000 | 6 kg payload
  Specs on Doosan, pricing examples on Unchained Robotics and Génération Robots‍
  
  Can handle light machining and repetitive handling.

• ABB GoFa CRB 15000:
  $32,000–$40,000 | 5 kg payload
  Pricing example at Unchained Robotics
  
  Works in pharma, QC, and lab environments. The small-payload model is affordable.
  
  
• FANUC CRX-10iA:
  ~$45,000 | 10 kg payload
  Specs, Limited Offer Flyer, pricing example on Unchained Robotics
  
  Big brand energy. Great reliability, but good luck getting a straight quote without sitting through a demo.

High-end cobots ($70K–$150K+)

At this level, you’re not buying a robot, you’re buying an ecosystem. And a sales rep.

What’s available in this tier?

• FANUC CRX-30iA:
  ~$90,000+ | 30 kg payload
  Pricing example on RBTX
  
  Designed for heavy-duty applications requiring substantial lifting capacity.
  
  
• KUKA LBR iiwa:
  ~$100,000+ | 7–14 kg payload
  Breakdown from Standard Bots, pricing examples 
  
  Made for aerospace, complex coordination, and multi-arm rigs. If your workflow doesn’t justify a $100K robot, skip it.

The best part? RO1 has a mid-range price, but high-end performance. It’s almost unfair. 

‍

RO1 vs. other cobots

Most cobots make you pick two: performance, simplicity, or affordability. RO1 said no thanks, and took all three. Here's how it holds up against the “safe” names you’re probably comparing it to.

How RO1 stacks up

What are you really paying for?

• Power-to-price ratio: RO1 gives you 18 kg of payload and sub-30-micron repeatability for $37K. Most competitors tap out at 12.5 kg or charge 2x for less.
  
  
• Vision that doesn’t cost extra: 3D cameras and object detection are included. No $6,000 add-on packs. No integration surprises.
  
  
• AI-native control: RO1 runs GPT-4-level models onboard. It sees, understands, and adapts in real time. You don’t need any clunky plugins or limited logic blocks.
  
  
• Made in the U.S.: That means faster support, faster replacements, and no import delays when something goes sideways.

Other cobots were made for scale. RO1 was made to work in your shop, with your people, right now.

‍

Specialized use case: Cobot welder pricing

Welding with a cobot isn’t plug-and-go. The cobot price gets a hefty bump when sparks are involved, and that’s for a darn good reason.

What drives up the cobot welder price?

• Base cobot robot: Most welding arms start at $30K and scale fast
  
  
• Tooling and gear: You’ll need torches, mounts, shielding, and more
  
  
• Support hardware: Fume extractors, power sources, maybe even chillers
  
  
• Welding software: Good luck without bead tracking and pass control

What will you probably end up paying?

For a cobot welder, expect to drop anywhere from $45,000 to $120,000+, depending on brand and setup. A UR10e paired with MIG welding gear and proper safety accessories can run north of $80K.

Why RO1 flips the script

RO1 by Standard Bots handles welding out of the box, with vision, AI, and safety included. And the price? Still under $40K. That’s a full cobot welder setup with no weird licensing or bolt-on costs.

‍

Cobot ownership costs: Beyond the sticker price

The cobot price on paper is just the start. But what you pay over time is where budgets win … or die.

What drives real cobot cost?

• Training and certification: Even so-called “intuitive” cobots can have week-long onboarding, especially if you're coming from manual ops or CNC. Some vendors charge extra for support docs that should be free. Or extra for training, which is typically thousands of dollars.
  
  
• Maintenance and support contracts: Expect motor failures, encoder issues, or joint wear after heavy cycles. If your brand requires proprietary servicing or overseas parts? That’s downtime you can’t afford.
  
  
• Downtime costs: No built-in diagnostics? Good luck troubleshooting. And don’t forget lost revenue every time your cobot’s offline waiting for a callback.
  
  
• Upgrade cycles and obsolescence: Some vendors slow-walk software updates or gate-keep features unless you’re on a premium plan. Essentially, you ain’t paying for the bot, you’re paying for the right to keep it smart.
  
  
• Reintegration overhead: If your use case changes, some cobots require total reprogramming or even mechanical refits. That’s engineering hours you could be using to ship.

How Standard Bots’ RO1 keeps it simple

• No license tiers or feature walls: You get full AI, machine vision, and no-code control right out of the box. No weird software packages.
  
  
• Risk-free 30-day trial: Don’t guess. Run it in your own shop, with your own crew.
  
  
• Made in the US: Tech support doesn’t ghost you, fast shipping, no import mess.
  
  
• Free lifetime updates: RO1 gets smarter every month without nickel-and-diming you.
  
  
• Multi-role friendly: Palletizing, welding, loading, pick-and-place, RO1 can switch jobs faster than your team can name their favorite pizza.

‍

We lay down the law: Are cobots worth the cost?

Yes, if you're not getting robbed on the cobot price. The right cobot can pay itself off in 12 to 36 months. The problem is, most “affordable” options hide key features behind add-ons, or trap you in endless integration hell. What looks like $45K turns into $90K real fast when you tack on vision, welding tools, and software licenses.

The difference with RO1

• You’re not buying into a gimmick, you’re getting a full-stack system that shows up ready to work.
  
  
• It handles pick-and-place, welding, palletizing, CNC loading, inspection, and more. And it does it without having you buy separate models.
  
  
• And at a locked-in cobot price of $37K, you're spending less than half of what you'd pay for a comparable arm from UR or FANUC.

Most teams end up here because the numbers don’t lie: RO1 gives you industrial-grade specs, AI-native control, and cage-free safety at a price that actually makes sense.

‍

Want the best cobot price without the enterprise markup?

Standard Bots’ RO1 is the perfect six-axis cobot addition to any shop floor, big or small.

• Affordable and adaptable: Available for a list price of $37,000, roughly half of comparable models.
  
  
• Precision and power: With a repeatability of ±0.025 mm and an 18 kg payload, RO1 handles even the most demanding jobs, like welding, palletizing, pick-and-place — you name it
  
  
• AI-driven simplicity: With AI capabilities on par with GPT-4 and a no-code framework, RO1 integrates perfectly with production systems. You don't need to be an expert to get it working or redeploy it to new jobs
  
  
• Safety-first design: Built-in 3D machine vision and collision detection mean RO1 works safely with your human operations without any safety cages

Schedule your risk-free, 30-day on-site trial today and see how RO1 can bring AI-powered greatness to your shop floor.

‍

FAQs

1. What is the average price of a collaborative robot in 2025?

The average price of a collaborative robot in 2025 ranges from $30,000 to $75,000+, depending on payload, reach, and features. Entry-level models with basic functionality start around $30,000, while advanced cobots with high payloads and sophisticated AI capabilities can reach $75,000 or more. RO1 is competitively priced at $37,000 with all essential components included. No hidden costs that often surprise buyers with other manufacturers.

2. What is the best affordable cobot?

RO1 from Standard Bots is the best affordable cobot. RO1 delivers exceptional value by combining high payload capacity, AI-powered functionality, and a full software package for $37,000. Unlike competitors that typically need extra purchases for vision systems and software licenses, RO1 ships complete with everything needed for immediate deployment.

3. Are cobot welders more expensive than traditional ones?

Yes, cobot welders are more expensive than traditional welding equipment upfront. Cobot welder setups typically cost between $45,000 and $120,000 compared to traditional welding stations. However, the long-term savings are substantial due to consistent performance, reduced labor costs, and the ability to work continuously without breaks, sick days, or shift changes.

4. Is RO1 a collaborative robot?

Absolutely! RO1 is a true collaborative robot designed for safe human-robot interaction. RO1 works cage-free in shared workspaces thanks to built-in vision systems and advanced collision detection technology. 

5. What accessories come with RO1?

RO1 comes with all the essential accessories you need for immediate operation out of the box. The complete package includes vision systems, AI software, and mounting kit. Additional tools like grippers and welders are fully compatible and designed for easy integration, so you can customize the system for specific applications without compatibility concerns.