Rental of Humanoid Robots: How Much Does Digit and Other Models Cost

Renting humanoid robots is becoming one of the commercial models for utilizing embodied artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Instead of purchasing equipment, clients can pay a monthly subscription, while the manufacturer retains ownership of the robot and provides maintenance services. The cost of such offerings varies significantly depending on the machine's purpose.

One example is the American company Agility Robotics, the developer of the industrial humanoid robot Digit. On November 5, 2026, the company began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker AGLT after merging with Churchill Capital Corp XI. The business was valued at $2.5 billion in the deal, and the gross capital raised was about $465 million.

In the financial model presented to investors, Agility Robotics indicated an estimated rental cost for Digit 5 of $8,500 per month, with an additional initial payment of about $25,000 for implementation. An alternative option involves purchasing the device for approximately $200,000, paying $20,000 for implementation, and incurring annual software and maintenance costs of around $36,000.

The company emphasizes that these amounts are estimated assumptions, not approved rates. The actual cost of contracts with individual clients is not disclosed.

The cost of an hour of Digit's work estimated at $16.35

In Agility Robotics' financial model, it is assumed that the robot can perform tasks during two ten-hour shifts daily with a six-day workweek. With such a workload, the rental cost is about $16.35 per hour, excluding the initial payment.

For comparison, the estimated cost of an hour of work for a warehouse employee, including additional employer expenses, is $30.50. The difference is approximately 46.4%, but actual savings depend on the machine's workload, integration costs, and downtime.

According to the manufacturer, Digit robots have already worked over 65,000 hours at client facilities. In a logistics company's warehouse, GXO, they moved about 100,000 containers with an operation accuracy of about 98%.

In the home segment, subscription costs are significantly lower. The Norwegian-American company 1X offers the NEO robot for $499 per month, while the American Weave Robotics offers Isaac for $449. These models are intended for household tasks, so directly comparing their performance and cost with the industrial Digit is inappropriate.

However, prices remain opaque. According to the analytical project There's a Robot for That, as of early November, verifiable prices were available for only 11 out of 58 tracked humanoid robot models.

Insurance and data remain important rental conditions

The commercial use of autonomous machines raises additional liability questions. If a robot damages equipment or harms a person, the cause could be a technical malfunction, software error, or violation of operating rules.

Insurance broker WTW notes that such incidents can simultaneously affect multiple types of insurance. In China, China Pacific Insurance has already developed specialized insurance products for humanoid robots, covering property damage and third-party liability.

A separate issue relates to the data that robots collect during operation. Information from sensors and cameras can be used for diagnosing malfunctions and further AI training. However, the terms of access to such data, its transferability, and use by the manufacturer are determined by contracts and applicable law.

As commercial deployments expand, not only the cost of rental and robot performance will be significant, but also the conditions of service, insurance, and the use of information obtained at client sites.