Apollo vs Sophia: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2023)
Apptronik vs Hanson Robotics — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Apollo leads in higher payload. Overall, Apollo has an edge in 1 out of 1 compared categories.
Apollo
Apptronik
Sophia
Hanson Robotics
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Apollo Sophia
Specifications
Target <$50,000 at scalePriceContact (R&D version available)
173 cmHeight167 cm
72.6 kgWeight20 kg
—DOF83
25 kgPayload1.2 kg
4hRuntime—
—Speed—
YesStairsNo
NoLiDARNo
Google DeepMind Gemini integrationComputeIntel Core i7, 32 GB RAM
Ecosystem Openness
—
Apollo
/100
40
Sophia
Hanson AI SDK + OpenCog. Ubuntu. Partial ROS. Niche community.
Pros and cons at a glance
Apollo
Pros
- High rated payload (25 kg) for industrial pick-and-place
Cons
- Still in development, no commercial availability
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
- Closed software stack — no public SDK or ROS support
Sophia
Pros
- Shipping to customers (verified commercial availability)
- 83 degrees of freedom — full-body articulation
Cons
- Unit price not publicly disclosed (quote-on-request or enterprise-only)
- Low rated payload (1.2 kg) — research or light-handling tasks only
- Cannot navigate stairs — restricts deployment environments
Frequently asked questions
How do Apollo and Sophia compare on price?
Apollo: Target <$50,000 at scale. Sophia: Contact (R&D version available).
Which has higher payload: Apollo or Sophia?
Apollo rates a higher payload at 25 kg vs 1.2 kg. Payload ratings are vendor claims and do not always include a duty cycle — peak vs sustained payload can differ significantly.
Is Apollo or Sophia actually available to buy?
Apollo is in active development without commercial availability. Sophia is shipping to customers. Status reflects the vendor's published commercial position as of the last review and can change between announcement and actual delivery.
Which is better for ROS-based development: Apollo or Sophia?
Apollo has no ROS support; Sophia has ROS 1 only. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Last updated: 2023