Apollo vs Pepper: Specs, Price & ROS Support Compared (2023)
Apptronik vs SoftBank Robotics / Aldebaran — independent, side-by-side analysis.
Quick Verdict
Pepper leads in longer runtime. Overall, Pepper has an edge in 1 out of 1 compared categories.
Apollo
Apptronik
Pepper
SoftBank Robotics / Aldebaran
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Apollo Pepper
Specifications
No public price (original target <$50,000 at scale). Apollo 2, unveiled June 30, 2026, is a data-collection/training platform (bipedal or wheeled base) used at Apptronik's Robot Park, not a product for sale; the first commercial product is Apollo 3, expected in 2027. Apollo runs only in enterprise pilots (Mercedes-Benz, GXO, Jabil).Price$32,000
173 cmHeight120 cm
72.6 kgWeight28 kg
—DOF20
25 kgPayload—
4hRuntime12h
—Speed0.83 m/s
YesStairsNo
NoLiDARNo
Google DeepMind Gemini integrationComputeIntel Atom Z530
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
Pepper
Pros
- Long runtime (12h per charge) for full-shift operation
Cons
- Discontinued by the manufacturer
- Cannot navigate stairs — restricts deployment environments
Frequently asked questions
How do Apollo and Pepper compare on price?
Apollo: No public price (original target <$50,000 at scale). Apollo 2, unveiled June 30, 2026, is a data-collection/training platform (bipedal or wheeled base) used at Apptronik's Robot Park, not a product for sale; the first commercial product is Apollo 3, expected in 2027. Apollo runs only in enterprise pilots (Mercedes-Benz, GXO, Jabil).. Pepper: $32,000. Only one of the two has a public unit price; the other publishes a range or enterprise-only terms.
Is Apollo or Pepper actually available to buy?
Apollo is in active development without commercial availability. Pepper has been discontinued. 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 Pepper?
Apollo has no ROS support; Pepper has ROS 1 only. For research and multi-vendor robotics stacks, native ROS 2 is the strongest signal of ecosystem maturity.
Last updated: 2023