Unitree R1 vs. G1: which developer humanoid?

Price, size and degrees of freedom: choosing between Unitree’s two most popular humanoids.

By The Pick Humanoid team · Oct 23, 2026

Unitree sells the most affordable humanoids you can actually order, and most buyers end up choosing between two of them.

The numbers

• R1: from $4,900 (R1-D from $4,290). 1,230 mm, about 29 kg, 26 degrees of freedom.^[1][3]
• G1: from $13,500. 1,320 mm, about 35 kg, 23 degrees of freedom on the base model and 23–43 on EDU versions.^[1][2]

Choose the R1 if…

You’re learning, teaching a class, or prototyping behaviors and want the lowest cost per robot. Its lower weight is also easier to handle safely when it falls, which it will.

Choose the G1 if…

You need a platform with a large research community, or the extra dexterity of the EDU versions for manipulation work. It costs more, but it’s the robot many published projects use.

Either way

Plan for a tether or gantry, spare parts and plenty of time. And remember that the price buys you hardware and an SDK, not a robot that does useful tasks out of the box.

Numbered citations link to the sources list on the guide page.