Optimus Gen 3 vs Phoenix: which robot wins?
Tesla's Optimus Gen 3 against Sanctuary AI's Phoenix — price, capability, availability, and a verdict you can act on.
| Optimus Gen 3 | Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|
| EST. PRICE | $25,000* | Enterprise pricing |
| HEIGHT | 5"-8"- / 173 cm | ~5′7″ / 170 cm |
| WEIGHT | ~57 kg | ~70 kg* |
| PAYLOAD | 20 kg | ~25 kg* |
| RUNTIME | ~8 hrs | Tethered/battery options* |
| DEXTERITY | 28+ DOF (11 per hand) | 20-DOF hands — class-leading touch* |
| AVAILABILITY | Waitlist | Industrial only |
| WHICHBOT SCORE | 8.1 / 10 | 7.7 / 10 |
| OUR TAKE | The volume play. Tesla is converting car production lines to build it - if any robot hits mass-market pricing first, it's this one. | The hands specialist. Sanctuary bet everything on human-grade fingers and touch — the hardest problem, and the one that unlocks the most jobs. |
* Prices are estimates from public statements and filings. Availability changes weekly.
Detailed comparison: Optimus Gen 3 vs Phoenix
Optimus Gen 3 scores 8.1/10 in our independent evaluation; Phoenix scores 7.7/10. That 0.39999999999999947-point gap reflects real differences in capability or value, but Phoenix may still win if its strengths match your priorities.
Optimus Gen 3 is best for: Buyers who want to bet on the biggest ecosystem and can wait for a consumer launch. Phoenix is best for: Believers that dexterity — not walking — is what makes humanoids useful.
Our scoring weighs five factors: autonomous capability, independent verification (third-party evidence scores higher than manufacturer claims), commercial deployment scale, price-to-capability ratio, and real-world availability today. Neither robot here is scored on marketing alone. Optimus Gen 3 and Phoenix are both worth evaluating — the right call depends on which robot's documented strengths match your actual workflow.
CHOOSE THE OPTIMUS GEN 3 IF…
- Buyers who want to bet on the biggest ecosystem and can wait for a consumer launch.
- Manufacturing scale nobody else can match
- Tesla's AI/data flywheel from its vehicle fleet
CHOOSE THE PHOENIX IF…
- Believers that dexterity — not walking — is what makes humanoids useful.
- Arguably the most human-like hands and haptics in the industry
- Teleop-to-autonomy training pipeline generates rare manipulation data