Calculator · buy or subscribe
Buy or subscribe: the month a robot subscription costs more than owning
Some home robots are offered both ways. Enter the purchase price, the monthly fee, how long you'd keep it and what you think you could sell it for, and this shows where the two lines cross. It's loaded with 1X NEO's listed prices because they're the clearest public example.
Crossover receipt
Worked example above: $20,000 vs. $499/month, kept 36 months, 0% resale. Crossover = (price − resale) ÷ monthly fee, rounded up.
What this leaves out
- The two plans aren't identical. On 1X's order page, ownership lists a 3-year warranty, premium support and priority delivery; the subscription lists a "Starter Productivity Package" and standard delivery. Compare what's included, not just the price.
- Sales tax, financing, deposits and cancellation terms. Not modeled. Read the order terms.
- Delivery date. 1X says US deliveries start in 2026. That's the company's claim, not a confirmed delivery date.
- FCC status. We haven't found an FCC grant for NEO yet; see its row on the US availability check.
Pool robot instead? The robot vs. pool service calculator works out its break-even against a weekly service.