289 yuan a day: rented humanoid robot prices fall in China
After a Spring Festival Gala spike, some Unitree humanoids now list for rent from 289 yuan per day, about $40, reports Notebookcheck.
In China, people can rent robots that walk like humans. A few months ago a day cost a lot. Now some cost about the price of a few meals.
Hype check
The noise matches the real change.
Our editorial opinion, based on the sources below. How we score
Your call: hype or real?
Real = it will matter in daily use. Hype = louder than it is. One vote, and it can’t be changed.
Our view and readers’ views are opinions, not statements of fact about a product.
Coming your way?
In China for now · CNY 289 per day (about $40)
The rentals described are in China; the report does not mention other countries.
Why it matters
It shows how quickly interest and prices for humanoid robots can change.
Worth a look: robots are becoming easier to try.
The details
- Daily rates reportedly hit five figures in yuan after Unitree robots appeared on the Spring Festival Gala.
- Rates fell to about 2,000-3,000 yuan per day in early 2026, then below 1,000 yuan.
- Some classified-site listings offer Unitree humanoids from 289 yuan per day, about $40.
- Qingtianzu, billed as the first robot-rental platform, announced a seed round in January 2026.
- The Unitree G1+ starts at 95,000 yuan, about $13,000, to buy.
Receipts
One trusted outlet reports it. Not confirmed yet. Open the sources and check us.
Written with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources above. How we work
See a mistake? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
