Comparison table
 SO-101Hugging Face |  Hiwonder xArm 1SHiwonder |  Waveshare RoArm-M3Waveshare |  Hiwonder NexArmHiwonder |  myCobot 280Elephant Robotics |  Rotrics DexArmRotrics |  Dobot Magician LiteDobot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||||||
| Price range | ~$230 DIY parts (pair), kits $199 – $460 | $199 – $379 | $239.99 – $339.99 | $279.99 – $599.99 | $499 – $809 | $799 – $1,049 | $995 |
| Version compared | Assembled leader + follower pair with camera, $299 (WowRobo). Unassembled pair $259 | Assembled arm $239.99 (unassembled $199.99) | RoArm-M3-S arm $239.99. Leader + follower AI kit $499.99 | Follower arm $279.99. Leader + follower kit $559.99 | M5Stack version $649 (Arduino $499, Raspberry Pi $759) | Starter Kit $799, pen holder only | $995 with grippers, suction cup and camera kit |
| Also needed | A computer, ideally with a GPU for training (power supplies, clamps and camera included) | A computer or phone | A computer. A second arm for leader–follower teaching | A computer, ideally with a GPU for training | A gripper ($129.99) and a base ($69.99) | Pneumatic Kit ($259) for a soft gripper, $45 shipping | Nothing listed |
| Arm | |||||||
| Build | DIY kit or assembled | DIY kit or assembled | Assembled | Assembled | Assembled | Assembled | Assembled |
| Joints | 5 + gripper | 5 + gripper | 5 + gripper, 2-axis wrist | 5 + gripper | 6, no gripper included | 3 (4 with rotary module) | 4 |
| Payload | Not published (light objects) | Not published | 0.2 kg at 0.5 m | 500 g | 250 g | 500 g | 250 g |
| Reach | Not published | Not published | ~560 mm (est. from a 1,120 mm wide workspace) | 500 mm | 280 mm | 380 mm | 340 mm |
| Repeatability | Not published | Not published | ±5 mm | ±2 mm | ±0.5 mm | 0.05 mm | ±0.2 mm |
| Gripper | Servo jaw included | Servo claw included | Servo clamp included | Parallel gripper included | Sold separately | Not in the Starter Kit | Soft gripper and suction cup included |
| Motors | Feetech STS3215 bus servos | Bus servos | ST3215 bus servos (all-metal ST3235 on the Pro) | Hiwonder HX bus servos, metal gears | Servos | Stepper motors | Stepper motors with encoders |
| Joint position feedback | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes | ● Yes | Not published | ● Yes |
| Imitation learning and code | |||||||
| LeRobot support | Built in, the default LeRobot arm | No | Supported, with Waveshare's LeRobot tutorials | Supported through Hiwonder's LeRobot fork | No official support | No | No |
| Leader arm for teaching | Included in the pair | $89.99 sync controller | In the $499.99 AI kit | $249.99, or in the $559.99 kit | No, drag teaching by hand | No, drag teaching by hand | No |
| Programming | Python (LeRobot) | PC software, phone app, Arduino and Python examples | Python SDK, JSON commands over Wi-Fi or USB, ROS 2, Arduino | Python (LeRobot), Arduino, phone app | Python (pymycobot), ROS 1 and 2 with MoveIt, Arduino, blocks | Python over G-code, Scratch-style blocks | Blocks and Python (DobotLab), MicroPython |
| Programmability | Open source (hardware + software) | Full SDK | Full SDK | Full SDK | Full SDK | Full SDK | Full SDK |
| LLM support | Official LLM tools | Possible via SDK | Possible via SDK | Official LLM tools | Official LLM tools | Possible via SDK | Possible via SDK |
| Purchasing | |||||||
| Where to buy in the US | WowRobo, Hiwonder and other kit makers | Hiwonder, Amazon US | Waveshare, Amazon US | Hiwonder, Amazon US, RobotShop | Elephant Robotics Americas store | Rotrics store, RobotShop (on demand) | Top3DShop, RobotLAB |
| Shipping to the US | ~3–8 business days (WowRobo, UPS) | Amazon US, days | 3–8 working days by express from China | Dispatched next business day, transit not published | US warehouse, 2–5 days to process | 8–13 business days | 3–7 business days (Top3DShop) |
| Suggested ages | 14+ | 14+ | 14+ | 14+ | 14+ | 14+ | 10+ |
Highlighted cells are the strongest in their row. Speeds marked (est.) are not published by the maker. They come from owner measurements or the makers' gait code, explained on each robot page. Prices are US list prices as of September 2026. Each robot's page has full specs, sources and photos.
Which one fits
- SO-101 is the cheapest way into LeRobot, with an assembled leader and follower pair plus a camera for $299. It is the arm most LeRobot tutorials, datasets and trained policies are made for, though its 3D-printed body and small servos only handle light objects.
- Hiwonder xArm 1S is the cheapest assembled arm, at $239.99, and its bus servos report their positions. It suits learning basic arm programming, but it has no LeRobot support and Hiwonder publishes no payload or reach.
- Waveshare RoArm-M3 has the longest reach and a two-axis wrist, with Wi-Fi control from an ESP32, ROS 2 and LeRobot tutorials. Leader–follower teaching needs the $499.99 two-arm kit, and its ±5 mm repeatability is loose.
- Hiwonder NexArm is a metal-bodied LeRobot arm, sold with a leader arm for $559.99. It lifts 500 g with ±2 mm repeatability, and the kit comes assembled with a gripper camera, but it is new in 2026 and runs on Hiwonder's own LeRobot fork.
- myCobot 280 is the most programmable, with six joints, a Python library and ROS packages with MoveIt. It ships from a US warehouse, but the gripper costs extra and it has no official LeRobot support.
- Rotrics DexArm is the most precise, at 0.05 mm, and doubles as a pen plotter, laser engraver and 3D printer with add-on modules. The $799 Starter Kit has no gripper, and grasping needs the $259 Pneumatic Kit.
- Dobot Magician Lite comes the most complete, with grippers, suction, a camera kit and block-to-Python coding for classrooms. It is the priciest at $995 and has only four joints.
The robots
SO-101 (SO-ARM101)TheRobotStudio × Hugging Face (open source)~$230 DIY parts (pair), kits $199 – $460Hiwonder xArm 1S / LeArm AIHiwonder (Shenzhen, China)$199 – $379Waveshare RoArm-M3 (S / Pro)Waveshare (Shenzhen, China)$239.99 – $339.99Hiwonder NexArm (LeRobot 6-axis)Hiwonder (Shenzhen, China)$279.99 – $599.99myCobot 280Elephant Robotics (China)$499 – $809Rotrics DexArmRotrics (Shenzhen, China)$799 – $1,049Dobot Magician LiteDobot (Shenzhen Yuejiang, China)$995