Comparison table
 Freenove Dog (ESP32)Freenove |  Freenove Dog (Raspberry Pi)Freenove |  PiDogSunFounder |  WAVEGO / WAVEGO ProWaveshare |  Bittle / Bittle XPetoi |  MechDogHiwonder |  XR-CorgiXiaoR Geek | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||||||
| Price range | $123.99 | $129.99 | $179.99 | $242.99 – $446.99 | $289 – $469 | $299.99 – $569.99 | $359 – $1,500 |
| Kits under $500 | $123.99 kit | $129.99 kit | $179.99 kit | Basic or Pro Basic $242.99, PI4 Kit $415.99, Pro PI5 Kit $446.99 (Pi included) | Bittle $289, Bittle X $319–399, Bittle X + Arm $449 | Standard $299.99, Advanced $369.99, Ultimate $469.99 | Basic $359, Graphical Programming or Voice Control $399 |
| Bought separately | Two 18650 cells and a charger | Raspberry Pi, two 18650 cells and a charger | Raspberry Pi | 18650 cells | Nothing listed | Nothing listed | Nothing listed |
| Legs and motion | |||||||
| Leg servos | 12 (3 per leg) | 12 (3 per leg) | 8 (2 per leg) | 12 (3 per leg) | 8 (2 per leg) | 8 (2 per leg) | 12 (3 per leg) |
| Side-steps and body poses | ● Yes | ● Yes | – No | ● Yes | – No | – No | ● Yes |
| Other servos | None | 1 head | 3 head, 1 tail | None | 1 head | None (the $569.99 Pro kit adds a 3-servo arm) | 1 camera |
| Servo type | Hobby servos | Hobby PWM servos, no position feedback | Metal-gear hobby servos | Serial bus servos with position feedback on the Pro | Hobby servos | Hobby servos | Bus servos |
| Frame | Not published | Not published | Not published | Aluminum and nylon | Not published | Aluminum | Aluminum shell |
| Weight | Not published | Not published | Not published | 465 g (Basic), 554 g (Pi kit) | ~290 g | ~560 g | Not published |
| Walking speed | ~0.1 m/s (est.) | ~0.05–0.1 m/s (est.) | ~0.06 m/s (est.) | ~0.2 m/s or less (est.) | ~0.4 m/s | ~0.07–0.1 m/s (est.) | ~0.1 m/s (unconfirmed) |
| Brain and sensors | |||||||
| Controller | ESP32-WROVER | Raspberry Pi (not included) | Raspberry Pi (not included) | ESP32, plus a Raspberry Pi 4B or 5 in the Pi kits | NyBoard (Arduino-class), ESP32 on Bittle X, optional Raspberry Pi | ESP32 | ESP32 (a Raspberry Pi only on the $1,000+ AI Visual versions) |
| Camera | Included, on the ESP32 board | Included | Included | EX and Pi kits | Optional module | Advanced kit and up (ESP32-S3 camera module) | AI Visual versions only ($1,000+) |
| Other sensors | Ultrasonic, touch | Ultrasonic, IMU | Ultrasonic, IMU, touch, sound direction, microphone, speaker | 9-axis IMU, OLED display | IMU, optional ultrasonic | Ultrasonic, IMU. The Advanced kit adds voice, touch and light modules | Ultrasonic and infrared obstacle sensors (expansion kit) |
| Programming | |||||||
| Languages and tools | Arduino (C++), phone app, desktop client | Python, phone app, desktop client | Python, OpenCV and MediaPipe, phone app | ESP32 and Raspberry Pi code, browser control, JSON commands | Python, Arduino, C++ | MicroPython, Arduino, Scratch-style blocks | Arduino, Scratch-style blocks, Android app, Python on the AI Visual versions |
| Programmability | Open source (hardware + software) | Open source (hardware + software) | Full SDK | Full SDK | Open source (hardware + software) | Full SDK | Full SDK |
| LLM support | Possible via SDK | Possible via SDK | Official LLM tools | Possible via SDK | Official LLM tools | Official LLM tools | Possible via SDK |
| Purchasing | |||||||
| Suggested ages | 12+ | 12+ | 12+ | 14+ | 14+ | 12+ | 12+ |
| Shipping to the US | 2–5 days (Amazon) | 2–5 days (Amazon) | ~2 days (Amazon) | ~1–2 weeks | 2–5 days | ~1–2 weeks | ~1–2 weeks |
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
- Freenove ESP32 is the cheapest way to get 12 leg servos and a camera, at $123.99. It comes as a kit to assemble, and the batteries cost extra.
- Freenove Raspberry Pi and PiDog suit owners of a spare Raspberry Pi and Python. The Freenove has the more capable legs, while PiDog trades leg freedom for a moving head, a tail, touch and sound sensing, and LLM voice-chat examples.
- WAVEGO is the closest 12-servo match to MechDog in build and price, with an aluminum frame and an ESP32 that runs the gaits. Its Pi kits add vision under $450, and the Pro's bus servos report their position.
- Bittle X is the smallest and lightest, at about half the weight of MechDog or WAVEGO. Petoi ships from a US warehouse, and a pre-assembled Bittle X is sold on Amazon.
- MechDog has an aluminum frame, MicroPython, Arduino and block coding for ages 12+, and kits that add a camera, an AI voice module, micro:bit parts or an arm. With two servos per leg it walks but cannot side-step or pose like the 12-servo dogs.
- XR-Corgi ships assembled with metal-shelled bus-servo legs. Its camera and Raspberry Pi only come on versions costing $1,000 or more.
The robots
Freenove Robot Dog Kit (ESP32)Freenove (China)$123.99Freenove Robot Dog Kit (Raspberry Pi)Freenove (China)$129.99PiDogSunFounder (China)$179.99WAVEGO / WAVEGO ProWaveshare$242.99 – $446.99Bittle / Bittle XPetoi$289 – $469MechDogHiwonder (China)$299.99 – $569.99XR-CorgiXiaoR Geek (China)$359 – $1,500