Robot rentals set path for mass-market adoption

As humanoid robots increasingly move into real-world settings such as tourism, transportation, retail and security, robot rental services are emerging as a fast-growing business model that many in the industry see as one of the earliest scalable paths toward commercialization.

"Rental services are currently the most suitable entry point," said Li Yiyan, CEO of Botshare, a domestic robot rental platform backed by robotics manufacturer AgiBot. Li said that while humanoid robots still face limitations in generalized capabilities and large-scale commercial adoption remains in its early stages, the long-term opportunities could extend far beyond the hardware itself.

"In the future, when robots enter homes, factories and security services on a larger scale, an enormous aftermarket ecosystem will emerge," Li said. "Secondhand robot trading, maintenance, repair and door-to-door services could all eventually be completed through robot rental platforms."

The rapid rise of the sector is already reflected in business registration data. According to Chinese corporate database platform Qichacha, China registered 38,200 robot rental-related enterprises in 2025 alone, up 55.7 percent year-on-year and marking the highest annual total in the past 10 years. As of April 2, another 9,114 related companies had already been registered nationwide this year.

Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, said humanoid robot leasing has only emerged as a new business model over the past year, but is already creating a new form of the sharing economy.

"Although the user market remains relatively small for now, robot leasing helps expand application scenarios while also generating valuable operational data," Pan said. "That data can in turn help optimize humanoid robot algorithms and product design."

As the market heats up, more platform companies are entering the race.

Late last year, Botshare surpassed 200,000 registered users within three weeks of launch and recorded more than 200 orders per day on average. Chinese e-commerce giant JD has also expanded into self-operated robot leasing services, covering embodied robots, robot dogs and exoskeleton robots.

Yet despite growing attention surrounding the sector, profitability pressures are also becoming increasingly evident.

Daily rental prices for humanoid robots have fallen sharply from around 30,000 yuan ($4,415) in the early stages of the market in early 2025 to roughly 3,000 yuan today, with some entry-level models renting for less than 1,000 yuan per day.

For example, Unitree's G1 humanoid robot is typically rented out at a daily rate ranging from 2,500 yuan to 3,500 yuan, while its dancing-capable U2 model costs around 4,000 yuan per day. The company's robotic dogs are generally priced at 400 to 500 yuan per day for rental services.

At the same time, many companies still rely on an operational model that pairs each robot with a dedicated technician, pushing up labor, logistics and maintenance costs.

"Competition in the industry is no longer simply about who can secure more short-term orders," Li of Botshare said. "The real challenge is who can first establish nationwide service coverage, delivery standards and risk-control systems, becoming the preferred gateway for both clients and manufacturers entering real-world scenarios."

Against this backdrop, the company is already accelerating overseas expansion in search of higher-margin markets.

In April, Botshare initiated its global network covering key regions including Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The first phase of the expansion spans 13 countries, including Germany, France, the United States, Malaysia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

Li said the average daily rental price for a humanoid robot in European countries ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 euros ($2,350-3,525), while prices in North America can reach as high as $6,000 per day.

"Regions with higher labor costs naturally have stronger demand for robots to replace human labor," Li said. "Labor costs in Europe and North America are far higher than in China, which means demand for robotics applications could also be greater there."

According to industry analysts, the rise of robot leasing platforms signals accelerating commercialization across the sector.

Li Junlan, senior analyst for robotics and the internet of things at global market consultancy IDC, said the rental model can significantly lower trial and procurement barriers for customers.

"It allows small and medium-sized industry players, as well as companies still in the observation stage, to access and test robotic products more easily, which helps the market expand more quickly," Li said.

Looking ahead, she expects China's robot leasing market to continue expanding in 2026, supported by favorable policy conditions and growing enterprise demand for cost reduction and labor substitution.

"Companies facing pressure to improve efficiency and cope with labor shortages are expected to be most willing to explore human-machine collaboration," she said.

Still, hurdles remain before the sector can achieve sustainable large-scale growth.

Pan said that the industry continues to face challenges such as insufficient standardization in delivery and maintenance services, limited adaptation to specific use scenarios, exaggerated marketing claims and lengthy repair cycles.

"The key to scaling up the industry lies in whether it can build a stable and trustworthy service system," he said.