Nao vs Q5
Side-by-side comparison of Nao (SoftBank Robotics) and Q5 (Robotera) — specs, pricing, Robolist Product Score, and verified deployments. Updated daily.
Optimize comparison for buyer
Optimized for Last-Mile Delivery buyers. Priority specs lifted to the top and marked with a target.
Layer 1: Identity & Trust
Manufacturer Country
- NaoUnited States
- Q5China
Year First Available
- Nao2008
- Q52025
Verified Deployments
- Nao0 Deployments
- Q50 Deployments
Layer 2: Operational
Price Range (USD)
- Nao$32,990
- Q5$55,833
Battery / Shift Runtime
- Nao1.5 hrs
- Q54 hrs
Availability Status
- NaoACTIVE
- Q5ACTIVE
Physical Form Factor
Height
- Nao5800 mm
- Q5165 mm
Weight
- Nao0.5 kg
- Q570 kg
Mobility Type
- Naobipedal
- Q5bipedal
Humanoid Subtype
- Naofull bipedal
- Q5full bipedal
Walking Speed
- Nao0.1 m/s
- Q51.5 m/s
Running Capable
- Nao—
- Q5run capable
Stair Climbing
- NaoNo
- Q5production ready
Terrain
- Naoindoor
- Q5flat_indoor
Payload & Dexterity
Payload
- Nao0.5 kg
- Q53 kg
Payload (Peak)
- Nao—
- Q510 kg
Total DOF
- Nao25
- Q544
Arm DOF
- Nao—
- Q57
Hand DOF
- Nao—
- Q511
Arm Reach
- Nao—
- Q580 cm
Grip Strength
- Nao—
- Q520 N
Manipulation Repeatability
- Nao—
- Q5±0.5 mm
Bimanual Coordination
- NaoNo
- Q5coordinated planning
Tool Use
- Nao—
- Q5vendor demo
Compute & AI
Onboard Compute
- NaoATOM E3845 1.91 GHz, Quad core
- Q5275 TOPS
Compute Platform
- Nao—
- Q5NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin
VLM Capable
- NaoNo
- Q5none
Foundation Models
- Naofalse
- Q5—
Imitation Learning
- NaoNo
- Q5multi task
Teleoperation
- Nao—
- Q5vr_headset, glove_based
Programming
- Naovisual_block, code_python
- Q5AI-powered voice system
Battery & Power
Runtime
- Nao1.5 hrs
- Q54 hrs
Battery Capacity
- Nao—
- Q51.5 kWh
Charging Time
- Nao—
- Q51.5 hrs
Charging Method
- Nao—
- Q5auto dock
Battery Swap
- NaoNo
- Q5Yes
Avg Power Consumption
- Nao—
- Q5300 W
Safety
Force-Limited Arms
- Nao—
- Q5Yes
Fall Recovery
- Nao—
- Q5Yes
Fall Detection Response
- Nao—
- Q5100 ms
Emergency Stops
- Nao—
- Q52
Human Detection Method
- Nao—
- Q5vision human
Safe Speed Near Humans
- Nao—
- Q5ssm_equivalent
Software
SDK Languages
- NaoPython, C++, JavaScript
- Q5Python, C++, ROS2
ROS Support
- NaoNo
- Q5ros2 vendor
Simulation Platforms
- Nao—
- Q5NVIDIA Isaac Sim, MuJoCo
Open API
- NaoYes
- Q5open rest websocket
Air-Gap Capable
- Nao—
- Q5Yes
Reliability
IP Rating
- Nao—
- Q5IP54
Task Success Rate
- Nao—
- Q595 %
Deployment Maturity
- Naoproduction pilot
- Q5commercial
Noise Level
- Nao—
- Q560 dB
Commercial
Price (USD)
- Nao$32,990
- Q5$55,833
Price Tier
- Nao20-40K
- Q540-80K
RaaS / Month
- Nao$647
- Q5—
Pricing Model
- Naocapex, raas
- Q5capex
Developer Unit Price
- Nao—
- Q5$79,900
Delivery Lead Time
- Nao—
- Q53 mo
Warranty
- Nao1 yrs
- Q51 yrs
Production Pilots
- Nao—
- Q5BMW Spartanburg, GXO Logistics
Applications
- Naoeducation, research
- Q5hospitality, eldercare_assistance, education
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1: Identity & Trust | ||
| Manufacturer Country (values differ) | United States | China |
| Year First Available (values differ) | 2008 | 2025 |
| Verified Deployments | 0 Deployments | 0 Deployments |
| Layer 2: Operational | ||
| Price Range (USD) (values differ) | $32,990 | $55,833 |
| Battery / Shift Runtime (priority for Last-Mile Delivery buyers) (values differ) | 1.5 hrs | 4 hrs |
| Availability Status | ACTIVE | ACTIVE |
| Layer 3: Category Specific | ||
| Physical Form Factor | ||
| Height (values differ) | 5800 mm | 165 mm |
| Weight (values differ) | 0.5 kg | 70 kg |
| Mobility Type | bipedal | bipedal |
| Humanoid Subtype | full bipedal | full bipedal |
| Walking Speed (values differ) | 0.1 m/s | 1.5 m/s |
| Running Capable (values differ) | — | run capable |
| Stair Climbing (values differ) | No | production ready |
| Terrain (values differ) | indoor | flat_indoor |
| Payload & Dexterity | ||
| Payload (values differ) | 0.5 kg | 3 kg |
| Payload (Peak) (values differ) | — | 10 kg |
| Total DOF (values differ) | 25 | 44 |
| Arm DOF (values differ) | — | 7 |
| Hand DOF (values differ) | — | 11 |
| Arm Reach (values differ) | — | 80 cm |
| Grip Strength (values differ) | — | 20 N |
| Manipulation Repeatability (values differ) | — | ±0.5 mm |
| Bimanual Coordination (values differ) | No | coordinated planning |
| Tool Use (values differ) | — | vendor demo |
| Compute & AI | ||
| Onboard Compute (values differ) | ATOM E3845 1.91 GHz, Quad core | 275 TOPS |
| Compute Platform (values differ) | — | NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin |
| VLM Capable (values differ) | No | none |
| Foundation Models (values differ) | false | — |
| Imitation Learning (values differ) | No | multi task |
| Teleoperation (values differ) | — | vr_headset, glove_based |
| Programming (values differ) | visual_block, code_python | AI-powered voice system |
| Battery & Power | ||
| Runtime (values differ) | 1.5 hrs | 4 hrs |
| Battery Capacity (values differ) | — | 1.5 kWh |
| Charging Time (values differ) | — | 1.5 hrs |
| Charging Method (values differ) | — | auto dock |
| Battery Swap (values differ) | No | Yes |
| Avg Power Consumption (values differ) | — | 300 W |
| Safety | ||
| Force-Limited Arms (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Fall Recovery (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Fall Detection Response (values differ) | — | 100 ms |
| Emergency Stops (values differ) | — | 2 |
| Human Detection Method (values differ) | — | vision human |
| Safe Speed Near Humans (values differ) | — | ssm_equivalent |
| Software | ||
| SDK Languages (values differ) | Python, C++, JavaScript | Python, C++, ROS2 |
| ROS Support (values differ) | No | ros2 vendor |
| Simulation Platforms (values differ) | — | NVIDIA Isaac Sim, MuJoCo |
| Open API (values differ) | Yes | open rest websocket |
| Air-Gap Capable (values differ) | — | Yes |
| Reliability | ||
| IP Rating (priority for Last-Mile Delivery buyers) (values differ) | — | IP54 |
| Task Success Rate (values differ) | — | 95 % |
| Deployment Maturity (values differ) | production pilot | commercial |
| Noise Level (values differ) | — | 60 dB |
| Commercial | ||
| Price (USD) (values differ) | $32,990 | $55,833 |
| Price Tier (values differ) | 20-40K | 40-80K |
| RaaS / Month (values differ) | $647 | — |
| Pricing Model (values differ) | capex, raas | capex |
| Developer Unit Price (values differ) | — | $79,900 |
| Delivery Lead Time (values differ) | — | 3 mo |
| Warranty | 1 yrs | 1 yrs |
| Production Pilots (values differ) | — | BMW Spartanburg, GXO Logistics |
| Applications (values differ) | education, research | hospitality, eldercare_assistance, education |
Insufficient data for full comparison
The following fields had no data for any of the selected robots: MTBF
best in categoryweakest in categoryvalues differ
Trade-offs at a glance
Frequently asked
Who makes Nao and Q5?
Nao is made by SoftBank Robotics, based in US. Q5 is made by Robotera, based in CN.
When were Nao and Q5 launched?
Nao launched in 2008. Q5 launched in 2025.
How much does Nao cost compared to Q5?
Nao is listed at $32,990. Q5 is listed at $55,833.
How do Nao and Q5 compare on the Robolist Product Score?
Nao scores 48/100. Q5 scores 44/100. The Product Score blends specs, pricing transparency, verified deployments, and independent media coverage — see methodology for the full breakdown.
What is the payload difference between Nao and Q5?
Nao carries up to 0.5 kg. Q5 carries up to 10 kg.
Are Nao and Q5 in the same category?
Both robots are classified as Humanoid on Robolist. Filters and ranking treat them as direct alternatives.
What is the realistic total cost of ownership for Humanoid robots?
Hardware cost is one input. Humanoid TCO also includes integration, training, downtime, and end-of-life. Our breakdown: Humanoid TCO: Hardware, Cloud Subscriptions, and the Cost of Teleop Time.
What should a buyer ask vendors when choosing between Nao and Q5?
Spec sheets only show part of the story. Useful vendor questions cover support, lifecycle, integration cost, and references. We have a buyer-focused checklist: Vendor Selection for Humanoids: The 10 Questions You Must Ask.
Going deeper — picking the right robot
Humanoid TCO: Hardware, Cloud Subscriptions, and the Cost of Teleop Time
8 min readHumanoid Robots
Vendor Selection for Humanoids: The 10 Questions You Must Ask
10 min readHumanoid Robots
Running a Humanoid Pilot: Scope, Success Criteria, and Exit Options
9 min readHumanoid Robots
Build vs buy vs lease: which model fits a first deployment
8 min readChoosing Your First Robot
The hidden specs vendors hope you'll miss
10 min readReading the Spec Sheet
About this comparison
Nao vs Q5 compares two robots in the humanoid category. All data is sourced from manufacturer spec sheets, verified deployments, and third-party filings; see our methodology for how the Robolist Product Score is calculated.