Cobot vs industrial robot for palletizing

A cobot palletizer works up to 13 cycles per minute and 35 kg. Above that, an industrial robot is the better fit.

	Cobot palletizer	Industrial robot
Payload per pick	About 35 kg (Robotiq); 2 to 30 kg in another guide	100 kg to hundreds of kilos
Speed	8 to 13 cycles per minute	15 to 60 cases per minute, depending on the tool
Pallet height	Limited by reach; sometimes with an added axis	Ample
Safeguards	Fewer, depending on the risk assessment	Cell with fence and light curtains
Where it fits	Very little floor space, moves between lines	Fixed cell
Published price	US$50,000 to US$160,000; Robotiq from US$85,000	From US$120,000 (CSi) up to US$550,000 (Kaufman)
Best fit	1 or 2 shifts, light case, moderate volume	2 or 3 shifts, heavy cases, several lines

Published figures: Robotiq, Automation Distribution, Standard Bots, CSi and Kaufman, checked November 3, 2026. Industrial robot speed: Target presentation (2026).

How many pieces per hour does each one handle?

A cobot at 10 cycles per minute moves 600 pieces per hour if it picks one at a time. A high-speed system reaches 3,600.

If your line runs below 10 pieces per minute on one shift, a cobot may be the most sensible first automation. If you run 3 shifts or your case weighs more than 25 kg, an industrial robot makes more sense: from 3 shifts with 2 people per shift, it pays for itself (Target Robotics calculation with assumptions). How much a cobot palletizer costs, and its limits.

Questions about cobots

Enter your line data and see which one fits

What is the difference between a cobot and a robot?

A cobot, or collaborative robot, is built to work near people, with limited force and speed. An industrial robot is faster and carries more, but it works inside a safeguarded cell. For palletizing, cobot vs industrial robot comes down to payload, cycles per minute and shifts.

What is a cobot?

It is a collaborative robot, called a cobot palletizer when it palletizes. It stops or limits its force when it detects contact, and in some applications it can run without a fence after a risk assessment. Well-known manufacturers: Universal Robots, and FANUC with its CRX series.

How much does a cobot cost?

A complete cobot palletizer is published at about US$50,000 to US$160,000, depending on the source (Automation Distribution, Standard Bots, 2026), and from US$85,000 at Robotiq. The arm alone costs far less, and it still needs the tool and the palletizing program.

Does a cobot palletizer need a fence?

It depends on the risk assessment. Heavy cases or high paths almost always call for scanners or safeguards, and the speed drops when people are nearby, which limits its cycles.

Send your load, speed and shifts. We reply with a version and a price range.

Delivered in 12 weeks. Public price reference: US$120,000 (CSi) to US$550,000 (Kaufman), as of November 3, 2026.

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1What you palletize
2At what speed
3How many lines
4Your pallet
5How many shifts
6Space and city