CAPEX vs OPEX/RaaS
The commercial decision should be kept separate from the technical one. Outright purchase, financing or a monthly-fee service, with ownership, maintenance and continuity conditions depending on the contracted option. You can buy the robot outright, finance it as a CAPEX asset or take out an OpExFlow service with no ownership and the support defined in the contract.
Clear comparison
Both routes can be paid monthly, but they follow different logics in accounting, operational and contractual terms.
| Model | Who it suits | Ownership | How it's interpreted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct purchase | Local businesses with capital available. | Yes | Pure CAPEX. |
| Finance leasing | Restaurants, cafés and SMEs that prefer to finance. | Yes, subject to final terms. | CAPEX financed through a lender. |
| Traditional leasing | Companies that want to plan the asset with financing. | Yes, if the agreed purchase option is exercised. | CAPEX with a financing schedule. |
| OpExFlow | Hotels, resorts and large accounts that prioritise service and SLA. | No | OPEX/RaaS with €0 upfront and support included. |
The Essential, Pro and Premium tiers are sized by robot class and the level of availability required.
See the indicative Alpha Care table →Practical decision
The technology can be the same; what changes is how you take on investment, maintenance, continuity and operational responsibility.
CAPEX / ownership
Outright purchase, financial renting or leasing; ownership conditions at the end depend on the financing contract. Recommended when the business wants to control the asset and start with a contained rollout.
See the purchase route (CAPEX)
OpExFlow / service
€0 upfront, a monthly fee, SLA, consumables included and replacement on critical failure. Recommended when continuity matters more than ownership.
See the service route (Enterprise)OpEx Flow packs
These are the same reference packs as on the home page and Enterprise solutions: scenario estimates calculated with the configurator engine on its default assumptions (a fully loaded labour cost of €18/h plus 20% hidden costs, both adjustable in the configurator itself; Alpha Care Pro · 8% APR · 48 months) and the default volumes for 80, 200 and 500 rooms (at 200 rooms: 60 room deliveries/day, 320 dining and buffet services/day, 6,000 m² of floor/day and 40 transport trips/day; 85%/55% occupancy in high/low season); the large complex is sized building by building during the assessment. Net savings apply a conservative factor (≈50% of the hours the robots cover) and deduct the fee. They are not a contractual guarantee: your real figure comes from the assessment with your floor plans, shifts and costs.
| Pack | Typical fleet | OpExFlow fee / monthall inclusive | Work they coverfull-time days (eq.) | Net savings / monthconservative estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operational boutique | 5 robots | from €2,200 | ≈2.7 | ~€2,400 |
| Urban hotel | 6 robots | from €2,700 | ≈6.7 | ~€8,800 |
| Resort & high occupancy | 12 robots | from €5,000 | ≈16.9 | ~€24,200 |
| Hotel complex | 23 robots | from €9,800 | ≈33.3 | ~€47,800 |
Most projects start with 1 robot and a measurable pilot; these packs show the destination you scale to, not the starting point. Calculate your own case →
Assessment before deciding
Alpha Robotics works out the recommended model, accessories, deployment times and indicative return using real data from your operation.