Is Roomba or Shelly better?

Neither clearly leads. Roomba starts at $399.99/one-time and Shelly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Roomba or Shelly?

Shelly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $399.99/one-time for Roomba and Free for Shelly.

Does Roomba or Shelly run on more platforms?

Roomba runs on IOS, Android, Web. Shelly runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network.

Can I use Shelly for free?

Yes. Shelly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Roomba starts at $399.99/one-time.

What is Roomba best used for?

Roomba is most often used for automated vacuuming and mopping of home floors, scheduled cleaning managed through a connected app. Of those, automated vacuuming and mopping of home floors and scheduled cleaning managed through a connected app are not what Shelly is typically brought in for.

What can Roomba do that Shelly cannot?

Roomba covers Smart Mapping, Auto-Empty Base, Multi-Room Navigation, Dirt Detect. Shelly covers Local Control, Open API, MQTT Support, Energy Monitoring. Both handle Alexa, Google Home, IOS support, Android support.

Smart Home · head to head

Roomba vs Shelly

Roomba

Smart Home

iRobot's intelligent robot vacuum series

From: $399.99/one-time
Rated: -

Full review Website

Shelly

Smart Home

Powerful WiFi smart home devices with local control

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Shelly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Roomba limited promotional pricing detail (savings of $100 mentioned but exact promo terms not specified); Shelly premium features limited to cloud-based functionality; local control requires separate setup
They diverge on capability: Roomba covers Smart Mapping, Shelly covers Local Control.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Roomba and Shelly actually diverge.

Attributes where Roomba and Shelly differ
Attribute	Roomba	Shelly
Starting price	$399.99/one-time	Free
Pricing model	one-time	Unknown
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	IOS, Android, Web	Web, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network
Founded	1990	2016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Smart Home).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Roomba

Smart Mapping
Auto-Empty Base
Multi-Room Navigation
Dirt Detect
IFTTT
Smart schedules

Only in Shelly

Local Control
Open API
MQTT Support
Energy Monitoring
Home Assistant
SmartThings
Local API support

Both cover

Alexa
Google Home
IOS support
Android support
Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Roomba

Automated vacuuming and mopping of home floorsnot Shelly
Scheduled cleaning managed through a connected appnot Shelly

Shelly

Smart home automation and controlnot Roomba
Energy monitoring and managementnot Roomba
WiFi/Bluetooth/Matter device integrationnot Roomba

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Roomba

Limited promotional pricing detail (savings of $100 mentioned but exact promo terms not specified)
Financing through Affirm with variable APR up to 36% available

Shelly

Premium features limited to cloud-based functionality; local control requires separate setup
Device-specific capabilities vary; not all features available across entire product range

Pricing, plan by plan

Roomba

$399.99/one-time

Roomba Electro Plus$399.99/one-time
- Disinfecting floor cleaner
Roomba Plus 415 Combo$499.99/one-time
- Vacuum and mop combo
- Reduced from $599.99
Roomba Plus 515 Combo$599.99/one-time
- Vacuum and mop combo
- Reduced from $699.99
Roomba Plus 575 Combo$699.99/one-time
- Vacuum and mop combo
- Reduced from $799.99

Shelly

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Shelly review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Roomba if

You need smart mapping.
You work on IOS, Android, Web.
You also want auto-empty base.

Roomba review

Choose Shelly if

You need local control.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network.
You also want open api.

Shelly review

Questions people ask

Is Roomba or Shelly better?: Neither clearly leads. Roomba starts at $399.99/one-time and Shelly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Roomba or Shelly?: Shelly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $399.99/one-time for Roomba and Free for Shelly.
Does Roomba or Shelly run on more platforms?: Roomba runs on IOS, Android, Web. Shelly runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network.
Can I use Shelly for free?: Yes. Shelly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Roomba starts at $399.99/one-time.
What is Roomba best used for?: Roomba is most often used for automated vacuuming and mopping of home floors, scheduled cleaning managed through a connected app. Of those, automated vacuuming and mopping of home floors and scheduled cleaning managed through a connected app are not what Shelly is typically brought in for.
What can Roomba do that Shelly cannot?: Roomba covers Smart Mapping, Auto-Empty Base, Multi-Room Navigation, Dirt Detect. Shelly covers Local Control, Open API, MQTT Support, Energy Monitoring. Both handle Alexa, Google Home, IOS support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Roomba: How much do Roomba robots cost?

Combo models range from $499.99 to $999.99. Roomba Max 715 vacuum is $699.99. Roomba Electro Plus disinfecting cleaner is $399.99. Current promotions save up to $100 on select combo models.

Source

Shelly: Does Shelly offer a free tier or paid premium service?

Shelly offers a free service with an option to upgrade. The site mentions Go Premium in the Shelly app, which provides more automation and control capabilities. A Shelly Cloud Premium Voucher is available for purchase.

Source

Roomba: Are there financing options available?

Yes, Affirm financing is available with APR rates between 0-36%. Example: $700 purchase at 15% APR = $63.24 per month for 12 months.

Source

Shelly: What is the difference between free Shelly and Shelly Cloud Premium?

The free version provides basic functionality, while Premium unlocks more automation options and additional control features. Specific pricing for Premium is not disclosed on the homepage.

Source

Roomba: What trade-in and discount programs does iRobot offer?

Trade-in program credits up to $195 for eligible used robots. New customers save 10% on first purchase with email signup. Free shipping on orders over $39.99. Price matching available on identical competitor models.

Source

Shelly: Can I purchase Shelly Cloud Premium directly?

Yes. Shelly Cloud Premium Vouchers are available for purchase through the Shelly shop. Pricing details are available on the product shop page.

Source

Roomba vs Shelly

Roomba

Shelly

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Roomba

Only in Shelly

Both cover

What people use each for

Roomba

Shelly

Where each one falls short

Roomba

Shelly

Pricing, plan by plan

Roomba

Shelly

Which should you pick?

Choose Roomba if

Choose Shelly if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Roomba

More on Shelly

Keep looking

Other head to heads