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Robovations
Robovations™
Robot Autonomy, Classified
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Comparison · 2 robots

iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo · Neato Botvac D7 Connected

All robot vacuums. Every measure below is plotted against the full class, so a difference can be read against how much the class itself varies.

  1. iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo
  2. Neato Botvac D7 Connected

Neato Robotics

Neato Botvac D7 Connected

Autonomy
IIIConditional Autonomy
Score
46/100 Limited
Readiness
Not assessed
Price
$799list

Up to three

01 Classification

What each one does on its own.

The Autonomy Ladder is the same five rungs for every robot on the site. A rung describes the conditions a robot handles without you, not how good it is.

V
Generalized
Any task, any setting
IV
Environmental
Handles new obstacles without help
III
Conditional
Finishes familiar jobs on its own
iRobot Roomba Plus 678 ComboNeato Botvac D7 Connected
II
Assisted
Runs preset routines, needs rescue
I
Manual
One action, on command
02 Assessment

Where they actually differ.

The Robovations Score is nine inputs across three pillars, each weighted as shown and each scored so that more is better. A robot can lead on one and trail on another, which is the point of showing them apart. Cost of ownership and data handling are reported on each robot's own page and are never averaged into the score.

Capability

Task completion16% of score
Does it finish the job it is sold to do, unattended
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo60
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected40
18median 72 across 428 scored robots100
Coverage and navigation10% of score
Does it work the whole area, and hold that between runs
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo68
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected75
0median 70 across 416 scored robots100
Edge-case recovery10% of score
Does it recover from the failures its category presents
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo55
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected75
18median 52 across 317 scored robots100
Operating envelope4% of score
How far conditions can vary before performance drops
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo60
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected75
28median 68 across 392 scored robots100

Dependability

Field failure rate16% of score
Documented hardware failures per owner-year
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo60
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected48
6median 70 across 355 scored robots100
Software stability14% of score
Whether updates fix more than they break
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo65
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected33
15median 65 across 339 scored robots100
Support longevity10% of score
Committed parts, service and updates, with dates
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo55
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected5
0median 62 across 424 scored robots100

Ownership burden

Routine maintenance12% of score
Hands-on time it asks for in normal operation
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo72
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected43
22median 67 across 429 scored robots100
Consumables8% of score
Parts that must be bought to keep it working
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo62
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected43
8median 69 across 429 scored robots100
03 Measured against the class

How far apart is a long way?

A number only means something next to the spread it sits in. Each track below is the real range across every classified robot in the class, with the median marked.

Price214 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo$899
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected$799
$160median $799.99$2,599
Weight181 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo10.7 lbs
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected7.5 lbs
3.6 lbsmedian 8.5 lbs25 lbs
Height223 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo3.9 in
  • Neato Botvac D7 Connected3.9 in
2.6 inmedian 3.8 in7.8 in

Not compared, because fewer than two of these robots carry a published figure: Suction, Runtime, Charge time, Noise.

04 Ownership

What the numbers leave out.

The trade-off

What each design gives up to be good at what it is good at.

iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo

The AutoWash dock hot-washes and heat-dries the roller mop and auto-empties the bin, but that is more moving parts in the dock than a dry-empty-only station, and none of it has independent long-term reliability data yet.

Undercuts the Max 875 Combo by roughly $300 with the same AutoWash dock architecture, but at lower rated suction (30,000 Pa), so the price gap likely tracks a real carpet-cleaning gap, not just branding.

Neato Botvac D7 Connected

The feature it invented no longer works as designed: user-drawn no-go lines lived on the cloud service Vorwerk shut down in 2025.

Onboard LiDAR still maps and cleans without the app, but every run now starts at the robot itself, since cloud scheduling is gone for good.

End-of-life parts economics: consumables run roughly $140 a year, more than a working used unit now commands.

Who each one is wrong for

Stated by the record itself. A robot being wrong for a household is a fact about fit, not a fault.

iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo
Homes with thick or high-pile carpet needing deep-clean suction
No independent suction or high-pile test results are documented for this model; iRobot's non-flagship Combo units have historically shown reduced pickup on thick carpet.
Buyers who want the Max tier's higher rated suction
The Plus 678 is rated at 30,000 Pa; the sibling Max 875 Combo carries a higher published suction figure, so serious carpet cleaning likely favors the pricier model.
Very large or multi-level homes needing single-pass coverage
Independent multi-level coverage testing does not yet exist for this model; recharge-and-resume adds passes rather than eliminating them on large floor plans.
Buyers who need proven multi-year reliability data before purchase
The model shipped twelve days before this assessment; no independent failure report, teardown, or owner-forum thread yet exists to evaluate the dock's hot-water wash mechanism or the robot itself.
Neato Botvac D7 Connected
Owners seeking active vendor support or app features
The 2025 cloud shutdown ended scheduling, zone management and firmware updates, and no vendor remains to restore them. The robot still maps and cleans, but every run starts at the robot.
Any home requiring cloud integration or app control
The cloud backend went dark in 2025. Scheduling, no-go lines and remote commands are permanently offline; the button on the robot is the only control.

What stays your job

The upkeep ownership hands back to you, whatever the autonomy level says.

iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo
  • Weekly: Check the StayClean mopping concentrate reservoir and refill if the dock signals low.
  • Monthly: Clear hair wrap from the main brush and roller.
  • Every 3-6 months: Replace the self-empty bag.
  • Every 3-6 months: Replace the filter (roughly $15-20 for a 3-pack at iRobot’s typical part pricing).
  • Every 3-6 months: Replace the side brush.
  • As needed: Run the dock’s self-clean cycle and wipe down the roller-wash chamber to prevent buildup.
Neato Botvac D7 Connected
  • Weekly: Filter rinse, brush bristle inspection.
  • Every 2-3 months: Side brush replacement (~$20).
  • Every 3-6 months: Main filter replacement (~$15).
  • As needed: Dock guide-strip cleaning if misalignment occurs.
05 Evidence

How much each of these is standing on.

Classifications rest on different depths of evidence. A pre-release assessment and a verified one are not the same kind of claim.

Evidence behind each classification
Robot Evidence status Sources reviewed Last assessed
iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Combo Pending 7 Sep 2026
Neato Botvac D7 Connected Discontinued 3 Sep 2026

Robovations classifies robots; it does not rank them. Nothing on this page is a recommendation, and no manufacturer influences a classification or its placement here.