Roborock, for most homes. Reviewers rate its robots higher for dodging clutter, mopping without soaking the floor and app control, while Shark's best case is carpet and pet hair with a bagless dock you rarely touch.
Updated
Which suits your home
Start with the thing that matters most to you.
Carpet and pet hairShark
Vacuum Wars measured about 90% of embedded sand lifted from carpet by Shark's NeverTouch Pro, with above-average pet-hair pickup. Roborock is good here too, with RTINGS finding even the cheap Q7 M5 lifted most carpet pet hair in one pass, but the Saros 10R needed several passes for embedded hair in RTINGS's lab.
Cables, socks and pet mess on the floorRoborock
Roborock's Saros 10R got the first perfect score on Vacuum Wars's obstacle course, and RTINGS found it great at avoiding pet waste. Shark's best, the UV Reveal, avoided 20 of 24 objects for Vacuum Wars, but the NeverTouch Pro's avoidance was below average for Vacuum Wars. Roborock's own cheaper models still run over cables Deskmodder.
Wood floors that hate waterRoborock
Shark's mops run wet: Vacuum Wars measured the UV Reveal leaving close to five times the average amount of water, and TechRadar found its old wood floors too wet with the NeverTouch Pro. The mid-range Roborock Qrevo S Pro errs the other way, only lightly wetting the floor for T3.
Less upkeep, no bags to buyShark
Shark's docks are bagless, and after a month Tech Advisor found the NeverTouch Pro's pad still looked new and the base smelled fresh. You do rinse two filters in the base, Trusted Reviews notes.
Very low sofas and bedsRoborock
Roborock's Saros 10 and 10R get down to 7.98cm, and the 10R slid under TechRadar's TV cabinet. The Shark robots testers measured are taller: Vacuum Wars put the UV Reveal at 10.4cm.
Two or more floors, fine controlRoborock
Shark's app keeps only one map, as Vacuum Wars and TechRadar both found, and Vacuum Wars calls it the weakest in the industry. Vacuum Wars calls Roborock's app one of the best in the business.
Model for model
The closest match from each brand at three price levels, with today's prices.
Roborock's Q7 M5 vacuums well above its price, with strong pickup and pet-hair results for RTINGS and TechRadar. Shark's Matrix Plus maps fast and climbed rugs and thresholds that stranded other robots for TechRadar, and the vacuum-only AI Ultra lifted almost all debris from hardwood for Modern Castle, though it failed to avoid three of four test objects there. Where the Q10 X5+ is the Roborock on offer, only its sibling has been tested, and Vacuum Wars and TechGearLab split on pet hair.
Shark's NeverTouch Pro has the stronger carpet results and a bagless dock Tech Advisor barely had to touch, but it left TechRadar's wood floors too wet. Roborock's Qrevo S Pro washes its mops in hot water and T3 called it a bit of a steal, though it runs over socks and cables Deskmodder.
The Saros 10R got a perfect obstacle score from Vacuum Wars, and TechRadar ran a Saros 10 for ten months with few problems. Shark's UV Reveal finds sticky spots and scored far above average on dried stains for Vacuum Wars, but TechRadar marked down its app and saw streaks on glossy tiles.
What reviewers say about each range
Roborock
Reviewers are fairly consistent about Roborock, from the cheap Q7 M5, which RTINGS found strong on carpet pet hair, up to the Saros 10R, which got a perfect obstacle score from Vacuum Wars. The app is the one other brands get measured against, by Vacuum Wars's account. The same weak spots turn up in the cheaper models: no camera, so Deskmodder saw the Qrevo S Pro roll over cables, socks and flat toys, and both T3 and TechRadar hit app glitches early on. Long-term evidence is thin for every brand, but TechRadar ran a Saros 10 every other night for ten months and it got stuck only a handful of times.
Shark
Reviewers like how Shark's robots vacuum. Vacuum Wars rated the NeverTouch Pro's pickup excellent on both floor types, and Tom's Guide found carpets felt fresh after a ThermaCharged run. The bagless docks are the other draw: Tech Advisor went a month without the NeverTouch Pro needing attention. The same complaints follow the range: floors left wet after mopping, a basic app that Vacuum Wars calls the weakest in the industry and that keeps one map only, and robots too tall for the lowest sofas, with Vacuum Wars measuring the UV Reveal at 10.4cm.
Where they differ
01
Vacuuming and carpet: Shark has the edge
Vacuum Wars measured about 90% of embedded sand removed from carpet by the NeverTouch Pro, among the best it has seen, and Tom's Guide got nearly all the cereal and pet hair out of carpet with the UV Reveal. Roborock isn't far behind: RTINGS found the budget Q7 M5 lifted the vast majority of carpet pet hair in one pass, and TechRadar saw a Saros 10 keep on top of a cocker spaniel for ten months. The Saros 10R is Roborock's soft spot, needing several passes for embedded hair in RTINGS's lab.
02
Dodging clutter: Roborock leads at the top
Vacuum Wars gave the Saros 10R the first perfect score on its obstacle course, and RTINGS found it great at avoiding pet waste. Shark's UV Reveal is its best effort, avoiding 20 of 24 objects for Vacuum Wars. Lower down the gap widens: Vacuum Wars rated the NeverTouch Pro's avoidance below average, and the camera-free AI Ultra failed to avoid three of four test objects for Modern Castle. Roborock's cheaper models need a tidy floor too, with Deskmodder seeing the Qrevo S Pro roll over cables and socks.
03
Mopping: Shark cleans but soaks
Shark's mops lift stains, with Tech Advisor watching gravy, coffee and mud vanish, but they put down a lot of water: Vacuum Wars measured the UV Reveal leaving close to five times the average amount, and Vacuum Wars found the ThermaCharged's output the second-highest it has recorded. Roborock's Saros 10R scored far better on dried stains than the Saros 10's single pad Vacuum Wars, while the mid-range Qrevo S Pro only lightly wets the floor and left dried-on food for T3.
04
Docks: bagless Shark is the low-upkeep choice
Shark's docks tip dirt into a bagless bin, and Tech Advisor found the NeverTouch Pro's base still smelled fresh after a month. You do rinse two filters in the base, Trusted Reviews notes, and TechRadar had to empty the Matrix Plus every two weeks with children and dogs. Roborock's mid-range and flagship docks wash the mops as well: the Qrevo S Pro does it in hot water, and T3 called it a bit of a steal.
05
Apps and low furniture: Roborock wins both
Vacuum Wars calls Shark's app the weakest in the industry, with no manual suction or water settings and one map only, though TechRadar liked its simplicity. Vacuum Wars calls Roborock's one of the best in the business. Height goes the same way: Roborock's Saros 10 sinks its laser turret to reach 7.98cm, per Roborock, while Vacuum Wars measured Shark's UV Reveal at 10.4cm and TechGearLab put the Matrix Plus at about 4 inches.
Questions people ask
Is Roborock better than Shark?
For most homes, yes. Reviewers rate Roborock higher for dodging clutter, gentler mopping, its app and getting under low furniture, with the Saros 10R scoring perfectly on Vacuum Wars's obstacle course. Shark is the better pick if carpet and pet hair matter most and you want a bagless dock, where the NeverTouch Pro impressed Vacuum Wars and Tech Advisor.
Which is better for pet hair, Roborock or Shark?
Both are good, and Shark has a slight edge on carpet. Vacuum Wars found above-average pet-hair pickup on the NeverTouch Pro, and TechRadar found even the cheap Matrix Plus handled two spaniels well. On Roborock's side, RTINGS saw the budget Q7 M5 lift most carpet pet hair in one pass, and a Saros 10 handled a cocker spaniel for ten months for TechRadar.
Do Shark robots leave floors wet?
Often, yes. Vacuum Wars measured one of the highest water outputs it has recorded on the ThermaCharged, TechRadar saw streaks on glossy tiles with the UV Reveal, and TechRadar found the NeverTouch Pro too wet for old wood. If you have delicate floors, a Roborock is the safer choice, or start a Shark on its lowest setting where the app offers one.
Which lasts longer, Roborock or Shark?
Nobody has published failure rates for either brand, so there's no reliable answer. The longest test we've seen is TechRadar's ten months with a Roborock Saros 10, which got stuck only a handful of times. For Shark, Tech Advisor found the NeverTouch Pro's dock still fresh after a month.
Can Roborock or Shark robots map more than one floor?
Not Shark's: Vacuum Wars and TechRadar both found its app keeps a single map, so you remap if you carry the robot upstairs. Roborock's app is far more capable, and Vacuum Wars rates it one of the best in the business.
