Waymo vs Tesla Robotaxi: Cities, Price, Drivers and Rules

Independent rider's guide. Not affiliated with Waymo, Tesla, Zoox, Uber or Lyft. We don't book rides: book in the official apps. About our independence

Checked Nov 11, 202614 sources cited below

In Waymo vs Tesla Robotaxi, Waymo is the bigger, more established driverless service: more cities, airport pickups and teen accounts. Tesla Robotaxi is usually cheaper and runs in a growing list of Texas and Florida cities, but it doesn't take children under 8, has no airport pickups we could find, and in the Bay Area it has a driver. Which to pick mostly depends on where you are.

Where each one runs

CityWaymoTesla Robotaxi
AustinOn Uber onlyRobotaxi app
Dallas, Houston, San AntonioWaymo appRobotaxi app
Fort WorthNot listedRobotaxi app
Miami, Orlando, TampaWaymo appRobotaxi app
San Francisco Bay AreaWaymo appWith a driver
Phoenix, Los Angeles, Nashville, San DiegoWaymo appNot listed
Las VegasAdding ridersPermit, not listed
AtlantaOn Uber onlyNot listed

Waymo: its FAQ and service-area help page. Tesla: its Robotaxi page, which lists Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio and Tampa. Checked Nov 11, 2026

Las Vegas is the odd one. Nevada's Transportation Authority granted Tesla Robotaxi a permit on July 27, 2026 for up to 10 autonomous vehicles on the Strip corridor, on roads posted at 45 mph or less, with no pickups within a quarter mile of Harry Reid unless the airport approves (Nevada Transportation Authority). Las Vegas isn't on Tesla's own city list as of our check.

Who's in the driver's seat

Waymo cars have no one at the wheel in any of its app cities; the exception is its wheelchair-accessible vans, which a person drives. Tesla says its rides in its listed cities are autonomous, but in the San Francisco Bay Area its service runs under a charter-party permit, and the California Public Utilities Commission says the person in the driver's seat is the driver, not a safety driver (Electrek).

Price

Tesla was the cheaper of the two in the one market where they've been priced side by side. In Obi's San Francisco data for March 1 to April 14, 2026, Tesla's average fare was about half of Waymo's, even after rising 41% from late 2025 (Obi). Neither company publishes prices except Waymo in Las Vegas; see the Waymo price calculator and the Tesla Robotaxi price page.

Rules that decide who can ride

WaymoTesla Robotaxi
Book or ride alone18+, or 13 to 17 with a teen account in Phoenix and Nashville18+; no teen accounts
ChildrenAny age with an adult; car or booster seat under 8, back seat onlyModel Y 8 to 17, Cybercab 13 to 17, with an adult; bring a seat if the law requires one
RidersUp to 4Model Y up to 4, Cybercab up to 2
PetsNo; service animals welcomeNo; service animals welcome
WheelchairsHuman-driven accessible vans in SF and LA (app) and Phoenix (via Support); folded chair fits the trunkNo wheelchair-accessible vehicles; the app refers riders to local providers
AccountWaymo appTesla Account

Waymo Rider Rules, Waymo teen accounts, Waymo WAV; Tesla Rider Rules, Tesla app listing.

Airports

Waymo serves Phoenix Sky Harbor, San Antonio and San José, and is opening SFO, Harry Reid in Las Vegas and Nashville to a limited number of riders first (Waymo Help). Its trunk takes three carry-ons or two large checked bags (Waymo Help). We found no airport where Tesla offers autonomous pickups. See robotaxi airport pickups.

Related: All comparisons · Rider rules compared · Robotaxis in Austin · Robotaxis in Orlando

Questions riders ask

Is Tesla Robotaxi cheaper than Waymo?

In San Francisco, the one place both have been priced side by side, yes. Obi's San Francisco data for March to mid-April 2026 put Tesla at roughly half the average Waymo fare. That Tesla service has a driver in the driver's seat, so it isn't a like-for-like driverless comparison.

Is Tesla Robotaxi driverless?

Tesla says its rides in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Orlando, San Antonio and Tampa are autonomous. In the San Francisco Bay Area, California's regulator says Tesla runs a chauffeured service under a charter-party permit, with a driver.

Can kids ride in Tesla Robotaxi or Waymo?

Waymo allows riders of any age with an adult, with a car or booster seat for children under 8, and has teen accounts for ages 13 to 17 in Phoenix and Nashville. Tesla allows guests 8 to 17 with an adult in a Model Y and 13 to 17 in a Cybercab; younger children can't ride.

Which one goes to the airport?

Waymo serves Phoenix Sky Harbor, San Antonio and San José, and SFO, Las Vegas and Nashville for limited riders. We found no airport where Tesla offers autonomous pickups, and its Nevada permit bars pickups within a quarter mile of Harry Reid.

Sources

BookARobotaxi Editorial Team

We check every fare, city, airport and rule against the operators' own help pages, regulators and reputable reporting, and we date each check. Reported figures are labeled as reported. We don't sell rides, codes or rankings. About us · How we source and check facts