# Roomba vs Shark: Which Robot Vacuum Should You Buy in 2026? > Roomba or Shark? Most people should get the Shark AI Ultra. Self-empty base, runtime, mapping, price and owner complaints next to the Roomba 105 AutoEmpty. Guide: https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/roomba-vs-shark/ · Updated 2026-10-14 · By TwelveTabs · Search it live: https://twelvetabs.com/?q=roomba%20vs%20shark&guide=roomba-vs-shark As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Our picks are independently researched, written by TwelveTabs AI and never sponsored. Prices and ratings change often: see the guide for today's. ## The top picks - **Most people: a self-emptying robot vacuum with no bags to buy:** Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with 60-Day Self-Emptying Base (AV2511AE). Shark's self-emptying robot vacuum: a bagless 60-day base, 360-degree LiDAR mapping, Matrix Clean grid passes, a self-cleaning brushroll that fights hair wrap, a HEPA filter and up to 90 minutes of runtime. - **A Roomba with the app, a sealed bag dock and voice assistants:** iRobot Roomba 105 Vac Robot Vacuum with AutoEmpty Dock. iRobot's entry vacuum with a self-empty dock: ClearView LiDAR mapping, a multi-surface brush and an edge brush, four suction levels, keep-out zones in the app, and a bagged dock that holds up to 75 days. Most people should get the **[Shark AI Ultra](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/roomba-vs-shark/#pick-1)**. It costs slightly less, lists up to 90 minutes of runtime, and its dock has no bags to buy. Get the **[Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/roomba-vs-shark/#pick-2)** if you want iRobot's app, its sealed bag dock, or Siri and Google Assistant control. We compared the two self-emptying vacuums at nearly the same price. Neither lists a mop. Both listings pool reviews from older models, so read the owner complaints below as brand-level. ## The short version - **Want a dock that needs no bags?** The [Shark AI Ultra](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/roomba-vs-shark/#pick-1). Its base is bagless. - **Want a sealed bag that keeps dust out of the air when you empty?** The Roomba. Its dock uses bags that trap allergens, per the listing. - **Have pets that shed?** The Shark's self-cleaning brushroll is built to prevent hair wrap. - **Use Siri or Google Assistant?** The Roomba lists Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant. The Shark listing does not list voice assistants. - **Want to spend less and skip the dock?** Amazon also sells the Roomba 105 Vac with no dock, at a much lower price. You empty the bin yourself. ## How to choose between them Tom's Guide compared older models of each, a Shark IQ and a Roomba s9+. It found the Shark base smaller and bagless, and the Roomba base bagged and sealed. It also found Roomba's flagship picked up more pet hair in its lab tests than the Shark. That does not describe these two models. - **Dock.** The Shark's holds up to 60 days of dirt without bags. The Roomba's holds up to 75 days in a bag. - **Runtime.** The Shark lists up to 90 minutes. The Roomba listing gives none. - **Mapping.** Both use LiDAR. The Roomba adds keep-out zones. The Shark adds Matrix Clean grid passes and spot cleaning. - **Mop.** Neither listing's bullets or specs list one. - **Voice.** The Roomba works with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, and the Shark listing names none. - **Seller.** Both listings are sold by Amazon. ## Our picks in detail ### 1. Shark AI Ultra: best for most people **Why it made the list** - A bagless dock that holds up to 60 days of dirt. - Up to 90 minutes of runtime, then it recharges and resumes. - A self-cleaning brushroll that fights hair wrap. - 360-degree LiDAR mapping, room targeting and spot cleaning in the app. - A HEPA filter. **Drawbacks** - Amazon's summary says some owners had a unit stop working after two weeks or break within two years. - Owners report app problems: maps that vanish, Wi-Fi that drops and re-mapping after changes. - One owner says it is loud, and one says it empties itself mid-clean even when not full. - Its ratings are shared across several Shark models. **Skip it if** you want the sealed-bag dock, or Siri and Google Assistant control. ### 2. Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty: best for iRobot's app and bag dock **Why it made the list** - A bagged dock that holds up to 75 days and traps allergens, per the listing. - ClearView LiDAR mapping, with room targeting and keep-out zones. - Works with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant. - A multi-surface brush and an edge-sweeping brush, with four suction levels. - Sold by Amazon. **Drawbacks** - You buy replacement bags for the dock, and the listing gives no price. - Owners of Roomba docks report loud emptying, wrong full-bag warnings and error codes. - The listing gives no runtime, weight or box contents. - Its ratings pool older Roomba models. **Skip it if** you want no ongoing bag cost, or a stated runtime. ## What owners complain about - **On the [Shark AI Ultra](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/roomba-vs-shark/#pick-1):** reliability, an app that loses maps or disconnects, noise and a base that empties mid-clean for some. - **On the [Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/roomba-vs-shark/#pick-2):** loud emptying, false full-bag or clog warnings, an error code on nearly every run for one owner, and maps that are not saved. - **On both:** reliability is the main worry in Amazon's summaries, and most owner reports describe older models. ## What we left out, and why We read three listings and 24 reviews, including the Roomba 105 Vac without a dock. - **Roomba 105 Vac without a dock.** We read it, and it lacks the self-empty dock. It costs much less, and you empty the bin by hand. - **Roomba 415X and the Roomba Combo.** Higher-priced Roombas with a mop. We did not open them. - **Shark Matrix Plus and Navigator.** Other Shark robots on the search page. We did not open them. - **Mopping robots and stick vacuums.** A different question. For a stick vacuum, see [Shark vs Dyson](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/shark-vs-dyson/). ## Questions people ask ### Is Roomba or Shark better? Shark suits most people because it costs slightly less and its dock has no bags. Roomba suits iRobot fans who want its app, keep-out zones and Siri or Google Assistant control. ### Does the Shark AI Ultra need bags? No. Its self-empty base is bagless. The Roomba's AutoEmpty dock uses bags, which you replace. ### Do these robot vacuums mop? Neither listing's specs list a mop. Treat both as vacuum only. ### How did TwelveTabs choose between them? We read the Amazon listings for one Shark and one Roomba robot vacuum, their spec lists, Amazon's review summaries and the reviews we could see, plus Tom's Guide's comparison. We put the facts side by side and checked each against its listing. For more options, see our [best robot vacuums](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-robot-vacuums/). ## How we researched On October 14, 2026 we read the Amazon listing pages for the Shark AI Ultra (AV2511AE), the Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty Dock and the Roomba 105 Vac without a dock. We read each page's bullets and specs, Amazon's review summaries and the reviews we could see. We also read Tom's Guide's Roomba vs Shark comparison and checked Google's top results for this question. AI wrote this guide from that research. Both listings show ratings and reviews that pool older models: most visible Roomba reviews describe the i3+ and i4+ from 2020 to 2023, and the Shark ratings are shared with the AV2501 models. We therefore treat complaints as ones owners of each brand's docks report, not as faults of these exact models. The Roomba listing gave no runtime, weight or box contents, and the Shark listing gave no weight or suction rating. Tom's Guide compared older flagship models, so we use it for how the two docks differ. ### Sources - [Tom's Guide: Roomba vs. Shark](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/roomba-vs-shark)