Grady-White vs Robalo comes down to pricing, hull design and size range. Robalo publishes national starting prices for its 2026 center consoles, such as $48,995 for the 18-foot R180 and $511,895 for the 36-foot R360. Grady-White sends buyers to a dealer for pricing, and its center console line runs to 45 feet.
| Size | Grady-White (length, max hp, fuel) | Robalo (length, max hp, fuel) | Robalo starting price |
|---|
| 18 ft | Fisherman 180: 17'10", 150 hp, 54 gal | R180: 18'4", 150 hp, 50 gal | $48,995 |
| 21 ft | Fisherman 216: 21'3", 300 hp, 80 gal | R222: 21'6", 250 hp, 90 gal | $82,795 |
| 23 ft | Fisherman 236: 23'7", 350 hp, 100 gal | R230: 23', 250 hp, 90 gal | $100,995 |
| 25 ft | Fisherman 257: 24'9", 400 hp, 135 gal | R250: 25'3", 400 hp, 165 gal | $144,795 |
| 27 ft | Canyon 271: 26'10", 600 hp, 186 gal | R270: 27'6", 500 hp, 180 gal | $183,395 |
| 30 ft | Canyon 306: 30'6", 700 hp, 290 gal | R300: 30'6", 700 hp, 280 gal | $255,495 |
Figures were read from each builder's US website on 21 October 2026. Grady-White lengths are its center line length, measured without engines; Robalo lengths are length overall (LOA), so the two are not measured the same way. Robalo prices are its 2026 Reel Deal nationally advertised prices in US dollars, which exclude options, dealer prep, freight, installation of options, taxes, title, registration, documentation and licensing. Grady-White does not list prices on its website.
Browse Grady-White, Robalo and other center console boats for sale on Searchshop.
Each Grady-White center console was paired with the Robalo center console closest to it in length, using only the specifications, prices and warranty terms each builder publishes. Every figure was read from gradywhite.com and robalo.com on 21 October 2026 and then checked a second time by a separate review. Nothing here comes from sea trials or test drives, and neither brand is called better overall.
Some figures cannot be compared directly. Grady-White gives weight without engines, while Robalo gives dry weight with engines, so weights are left out. Grady-White states deadrise at the transom; Robalo gives one deadrise figure without saying where it is measured. Maximum horsepower and fuel capacity are given in the same units by both builders, so those are compared.
Grady-White's center console range is longer at the top end, while Robalo adds bay boats to its fishing lineup. Grady-White lists 11 Fisherman and Canyon center consoles from the 18-foot Fisherman 180 to the 45-foot Canyon 456, rated for 1,800 hp. It also builds the Coastal Explorer series (231, 251, 281 and 321 CE), which it says has "a shallower draft for inland and near shore waters."
Robalo's 2026 lineup lists nine center consoles from the R160 to the R360, three Explorer center consoles (R202EX, R222EX and R232EX), six Cayman bay boats and four dual consoles. Its largest boat is the R360, at 36'6" with a 350-gallon fuel capacity.
- Grady-White: founded in 1959 in Greenville, North Carolina, and sold through what it calls "a global network of over 65 dealers."
- Robalo: describes itself as "a leader in the marine industry since 1968" and is based at 300 Industrial Park Blvd. in Nashville, Georgia.
Robalo says every model carries one national price, while Grady-White asks you to get a price from a dealer. Robalo's Reel Deal page says "All Robalo models are Reel Deal Priced," with "a single, fair, Nationally Advertised Price," and that the program is available at authorized dealers in the contiguous United States. It also says "select Robalo Reel Deal models include a trailer - standard." The R200 page, for example, says that boat is "Powered by Yamaha and packaged with an aluminum trailer that includes brakes."
Grady-White's build page lets you configure a boat and "get pricing information from your local dealer—no obligation." Because there is no published Grady-White price, compare the two brands with written out-the-door quotes that list the engines, trailer, options, freight, prep, taxes and fees for each boat.
Every Grady-White center console compared here is built on its SeaV2 hull, while Robalo names its Hydro Lift multi-angle hull on several center consoles. Grady-White's SeaV2 page calls the design a "continuously variable vee" created with Ray Hunt Design, starting "at about 20 degrees at the transom" and "sharpening to around 30 degrees amidships." The six Grady-White models compared here list a transom deadrise of 19 to 20 degrees.
Robalo names its Hydro Lift multi-angle hull on the R230, R250 and R270 pages, and lists a "Kevlar-reinforced hull" on the R270 and a "Michael Peters-designed hull" on the R300. For the models compared here, its published deadrise figures run from 18 degrees on the R180 to 23 degrees on the R250 and R270.
Ride quality was not tested for this article. Grady-White says its SeaV2 hull performance has been "ranked #1 in each of the eight J.D. Power and Associates Marine Studies ever done"; that is the builder's own claim, and Robalo publishes no comparable ranking.
At 18 feet the two boats are closely matched on power and fuel, and at 21 feet Grady-White's Fisherman 216 carries the higher horsepower rating. The Fisherman 180 has a 7'5" beam, a 150 hp rating, a 54-gallon tank, an 11-gallon livewell under the forward console seat and an 89-quart fish box. Robalo's R180 has an 8-foot beam, a 150 hp rating, a 50-gallon tank, fold-away aft seats and a telescopic boarding ladder, at $48,995.
The Fisherman 216 is 21'3" on the center line (23'3" with swim platforms), with an 8'6" beam, a 300 hp rating, an 80-gallon tank and a 16-inch hull draft. Robalo's R222 is 21'6" LOA with the same 8'6" beam, a 250 hp rating, a 90-gallon tank, twin 30-gallon fish boxes and a 15-gallon livewell, at $82,795. Robalo's smaller R200 (20'7", 200 hp, 70 gallons) starts at $61,095 and includes an enclosed head.
In the 23- and 25-foot classes, Grady-White lists the higher horsepower rating at 23 feet and Robalo the larger fuel tank at 25 feet. The Fisherman 236 has an enclosed head, a 15.5-gallon livewell, seating Grady-White describes for up to 10 passengers, a 350 hp rating and a 100-gallon tank. The Robalo R230 has a 25-gallon livewell, a 250 hp rating, a 90-gallon tank and an NMMA capacity of 12 people or 1,725 pounds, at $100,995.
At 25 feet, the Fisherman 257 has three insulated fish boxes, a 32-gallon livewell, a 400 hp rating and a 135-gallon tank. Robalo's R250 is also rated for 400 hp, with a 9'2" beam, a 165-gallon tank, two 50-gallon insulated fish boxes, a 30-gallon livewell and a side entry door, at $144,795.
From about 26 feet up, both builders rate their center consoles "Yacht Certified" instead of giving a passenger capacity. Grady-White's capacity guide says its boats 26 feet and over are Yacht Certified, leaving the number of passengers to the captain, and Robalo lists the R270, R300 and R360 the same way.
The Canyon 271 has a 9'6" beam, a 600 hp rating, a 186-gallon tank, a portside cockpit door and a rigging station with a 42-gallon livewell. Robalo's R270 matches the 9'6" beam, with a 500 hp rating, a 180-gallon tank, a standard porcelain toilet in the console, two 50-gallon fish boxes and a 30-gallon livewell, at $183,395.
The Canyon 306 and Robalo R300 are both rated for 700 hp. The Canyon 306 has a 10'7" beam, a 290-gallon tank and a rigging station with a 47-gallon livewell. The R300 has a 10'6" beam, a 280-gallon tank, a triple-wide helm, a hardtop with a skylight and a freshwater shower, at $255,495. Past 30 feet, Robalo stops at the 36'6" R360 ($511,895), while Grady-White continues with the Canyon 326, 336, 386 and 456.
Robalo publishes a standard lifetime hull warranty for 2026 models, while Grady-White's model and brand pages read for this article do not set out warranty terms. Robalo's warranty page says "All 2026 Robalo models come with a Lifetime Limited Hull Warranty and 5-Year Premium Level limited component warranty - standard." For a Grady-White, ask the dealer for the written warranty before you sign, and ask whether it transfers if you sell the boat.
Grady-White's dealer page calls the dealer "your trusted partner for purchasing and servicing your Grady-White boat" and says its network "consistently ranks among the highest in customer satisfaction." For either brand, check how far the nearest dealer is from where you keep the boat.
Searchshop dealers list far more Robalo boats than Grady-White boats. On 21 October 2026 the listing feed held 91 listings with Robalo in the title, 42 of them center console or Explorer models, and 9 listings with Grady-White in the title, 4 of them center consoles (Canyon 326, Canyon 306, Canyon 271 and Fisherman 216). Most Robalo listings were new boats; 8 of the 9 Grady-White listings were used. No listing showed an asking price, so no market prices are given here.
Choose Robalo if you want a published national price and a wide choice of new boats, and Grady-White if you want its SeaV2 hull, higher horsepower ratings in several sizes or a center console longer than Robalo's 36'6" R360.
- A known price before you visit a dealer: Robalo says every model is Reel Deal priced and shows starting prices on its model pages; Grady-White prices come from the dealer.
- An 18-foot starter boat: the Fisherman 180 and R180 have the same 150 hp rating and similar tanks, so the dealer quote will decide it.
- More horsepower at 21 to 23 feet: the Fisherman 216 and 236 are rated for 300 and 350 hp, against 250 hp for the Robalo R222 and R230.
- More fuel at 25 feet: the Robalo R250 carries 165 gallons against 135 for the Fisherman 257.
- The biggest boats: Grady-White's Canyon line runs to 45 feet; Robalo's largest center console is the 36'6" R360.
- Buying used: inspect the hull, engines and wiring with the used boat inspection guide.
Shop Grady-White, Robalo and other center consoles for sale on Searchshop, or compare more brands in best center console boats, see how the layout compares in center console vs bay boat, and read the center console buying guide.
Neither brand is better for every buyer, because they differ in price approach, hull design and range. Robalo says every model carries a national price, and dealers list more new boats on Searchshop. Grady-White builds the center consoles compared here on its SeaV2 hull, lists higher horsepower ratings at 21 and 23 feet and builds center consoles up to 45 feet. Compare written dealer quotes for the same size and engines.
Robalo's 2026 Reel Deal starting prices include $48,995 for the R180 and $511,895 for the R360. The R200 starts at $61,095, the R230 at $100,995 and the R300 at $255,495. These nationally advertised prices exclude options, dealer prep, freight, taxes, title, registration and documentation fees, and apply at authorized dealers in the contiguous United States.
No, Grady-White does not list prices on its website. Its build page lets you configure a model and then "get pricing information from your local dealer—no obligation." To compare a Grady-White with a Robalo, ask each dealer for a written out-the-door quote on similar-size boats with the engines, trailer and options you want, including freight, prep, taxes and fees.
