Dolphin Cayman vs. Nautilus CC Plus: The Price Gap Matters

The Dolphin Cayman and Nautilus CC Plus overlap on the two jobs most pool owners ask a robot to do: clean the floor and climb the walls. The buying decision is really about everything around those jobs.

The Cayman is 6.2 pounds lighter, has one active brush, uses a lift-out MaxBin, and carries a two-year warranty. The current U.S. Nautilus CC Plus w/Wi-Fi adds app scheduling and a cable swivel, but Maytronics gives that model only one year of warranty coverage.

Price changes the recommendation. On October 1, 2026, Maytronics listed the Cayman at $1,129. The current CC Plus was on sale for $749, down from $849. At a $380 checkout gap, I would buy the CC Plus for an in-ground pool unless lifting weight or the second warranty year is a firm requirement. If dealer pricing brings the Cayman within about $150, I would pay the difference for the Cayman, especially for an above-ground pool.

One warning belongs near the top. The blue-and-black Nautilus in these photos is an older cartridge-filter unit I used in a green-pool cleanup and placed beside the Cayman. Maytronics has reused the CC Plus name. That photographed robot does not prove that model 99996409-PCI has the same filter assemblies, power supply, app, swivel, warranty, or pool classification.

The Models Compared

These are current manufacturer specifications, not a record of identical testing. A pool's shape, surface, drains, ladders, ledges, debris load, and filter condition can all change the result.

What I Could Compare in Person

I could compare the bodies, brushes, lifting effort, and filter maintenance on the units shown above. I also watched the Cayman work over settled algae and opened the Nautilus cartridges after a dirty cycle.

I could not use that older Nautilus to test the current SKU's Wi-Fi connection or anti-tangle swivel. Those features come from Maytronics' listing for 99996409-PCI. This distinction keeps a useful physical comparison from turning into a claim about a different box.

The Cayman was easier to carry before it entered the water and easier to handle after it drained. Its faster front brush action was also visible over material stuck to the pool finish. The Nautilus still collected a substantial load. These were not two sterile lab runs with weighed debris, so I would not turn the observation into a percentage or claim that the Cayman covers more area.

Cleaning: Brush Action Beats a Small Flow Difference

Maytronics lists the Cayman with one active brush. The brush is driven independently of the robot's forward pace, so it agitates the surface instead of simply rolling along with the tracks. That is useful for algae residue, compacted dust, and dirt sitting in the texture of plaster or a liner.

The current CC Plus spec table lists two combination brushes and marks active brushing as “No.” Its published flow is 4,500 GPH, 500 GPH above the Cayman.

Those numbers describe different parts of cleaning. Flow carries loose material into the filter. Brush movement breaks material away from the surface. Navigation and filter loading determine how much of that capacity reaches the dirt. I would choose the Cayman's active brush for a pool that develops a stubborn film; I would not buy the CC Plus solely because 4,500 is larger than 4,000.

The older Nautilus cartridges provide useful evidence that this unit collected fine material:

That photo does not show the robot killing algae. A cleaner can pick up debris and dead algae after chemistry starts working. It cannot correct sanitizer, pH, circulation, or stabilizer. My green-pool cleanup guide covers the chemical and filtration work that belongs around a robot.

Wall Climbing Is Not Waterline Cleaning

Maytronics rates both models for floors and walls. Neither current specification includes waterline scrubbing.

A robot can climb until its body reaches the surface and still leave a ring around the pool. True waterline cleaning requires the machine to remain at the surface and work laterally along the tile or liner line. Touching the top before dropping back is wall coverage, not a waterline mode.

With either cleaner, plan to brush:

• the waterline;
• steps and tanning ledges;
• tight corners and wall transitions;
• behind ladders and fittings; and
• any repeated navigation miss.

If the ring at the surface is the chore you want to remove, neither is the right purchase. The Dolphin Premier and Clear UV cost more because they add rated waterline coverage, among other features.

The Cayman Is Much Easier to Lift

Maytronics lists the Cayman at 14.6 pounds and the current CC Plus at 20.8 pounds. A 6.2-pound gap sounds modest until a wet robot is below the coping and your arms are extended.

I use the cable only to bring a robot close enough to reach its handle. Then I lift by the handle and pause at the surface until water drains. Carrying it by the floating cable can damage the connection.

The Cayman is the better choice for an above-ground rail, a narrow deck, or a storage spot that requires carrying the robot any distance. The CC Plus is manageable once drained, but it is not close to the Cayman in this part of ownership.

Pool classification reinforces that choice. Maytronics currently lists the Cayman for both above-ground and in-ground pools. The current U.S. CC Plus is listed for in-ground pools. An older Nautilus operating in an above-ground test pool does not change the manual for the current SKU.

The Filter Comparison Depends on the Exact Nautilus

The Cayman has a single top-loading MaxBin. I open the lid, lift the basket by its handle, release the bottom, and rinse the panels.

The standard fine setup is adequate for common dirt, insects, and mixed debris. For pollen, silt, or dead algae, Maytronics sells an Ultra-Fine basket separately. The optional basket was $55.99 on October 1, 2026, so include that cost if fine particles are your main problem.

The Nautilus I handled uses two top-access cartridge assemblies:

Those cartridges caught debris, but they gave me more clips, frames, and corners to hose out than the Cayman's one-piece basket.

Do not carry that maintenance verdict over to every new CC Plus listing. Current Wi-Fi SKU 99996409-PCI uses a single top-loading Ultra-Fine basket that lifts out and opens at the bottom. I did not clean that current basket, so I cannot compare its rinse routine from experience. Match the SKU and included filter before ordering because older stock uses a different layout.

Pick Physical Scheduling or App Control

The Cayman timer lives on its power supply. It can run daily, every other day, or every third day for a week. I like having controls at the pool because there is no account to create and no Wi-Fi signal to maintain. The schedule must be set again after its weekly program ends.

The current CC Plus uses the MyDolphin Plus app for starts, monitoring, and weekly scheduling. It also has an anti-tangle cable swivel. Those are meaningful upgrades if the power supply sits out of the way or a long floating cable tends to twist in your pool.

The Cayman has no app and no swivel. I lay out only the cable the pool needs, remove twists after the cycle, and store the cord in loose loops. That routine is easy in a compact pool and more annoying across a long deck.

Warranty and Checkout Price Decide It

The Cayman has a two-year manufacturer warranty. Maytronics lists one year for the current U.S. CC Plus Wi-Fi model. Older CC Plus units and non-U.S. versions may carry different terms, which is another reason to save the SKU and seller invoice.

A longer warranty does not prove that a robot will last twice as long. It does leave Maytronics responsible for covered defects for an extra year.

The current direct prices point the other way. At $749 on sale, the CC Plus was $380 below the Cayman. Even at its $849 regular price, it was $280 less. It also included the app and swivel that the Cayman lacks.

Dealer packages can reverse parts of that calculation. Compare:

• the exact model number;
• the filter media in the box;
• any caddy or Ultra-Fine upgrade;
• manufacturer warranty length;
• authorized-dealer status; and
• the return policy, which is separate from the warranty.

Who Should Buy Each Robot?

Buy the Dolphin Cayman for an above-ground pool, easier lifting, active brushing, a one-piece MaxBin, physical scheduling, or two years of warranty coverage. For an in-ground pool, I would pay about $100 to $150 more for those benefits. I would not pay the full $380 gap unless the low weight solves a real access problem.

Buy the current Nautilus CC Plus w/Wi-Fi for an in-ground pool when floor-and-wall cleaning is enough and the price remains several hundred dollars below the Cayman. Wi-Fi scheduling and the swivel make its lower price more useful, not merely cheaper.

Skip both for waterline scrubbing. At equal or near-equal prices, my pick is the Cayman. At the manufacturer prices I found, my pick for a typical in-ground pool is the CC Plus, after confirming 99996409-PCI and the included filter kit.