Best sneaker and Pokémon bots 2026 (UK review)

Luke has been botting for 12 years. In our video on the best sneaker and Pokémon bots in 2026, he goes through the five bots he uses and rates most. This post writes that video up, so you can scan it and find the bot names.

Two things first. This is a review of the market. Paragn Network does not sell bots, and our member alerts do not rely on them. Also, the video is from April 2026. Bots, prices and supported sites change often, so check each developer's own site before you buy.

If you are new to this, read what is a sneaker bot and do Pokémon bots work in the UK as well. Those posts take a more cautious view. This one covers what the bots do best, in Luke's words.

Bots are not plug and play

This is the first point in the video, and Luke says it is the one people most need to hear. You cannot buy a bot and expect to hit items at retail straight away. The learning curve is steep. If you have never used automated software, it takes a while to learn.

Luke also says bots do better or worse on different drops. Websites keep changing to block bots, and each developer builds in a different way.

His view is that nobody has a true all-in-one bot any more. The bots below all say "AIO" in the name, but one bot cannot hit every site. He suggests owning at least a few. If your odds are spread over three bots, you rarely have a bad day.

The video splits bots into sneakers and clothing, and retail botting (mostly Pokémon, other trading card games and collectibles). Pokémon Center is the site most new buyers ask about, so Luke starts there.

Hidden AIO

Hidden is one of the two names most people mention for Pokémon Center, especially in the US market.

• Best for: Pokémon Center and retail collectibles. It has other modules, but Luke sees it as more focused on collectibles than on sneakers.
• Region: Both US and Europe. In the video, Luke says Hidden has started to do well on UK and European websites.
• Interface: A graphical interface (GUI), laid out for you.
• Queue: Luke believes it puts you in the Pokémon Center queue automatically. He is not sure it solves the captchas for you, and he asks viewers to correct him if that is wrong.
• Luke's verdict: One of the "big guns" for Pokémon Center. He says he prefers a couple of other bots, but he splits his odds across Hidden, Stellar and Brute.

Stellar

Stellar is the other big name for Pokémon Center.

• Best for: Pokémon Center and retail collectibles. Like Hidden, it has other modules but is not mainly a sneaker bot.
• Region: Luke says it feels much more aimed at the US market. That is not bad in itself. But it means the developers are less likely to add random smaller UK sites when those sites drop something.
• Interface: A graphical interface that looks very like Hidden's.
• Queue: Same caveat as Hidden. Luke believes it queues you automatically but is unsure about captcha solving.
• Luke's verdict: A top-three bot for Pokémon Center. Better if you mostly target US sites.

Brute AIO

Brute is the bot Luke says he uses most at the moment. It is smaller than the others, with one developer and a much smaller user base. He says there are good and bad sides to that.

• Best for: Pokémon Center, retail and UK sites. It is also one of the three bots he uses for sneakers.
• Region: Almost entirely UK and Europe. Luke says Brute adds smaller UK websites far more often than Stellar does.
• Pokémon Center module: Luke likes that it automatically solves the captchas and automatically puts you in the queue. His reason is simple. You never know when a Pokémon Center queue will open. If you are out of the house and captchas are not solved for you, "it's a long day".
• Interface: A command line interface (CLI), which is like a terminal. You start tasks there, then control them from a web interface in your browser. Luke prefers a CLI himself, but says it is not user-friendly. He thinks the developer may add a full interface later.
• Luke's verdict: His most-used bot. A good choice for UK retail, but harder to learn if you are new.

A GUI is normal software with buttons. A CLI is a command terminal. People used to say CLI bots perform better. Luke is not sure that is still true. He is sure most people find a GUI easier.

Adonis AIO

Adonis is the first of the two sneaker-focused bots.

• Best for: Sneakers. Luke says it has given him more checkouts than any other bot over the last 10 years.
• Raffles: Adonis has many raffle modules.
• Interface: A command line interface for now. Luke says Adonis is adding a graphical interface, and that it looks very good.
• The gap: It does not support Pokémon Center. Luke calls this the main downside. If you are starting out, you will most likely want a bot that does.
• Luke's verdict: Excellent for sneakers. A poor fit as a first bot if Pokémon Center is the goal.

Cyber AIO

Cyber is the other sneaker-focused bot. Luke calls it "the OG", and says it is probably the longest-running bot he mentions.

• Best for: Sneaker sites and Shopify stores. Luke says it supports almost any sneaker website you could name. It is his go-to for Supreme, Palace and Topps.
• Topps: Luke calls Topps hugely profitable right now. He says Cyber is the top bot for it among the five. As of April 2026, he did not believe Adonis or Brute worked on Topps. He adds that this could change. For more on Topps, see our Topps drops and bots guide.
• Pokémon: Cyber does not support Pokémon Center. It also does not cover the other major UK retailers Luke names, John Lewis and Argos. But many Shopify stores drop Pokémon, so Luke says you can still buy some Pokémon with it.
• Interface: Easy to use. Luke says the developers have refined the interface for around eight years, or longer.
• Luke's verdict: A reliable choice for sneakers and Shopify. It has given him many checkouts over the years.

What else you need to run a bot

The bot is only one cost. Luke says people overlook the rest. Bots have a monthly fee and an upfront fee. Then you need the following.

A server

Luke does not recommend running bots on home Wi-Fi. Speed is one issue. Bandwidth limits are another. If you try to run 500 tasks, a home connection may not manage it.

He prefers a VPS (a virtual server in a data centre that runs all day). For him, running bots 24/7 is worth the £50 to £60 a month he spends. Most of the bots he names do not run on a Mac, which is a second reason. You can also restart a server from your phone if something goes wrong.

He names Hetzner, Hyonix and Netcup as his three picks. Some sell out, so take what you can get. He prefers these to AWS or Google Cloud, which charge by usage and by the hour.

Proxies

A proxy is an IP address your tasks go through. Without proxies, Luke says, a bot is one person with 50 tabs open. With proxies, you look like 50 different people. On Pokémon Center, that matters because every task needs its own queue place.

There are two main types.

• ISP proxies. A fixed IP address with unlimited bandwidth. Typically faster. But if one is banned, the money is wasted. Luke puts the cost at £1 to £2 per ISP proxy.
• Residential proxies. You pay for the data you use, a bit like a phone SIM. Running 500 tasks costs more than running 50.

Luke uses a mix, with around 200 ISP proxies on some drops. His rule of thumb: on sites that do not ban often, ISP proxies work best. On sites that ban often, residential proxies are the better choice.

Emails, cards and addresses

Luke suggests preparing early. You can make 750 emails on an iCloud account. Revolut, Monzo and Starling are easy UK card options, each with its own profile. Use several addresses, because Pokémon Center cancels orders if too many go to one.

Raffle bots and private bots

Luke says dedicated raffle bots mostly no longer exist. The bots above added raffle modules, and Adonis led the way. He says not to get caught up in "private" bots talked about in Discord communities. A bot at £30 or £50 a month with a developer team behind it gives you support and updates. Building your own is "really, really tough", because large retailers spend heavily on anti-bot protection.

How to choose

Use these points from the video as a guide.

1. Decide what you want to buy. Pokémon Center and retail point to Hidden, Stellar or Brute. Sneakers and Shopify point to Adonis or Cyber.
2. Check the site list. Luke tells viewers to visit each bot's own website for the full list of supported sites. Do this before you pay.
3. Match the bot to your region. Stellar leans US. Brute leans UK and Europe. Hidden covers both.
4. Think about the interface. If you are new, a GUI is easier. A CLI takes more time to learn.
5. Plan for more than one bot. Luke's own approach is to spread his odds over several.
6. Budget for everything. Count the server, proxies, emails and cards, not only the licence.

Do bots still work at UK retailers?

Luke says he has had success, and that it has not been easy. He calls it a roller coaster. Whether a bot works depends on how strict the site is, and sites keep changing.

Our own view is more cautious. What is a sneaker bot explains why raffles and bot protection cut the value of speed for limited trainers. Do Pokémon bots work in the UK explains why unannounced restocks and in-store stock are hard for any bot.

Both views can be true. A skilled, well-equipped user can still get checkouts on some sites. For most people starting out, the cost and the learning curve are high. Using a bot also breaks most retailers' terms, and profit from reselling is taxable.

Common questions

What are the best sneaker bots in 2026?

In Luke's video, the sneaker picks are Adonis AIO, Cyber AIO and Brute AIO. Adonis has given him the most checkouts over the last 10 years. Cyber is his go-to for Shopify, Supreme, Palace and Topps.

What are the best Pokémon bots in 2026?

Hidden AIO, Stellar and Brute AIO, all of which support Pokémon Center. Hidden and Brute lean towards UK and European sites. Stellar leans towards the US.

Where we fit

Paragn Network has run since 2012. We write our own monitors across more than 1,000 UK retailers and send around 50,000 restock alerts a month. We do not sell bots. Members are told what came into stock and what it is worth, then buy it themselves.