Dolphin Nautilus CC vs CC Plus: Which One Suits Your Pool?

By /

This post might include affiliate links. Please see my policy.

Dolphin Nautilus CC and Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus share a name, a 2-hour cycle and the same basic job. Both are corded robots that clean the floor and walls of a pool, both sit in the Premium tier, and both leave the waterline to you. The Plus is the Wi-Fi version, but it changes more than the way you start it, from the brushes to the pool types Dolphin approves it for. Assume either one fits your budget, because the choice comes down to those differences and which of them matter in your pool.

What Both Share

Dolphin Nautilus CC and Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus both plug into a power supply on the deck, so there is no battery to charge and no cycle that ends early for lack of power. Each runs a 2-hour cycle, and Dolphin lists floor and wall cleaning for both, but not the waterline or steps. The filter comes out through the top on both, so you can empty it without turning a wet robot over. Their surface lists match too, with vinyl, fiberglass, tile and gunite on both and pebble on neither. Both are cleared for saltwater as well as chlorine pools, and each comes with a 1-year warranty.

Scheduling and the App

This is the headline difference. Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus connects to Wi-Fi, and Dolphin’s MyDolphin Plus app lets you start, stop and schedule cycles from your phone, with a weekly timer that repeats them on the days you choose. Dolphin Nautilus CC has no timer, no delayed start and no app, so each cycle begins when you switch it on at the power supply and ends when the cycle is done.

If you are at home most days, starting the CC yourself is easy to live with. If you travel in summer or tend to forget, the Plus can keep the pool on a routine while you are away.

Pool Length, Pool Type and Shape

Dolphin rates both robots by length rather than area. Dolphin Nautilus CC is rated for pools up to 33 feet long and Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus for pools up to 40 feet, so a pool whose longest side falls between those two figures points to the Plus.

Pool type runs the other way. Dolphin lists in-ground and above-ground pools for Dolphin Nautilus CC, while Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is cleared for in-ground pools only. If your pool is above ground, the CC is the one of the two that Dolphin approves for it. Shape adds one more difference. Both spec sheets list rectangular and round pools, and only the Plus adds free-form shapes, so a curved or irregular in-ground pool is a better match for the Plus.

Brushes and Suction

Dolphin Nautilus CC has a brush that Dolphin marks as active, which means it is powered and scrubs as the robot moves rather than simply riding along. Dolphin does not list the brushes of Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus as active, so they are not powered on their own. If your walls tend to build up a thin film, the powered brush is worth weighing against the app.

Suction goes the other way. Dolphin rates Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus at 4,500 gallons per hour and Dolphin Nautilus CC at 4,000, so the Plus moves more water through its filter. A suction rating does not tell you how either robot will do in your pool, though, and neither spec sheet gives a micron figure for the filter, so treat the two numbers as one factor among several.

Robot Pool Cleaners From Our Partner Brands

Weight and the Cable

At 14.8 pounds, Dolphin Nautilus CC is about six pounds lighter than Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus, which weighs 20.8 pounds. You lift either one out by its handle after each cycle, and never by the cable, so the lighter robot is easier to carry to the side to empty.

The Plus has a swivel on its cable, which keeps the cable from twisting as the robot turns. The CC does without one, so it is a good idea to untwist its cable now and then.

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus over Dolphin Nautilus CC if you want the pool cleaned on a schedule without being there, if your pool is longer than 33 feet, or if it has a free-form shape. It is the one of the two with an app and a weekly timer, its rating reaches 40 feet, and its swivel keeps the cable from twisting. In return, you lift out a heavier robot, and its brushes are not powered.

Choose Dolphin Nautilus CC if your pool is no longer than 33 feet, whether it is above ground or in-ground, and you are happy to start each cycle yourself. It is the one Dolphin approves for both pool types, it has a powered brush, and it is the lighter of the two to lift out. If neither scheduling nor a longer pool matters to you, the CC covers the same floor and walls in the same 2-hour cycle.

The table below sets the two Nautilus models side by side.

Dolphin Nautilus CC vs CC Plus

Check PriceBrand and ModelPool TypeCleaning ModesRuntime/Cycle (hrs)Pool LengthBrush TypeAutomation TypeWeightPricing Tier
Check PriceDolphin Nautilus CCIn GroundFloor, Wall233 ftActiveNo14.8 lbsPremium
Check PriceDolphin Nautilus CC PlusIn GroundFloor, Wall240 ftPassiveApp Scheduling20.8 lbsPremium

Specs provided for informational use only. Data may be incomplete or outdated. Read full disclaimer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which one can I schedule from my phone?

Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus. It connects to Dolphin’s app over Wi-Fi and has a weekly timer, while Dolphin Nautilus CC has no timer or app and starts when you switch it on.

Which one suits an above-ground pool?

Dolphin Nautilus CC. Dolphin lists in-ground and above-ground pools for it, while Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is cleared for in-ground pools only.

Does either one clean the waterline?

No. Dolphin lists floor and wall cleaning for both robots, so the band at the surface still needs a brush now and then.

Is the Plus worth the step up?

It can be. If you want app scheduling, a free-form pool covered or a longer rating than the 33 feet of Dolphin Nautilus CC, the Plus is the better match. If none of those applies, the CC cleans the same floor and walls with a powered brush and a lighter body.

👉 Next Steps

Today’s deals: robots the brands’ own stores sell at least 5% below their regular price.

👉 See today’s deals

Robot picker: answer a few questions and see the models that fit your pool.

👉 Try the robot picker

Robot guides: each robot’s specs, who it suits and how it compares.

👉 Browse robot guides

Robot Pool Cleaners From Our Partner Brands

Related Reading

Scroll to Top