Alternate versions

In 1995, The Criterion Collection premiered the 'unrated' edition of RoboCop on LaserDisc. The 1987 theatrical release was cut in several scenes to attain an R-rating, and this unrated version restored that footage. The unrated version has subsequently been used for many of the film's DVD and Blu-Ray releases.

• The first cuts appear in the scene where ED-209 goes berserk and shoots Kinney during the meeting. In the director's cut there is another frontal shot of Kinney getting riddled with bullets at the start of the scene. When Kinney collapses onto the model of Delta City, there are extra shots of him being bloodily hit with more bullets, as well as the ED-209 technicians struggling to rip wiring out of the circuit board. Restoring this footage makes the scene much more darkly comical.
• During the car chase, when Clarence's henchman Bobby is shot in the leg, the R-rated version shows a long shot, while the unrated has a gruesome close-up of Bobby's leg being shot.
• Murphy's death is almost a minute longer in the unrated version. After his hand is blown off, Murphy looks in horror at the stump, before Clarence's gang blows off his entire arm with gunfire. The subsequent part with him being riddled with bullets is much longer as well. An elaborate tracking shot is used only in the unrated that shows the back of Murphy's head exploding into the camera when he is finally shot by Clarence. This shot made use of a fully-mechanical prosthetic Murphy built by make-up special effect artist Rob Bottin. The overhead shot of Lewis kneeling beside Murphy's body at the end of the scene is also exclusive to the unrated version.
• Clarence Boddicker's death is shown in different shots depending on the version. The R-rated shows a long shot of him staggering away immediately after being stabbed, while the unrated shows a tight close-up.

The Swedish theatrical version was heavily cut for violence; 13 cuts were made. It's almost exactly the same version as the old Finnish videotape rated K16.

The Australian free to air version on Channel 10 screened a modified TV version in order to be screened at a 8:30pm time slot. Robocop was classified AO - Adults Only and M when the classifications were restructured in 1993. A majority of the violence was heavily edited and all the f words were edited out. Recent broadcasts have waived the edits and Robocop was broadcast with a AV15+ classification and more recently GO! screened the movie with a MA15+ classification.

The 1988 Orion Home Video release opens the film with the logo's normal fanfare, unlike the theatrical release, which plays the beginning of the score over the logo. Subsequent home video releases from Criterion and MGM have retained the theatrical version of the opening.

The TV Version aired on Comet TV in October 2017 is the same TV Version that was sometimes aired on WGN and on FOX. The difference is COMET omitted certain additional alternate scenes such as the less graphic but still graphic kills in the shoot out at the drug factory scene, but they left in the alternate dialog sequence in the OCP restroom between Bob and the other employee.

The film received four different dubs in Hungary. The original was made in 1989, the second in 1996. A very cheaply produced third dub was commissioned for a censored MGM television broadcast around 2006. Yet another dub was recorded for the 2007 DVD release of the extended director's cut. Several voice actors performed in multiple of these dubs, though often playing different roles. Outside of official dubs, there have been reports of at least two or three pirated voice-over versions, which received notoriety for their comically bad translations.

Originally released by Orion, and was thus preceded only by the Orion logo. In 1999, MGM acquired the Orion library, and added their logo to the beginning of each film. The Orion logo still follows it.

The film went through censorship in South Korea. For the cinema release, the film was cut about 3 minutes of footage of bloody violence for a '12' (under 12s require an adult) rating. The same cut version was released for VHS re-rated '15' (under 15s require an adult) despite the fact the same version was classified lower. The uncut version is re-rated '18' (youth not allowed) for the DVD in 2002, and it is the current rating that Korean fans can enjoy the definitive version of the film.

The Australian free to air version on Channel 10 screened a modified TV version in order to be screened at a 8:30pm time slot. Robocop was classified AO - Adults Only and M when the classifications were restructured in 1993. A majority of the violence was heavily edited and all the f words were edited out. Recent broadcasts have slightly edited the violence but kept all the f words intact. Robocop was broadcast with a AV15+ classification and more recently GO! screened the movie with a MA15+ classification.

In the Fox, WGN America television broadcasts, the Violence is toned down, the strong Profanity like "Fuck, Shit, Cocksucker" are removed, while minor profanity is left in, nudity is completely removed with the scene in which "Bob begins sucking on a woman's breast" is obstructed by Bob's head

The American network TV version made extensive cuts to violence, language, and nudity, often using alternate takes. Profanity is dubbed over, sometimes in unintentionally funny ways ('asshole' becomes 'airhead', 'scumbag' becomes 'crumbag', etc.), the sole instance of nudity is absent due to an alternate take being used. In terms of violence, many of the shootouts cut around the squibs. The ED-209 scene does not show any of the bloody bullet hits, and instead features a single front-facing shot of Kinney staggering backwards with no squibs or blood. Murphy's death is heavily cut, nearly all bullet impacts are missing - and music has been added to the scene to soften the screaming and gunshot sounds. Emil's death doesn't cut any of the scenes of him melting, but does remove the scene where Clarence disintegrates him with his car, instead using an alternate take where Clarence swerves around him.

The theatrical release in Australia was an M rated censored version of the US R-rated cut which lacked the bloodier moments. Some people commented that this doubly-censored version felt more violent than the slightly more comical longer one, due to the implied deaths. On rental and sell-through video Robocop was released in its US R-rated version with an Australian R rating (restricted to 18+).

The Swedish is also heavily cut. Most scenes involving shooting have been shortened or cut out, including the "death" shooting of Murphy by the gang, the shootout at the drug factory and the ED-209 killing a OCP employee. In addition, several scens have been omitted. The gang member who gets thrown out of the van, Emils' disintegration and death.

Finnish video release removes 10' 48" of footage.

• The scene where Ed-209 shoots Kinney to bits is shortened (every shot of Kinney being riddled with bullets are no more).
• In the chase, the cops pulling aside to re-load, and the gang picking up the wounded Bobby, and throwing him at the police car's windshield, and the cops tossing the dead Bobby on the road, has been removed entirely (about 35 seconds cut in a row).
• Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) saying Ne-NE-NE-NE.. before he blasts Murphy's palm to kingdom come (too sadistic, kids!) is shortened.
• Boddicker blasting Murphy's palm to kingdom come.
• The scene where the gang blast Murphy's body to shreds is very heavily shortened and re-edited (the brief aftermath of Murphy's palm-amputation is cut, Murphy crawling away from the sadistically laughing gang is no more, every shot of Murphy being riddled with bullets is cut out, the gang running out of bullets is trimmed, and the soundtrack is altered too).
• The climax of Murphy's death, where Boddicker shoots Murphy's head (the gang leaving the spot is shortened too).
• The whole final 55 seconds of Murphy's CPR (and flashbacks as well) are deleted. The first brief views of the Roboocp P.O.V. have also gone.
• The whole "rape"-scene is deleted.
• Shots of Bob Morton and two whores sniffing cocaine is no more (along with a bunch of funny dialogue).
• The scene where Boddicker shoots Morton's legs is reduced (only one shot is left intact).
• The shooting in the drug factory is heavily shortened; every shot of Robocop shooting thugs has been deleted.
• Robocop strangling Boddicker, and Boddicker telling him that Dick Jones is behind the crimes (almost all of this is shown later on a small screen in Robocop's P.O.V. recordings).
• Clarence blowing his gang buddy's car away, and he and his gang blowing cars away with their Cobra-guns.
• All shots of the deformed Emil are deleted (also almost all material of Lewis chasing Boddicker with her car [which is inter cut with the deformed Emil footage], and Boddicker running over Emil with his car are no more).
• The scene where the no-more-Mr-nice-guy Boddicker shoots Lewis is briefly reduced.
• Boddicker pushing a crowbar to Robocop's chest and Robo yelling (along with the line Sayonara, Robocop).
• All shots of Boddicker bleeding from the neck are deleted.
• The scene where Robocop shoots Dick Jones is shortened.

The director's cut of Robocop was passed uncut as an 18 certificate by the BBFC in 2001

In recent airings, a line of dialogue is cut during the Nukem board game commercial. The line cut is the little boy saying "Pakistan is threatening my border!"

The Criterion Collection LaserDisc and DVD of the unrated version is presented in a 1.66:1 ratio; this is the preferred ratio of director Paul Verhoeven. All other home video, television, and streaming versions of the film in widescreen are at a 1.85:1 ratio.

Using the R-rated theatrical version, the German theatrical release was cut a bit further in order to get a "Not under 18" rating from the FSK. The SPIO/JK rated DVD release includes the uncut theatrical version and the director's cut. Original retail VHS version was heavily cut down to 78 minutes for a "Not under 16" rating (in April 2005 this version was also released on DVD). Only in 2014 was the uncut version (both theatrical and director's cut versions) granted a "Not under 18" rating since being deleted from the index list.