A unit for contact or contactless filling at least one article with a pourable product, comprising: - at least one filling device movable along a path; - at least one holding device movable together with said filling device along said path, and adapted to hold said article and to move it with respect to said filling device along a direction between a first rest position and a second operative position; and - a cam; said holding device comprising, in turn,: - a gripping member for gripping said article; - a cam follower adapted to interact, in use, with said cam at least along a first portion of said path and operatively connected to said gripping member; and - an actuator controllable to exert on said gripping member a force directed along said direction and in a first sense; said actuator being selectively arrangeable in a first configuration, in which it exerts said force and with a first value along said first portion of said path, so as to thrust said cam follower against said cam and to keep, in use, said article in said first rest position; wherein said actuator can selectively be set in a second configuration, in which it exerts said force with a second value, greater than said first value, along at least one first region (β, γ, ε, ζ) of a second portion of said path, so as to move, in use, said article towards said second operative position; said holding device comprising: - at least one rod operatively connected with said cam follower and said gripping member, and movable along said direction; and - at least one first housing, which is stationary with respect to said direction and within which said rod may slide along said direction; said actuator comprises, in turn,: - a second housing, which can slide parallel to said direction; - a piston, which is operatively connected to said gripping member; said piston and second housing being free to slide with respect to one another parallel to said direction; - a first chamber, which is defined between a first area (77, A0) of said piston and said second housing; and - a second chamber, which is defined between a second area (78, A1) of said of said piston and said second housing; said second area (77, A0) being greater than said first area (77, A0); characterized in that said actuator further comprises: - an element connected to said first housing; said element and said second housing being free to slide with respect to one another parallel to said direction; - a third chamber, which is defined between said element and said second housing; and - a control unit programmed for controlling the pressure inside said first chamber, second chamber and third chamber (90, 91, 92). - at least one filling device movable along a path; - at least one holding device movable together with said filling device along said path, and adapted to hold said article and to move it with respect to said filling device along a direction between a first rest position and a second operative position; and - a cam; - a gripping member for gripping said article; - a cam follower adapted to interact, in use, with said cam at least along a first portion of said path and operatively connected to said gripping member; and - an actuator controllable to exert on said gripping member a force directed along said direction and in a first sense; - at least one rod operatively connected with said cam follower and said gripping member, and movable along said direction; and - at least one first housing, which is stationary with respect to said direction and within which said rod may slide along said direction; - a second housing, which can slide parallel to said direction; - a piston, which is operatively connected to said gripping member; said piston and second housing being free to slide with respect to one another parallel to said direction; - a first chamber, which is defined between a first area (77, A0) of said piston and said second housing; and - a second chamber, which is defined between a second area (78, A1) of said of said piston and said second housing; said second area (77, A0) being greater than said first area (77, A0); - an element connected to said first housing; said element and said second housing being free to slide with respect to one another parallel to said direction; - a third chamber, which is defined between said element and said second housing; and - a control unit programmed for controlling the pressure inside said first chamber, second chamber and third chamber (90, 91, 92).