Manus
Manus is a general AI agent: you describe a goal, and it works in its own cloud computer until it hands you a finished result. It can research the web, write and run code, build websites, make slide decks and spreadsheets, and connect to apps such as Gmail, Notion, Shopify and Slack. It keeps working after you close the app and notifies you when it is done.
Manus is made by Singapore-based Butterfly Effect. It launched on 6 March 2025, was sold to Meta in December 2025, and became independent again on 1 September 2026 after China blocked the deal. Pricing uses credits: a Free plan with a small allowance and the Manus 1.6 Lite agent, and Pro plans from $20/month that unlock Manus 1.6 and 1.6 Max. The iOS app is rated 4.7 from about 38,000 reviews.
Manus is one of the easiest ways to hand a whole task to an AI and get back a finished file. Ask for a market report, a pitch deck or a simple website, and it plans the steps, researches, builds and delivers. Features like Wide Research, which runs many sub-agents in parallel, and one-click web hosting put it ahead of most chatbots for this kind of work.
Who should pick it:
- Solo founders, marketers and consultants who want reports, decks and landing pages without stitching tools together.
- People who like to set a task and come back later; Manus keeps working in the cloud.
- Small teams that use Gmail, Notion, Shopify or Airtable and want an agent to act across them.
Who should not:
- Heavy users on a tight budget. Credits run out fast on long tasks, and unused credits do not roll over.
- Organisations that need a very stable vendor. Manus changed owners twice in 2026, and some users had their data deleted and restored in August.
- Developers who want fine control over code. Dedicated tools on our best AI for coding list are better.
Its main weaknesses are unpredictable credit costs and business uncertainty, not the quality of its output.
Score breakdown
Best for
- Research reports and competitor analysis
- Slide decks, spreadsheets and dashboards from raw data
- Building and hosting simple websites and web apps
- Automating repeat tasks across Gmail, Notion and other apps
What we like
- Delivers finished work (reports, decks, sites, spreadsheets) from one prompt
- Keeps working in the cloud after you close the app
- Wide Research runs many sub-agents in parallel for big research jobs
- Large and growing set of connectors, plus Slack, email and mobile access
- Free unlimited Chat mode and a free Agent tier to try it
Watch out for
- Credit use is hard to predict, and unused credits expire each month
- Free tier only gets the Manus 1.6 Lite agent
- Ownership turmoil in 2026, including a forced data deletion and restore for some users
- Not available in mainland China
Specs at a glance
| Developer | Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) |
|---|---|
| Launch | Invite-only beta on 6 March 2025 |
| Current version | Manus 1.6 (released 15 December 2025), with Lite and Max variants |
| Modes | Chat mode (free, unlimited) and Agent mode (uses credits) |
| How it works | Plans a task, splits it into steps and runs them in a sandboxed cloud computer; works asynchronously |
| Main features | Wide Research (parallel sub-agents), web app builder with hosting, slides, spreadsheets and dashboards, image and video generation, browser operator, Mail Manus, scheduled tasks, Plan Mode, Branch |
| Connectors | Gmail and Google Calendar, Google Drive, Notion, Airtable, Canva, Shopify, Zoom, Similarweb, ElevenLabs, Supabase and more |
| Extras | Cloud Computer (persistent Ubuntu server, billed monthly), desktop app with local file access |
| Data location | US and Singapore (company statement) |
| Availability | Worldwide except mainland China |
Pricing
| Plan / tier | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited Chat mode; Agent mode with Manus 1.6 Lite and a small refreshing credit allowance |
| Pro | From $20/month | More credits, Manus 1.6 and 1.6 Max; higher tiers (from $40/month, with a 7-day trial) add more credits; about 17% off yearly |
| Team | From $20/seat/month | Shared workspace, SSO available; about 17% off yearly |
| Cloud Computer | Monthly add-on | Persistent server for sites, bots and databases; two tiers |
How Manus credits work
Manus charges in credits, not messages.
- A task uses credits based on how complex it is and how long it runs. Chat mode is free.
- Finished tasks and hosted outputs do not use credits, so you do not need to delete old tasks.
- Monthly credits reset on your billing date; unused credits do not roll over, even on yearly plans.
- If a task fails because of a Manus problem, it refunds the credits.
- Upgrading mid-cycle tops up the difference but keeps your renewal date.
Manus says prices on its pricing page are final and may change. It does not publish a fixed credit cost per task type, so watch the usage page for your first few weeks.
What is new in 2026
| Date | Feature |
|---|---|
| May 2026 | Scheduled Tasks 2.0; Shopify and Higgsfield connectors |
| June 2026 | Zoom and Canva connectors; hosting modes for web projects |
| July 2026 | Branch (explore several directions from one context), Auto-Publish, PowerPoint export, Plan Mode |
| August 2026 | ElevenLabs voice connector; separation from Meta announced |
| September 2026 | Independent operations resume (1 September); Projects and Skill Hub in the app |
Dates come from the Manus blog and App Store release notes.
The Meta episode and your data
Meta agreed to buy Manus on 29 December 2025. China blocked the deal on 27 April 2026, and Manus announced its return to independence on 11 August. To satisfy regulators, it deleted data created on or after 29 December 2025 for some users on 23–24 August 2026, after giving them a backup tool. Affected users could restore their data from 25 August, and Manus said there was no deadline to restore. Manus said this was not a security incident. See the full story on our Butterfly Effect page.
How Manus compares
Manus competes with ChatGPT's agent mode, Perplexity Computer and Meta's new Muse agent. Manus's strengths are finished deliverables and web hosting; ChatGPT has the bigger ecosystem, and Perplexity is stronger on cited research. For a wider view, see our best AI agents ranking and the what is agentic AI guide.
- Use Plan Mode on big jobs so you can approve the steps first; it avoids burning credits on a wrong direction.
- Ask simple questions in free Chat mode and switch to Agent mode only when you need files, browsing or code.
- Plan big tasks for the days before your billing date; unused credits vanish at renewal.
- Download finished decks, code and reports to your own drive; do not rely on Manus as your only copy.
- Use Branch to try two approaches (for example two deck styles) from the same research instead of starting over.
Jargon explained
- General AI agent
- An AI that can take on many kinds of multi-step tasks, using tools like a browser and code, not just answer questions.
- Credits
- Manus's usage currency. Agent tasks spend credits based on how long and complex they are.
- Wide Research
- A Manus feature that splits a big research job across many sub-agents working at the same time.
- Sandbox
- An isolated virtual computer where the agent runs code and browses, kept separate from your own device.
Alternatives to consider
Frequently asked questions
Is Manus free?
Partly. Chat mode is free and unlimited, and free users can run agent tasks with Manus 1.6 Lite using a small credit allowance. Pro plans start at $20 a month.
What can Manus do that ChatGPT cannot?
Both can run agent tasks. Manus focuses on delivering finished files and hosted websites, keeps working after you close the app, and runs parallel sub-agents with Wide Research. ChatGPT has more models, tools and integrations overall.
Is Manus owned by Meta?
No longer. Meta agreed to buy it in December 2025, but China blocked the deal in April 2026. Manus resumed independent operations on 1 September 2026.
Is Manus safe to use?
It runs tasks in a sandboxed cloud computer and says data is stored in the US and Singapore. Only connect the accounts a task needs, and keep your own copies of important outputs.
Why did I run out of Manus credits so fast?
Long, complex agent tasks such as big research jobs or website builds use many credits. Use Chat mode for simple questions and Plan Mode to agree the steps before a long task runs.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from public information. Vendor figures are labelled as vendor claims.
- What is the current membership pricing for Manus? (Manus Help Center)
- What are the rules for credits consumption? (Manus Help Center)
- Understanding Cloud Computer plans and billing (Manus Help Center)
- Manus - AI Agent & Automation on the App Store (Apple)
- Manus blog (Manus)
- A Note to Our Users (Manus)
- Manus Resumes Independent Operations (Manus)
- China vetoes Meta's $2B Manus deal after months-long probe (TechCrunch)
- Manus (AI agent) (Wikipedia)