What it is
Manus is an AI agent you give a goal rather than a prompt. It breaks the job into steps, browses the web, writes and runs code, and returns finished work such as research reports, spreadsheets, slide decks or simple websites. Each task runs in a cloud virtual machine, and you can watch what it is doing. Manus 2.0, launched on 28 September 2026, renamed the desktop app Manus Studio, added Automations triggered by email, Slack, calendar or Notion events, a paid always-on Cloud Computer, and Cue, a separate app for personal agents.
The company came out of Butterfly Effect, a startup founded in China that moved to Singapore in 2025. Meta announced it would buy Manus for about $2 billion on 29 December 2025. China's National Development and Reform Commission ordered the deal reversed on 27 April 2026, and Manus announced on 1 September 2026 that it was operating independently again under its founders. Some user data created on or after 29 December 2025 was deleted during the separation, and who owns the company is still unclear.
Manus is billed in credits, and a task's cost depends on how long it runs. The Team page lists $20 per seat a month or $200 a year with 4,000 pooled credits per seat. Manus's help centre lists the Free plan at 300 credits a day with one task at a time, and Pro from $20 a month for 4,000 credits or $40 for 8,000, with 17% off on annual billing.
Our review
Manus is strongest at the work that eats an analyst's afternoon: compiling a market list, comparing vendors, drafting a deck or a report with sources. It returns files rather than chat, and the visible cloud computer makes it easier to see where a run went wrong. Manus 2.0, launched on 28 September 2026, adds event-triggered Automations and a new agent framework, Cascade, which Manus says used 23.2% fewer tokens and cut cost by 32% in its own tests. Those figures have not been checked independently.
Cost remains the main complaint. Credits are spent by run time and retries, so the same request can cost very different amounts, and the docs say plan credits reset each month while only purchased add-on credits carry over. The help centre puts the free plan at 300 credits a day with one task at a time, which covers little more than a small task.
The ownership story matters to anyone signing a contract. Meta announced the purchase on 29 December 2025, Beijing ordered it reversed on 27 April 2026, and Manus declared itself independent on 1 September. During the separation, customers in some regions were asked to back up anything created after the deal was announced, and some of that data was deleted. Tech Startups, citing the Financial Times, reports that Tencent was discussing a buyback, and Bloomberg reports Manus is building a team for the Chinese market.
The paper controls are better than the history. The Team page claims SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and ISO 27701, says Manus never allows model training on customer data and has agreements with its model providers to the same effect, and includes SSO free from 30 seats. There is a v2 REST API with webhooks. Against Zapier or n8n, which charge per step of a fixed workflow, Manus charges for judgement, and judgement is exactly the part that varies from run to run.
Where it earns its place
A solo market analyst at a strategy consultancy
Turn a one-paragraph brief into a sourced competitor table and a draft deck
Pro starts at $20 a month for 4,000 credits; long research runs can use a large share of that, so the $40 tier with 8,000 credits is the safer floor. Everything still needs fact-checking before it reaches a client.
A platform engineer at a 50-person startup
Start research tasks from internal tools and collect the results automatically
The v2 REST API at api.manus.ai creates tasks, uploads files and sends webhooks when a task finishes or needs input; v1 is deprecated. Per-endpoint rate limits sit on a separate docs page, and API credit pricing is not published in the overview.
An operations lead buying for a 30-person analyst team
Give the team a shared agent without a security exception
Team at $20 per seat is $600 a month for 120,000 pooled credits, with SSO included at 30 seats. Manus claims SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001; procurement's open questions are the 2026 data deletions and who now owns the company.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Sign up on the web or in the Manus Studio desktop app; a task starts from a plain-language goal and runs in a cloud virtual machine you can watch.
- Integrations
- REST API v2 covering tasks, projects, files, skills, agents and webhooks; Manus 2.0 Automations start tasks from email, Slack, calendar or Notion events.
- Data and privacy
- The Team page says Manus never allows model training on customer data and claims SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and ISO 27701. Some data created after 29 December 2025 was deleted during the Meta separation.
- Cost at scale
- A 30-seat Team plan costs $600 a month or $6,000 a year with SSO included; below 30 seats SSO is a flat $150 extra. Add-on credits never expire; plan credits reset monthly.
- Limits
- Free runs one task at a time and Pro up to 20 concurrent tasks, according to the help centre.Credit use depends on run time and retries, so a task's cost is only known afterwards.
What's good
- Delivers finished files: reports, sheets, slides and sites
- Watchable cloud computer for every task
- Pooled team credits, with SSO free from 30 seats
- Public v2 REST API with webhooks
What's not
- Credit use per task cannot be predicted in advance
- Monthly plan credits do not roll over
- Some user data deleted in the 2026 Meta separation
- Ownership still unclear after the deal was unwound
Best for
Researchers, analysts and founders who want an agent to deliver finished research and documents.
Alternatives
Manus: common questions
- Is Manus worth it?
- Manus finishes an afternoon of tab-switching research better than most agents, but you are buying an unpredictable meter from a company whose ownership is still unsettled. We rate it 4.1 out of 5.
- How much does Manus cost?
- Free (300 credits/day, 1 task at a time); Pro from $20/month for 4,000 credits or $40/month for 8,000, with larger tiers and 17% off yearly; Team from $20/seat/month or $200/seat/year with 4,000 pooled credits per seat; SSO $150 extra under 30 seats.
- What are the downsides of Manus?
- Credit use per task cannot be predicted in advance; monthly plan credits do not roll over; some user data deleted in the 2026 Meta separation; ownership still unclear after the deal was unwound.
- Who is Manus best for?
- Researchers, analysts and founders who want an agent to deliver finished research and documents.
- How much does Manus cost for a team or in production?
- A 30-seat Team plan costs $600 a month or $6,000 a year with SSO included; below 30 seats SSO is a flat $150 extra. Add-on credits never expire; plan credits reset monthly.
- Is Manus safe for company data?
- The Team page says Manus never allows model training on customer data and claims SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and ISO 27701. Some data created after 29 December 2025 was deleted during the Meta separation.
- What are the best Manus alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are ChatGPT, Lindy and Gumloop.
Answers checked Oct 23, 2026.
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