Manus AI is a general-purpose AI agent. You describe an outcome, and Manus plans the steps, works inside a virtual computer and hands you a finished deliverable such as a report, a website, a presentation or a video. The free plan gives you 300 credits per day. The Pro plan starts at $20 per month for 4,000 credits, according to the official help center, last updated October 23, 2026.
Manus belongs to Butterfly Effect, a company founded by a Chinese team and based in Singapore. Meta acquired it for $2 billion at the end of 2025, then Chinese authorities ordered the deal unwound. Manus has been operating independently again since September 1, 2026.
Our take in brief: Manus is useful for founders who want to hand off a research task or a first draft of a website without writing code. Try it on public data before you feed it any customer data.
Prices and rules below were checked on October 26, 2026 on Manus's official pages.
What is Manus AI?
On its website, Manus describes itself as an "action engine": a system that executes tasks and automates workflows.
From prompt to finished deliverable
With Manus, you assign a complete mission. The agent opens a cloud browser, reads sources, writes code and assembles the final file.
Each task runs in its own virtual machine. On December 17, 2025, Manus said it had created more than 80 million virtual computers. The same post announced $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), reached eight months after launch.
What's new in Manus 2.0, released September 28, 2026
Manus 2.0 is the current version. It adds six building blocks:
- Cascade, the new internal system. It loads specialized tools on demand. On one tested configuration, Manus measured 23.2% fewer tokens and 32% lower cost. Manus notes that this is not an average figure.
- Manus Studio, the desktop app. In an authorized session, Manus works on your local files and folders.
- Video Editor, which produces a first cut and then hands the timeline back to you. Manus positions it for 30 to 60 second product ads and tutorials.
- Automations, which trigger a task from a signal: a new email, a Slack message, a Notion update.
- Cloud Computer, a dedicated machine you rent to host an automation that runs continuously.
- Cue, a separate invite-only app where each agent gets its own email address, phone number and wallet.
What can a startup hand off to Manus?
Market research and Wide Research
Wide Research runs several agents in parallel on the same research task, according to Manus's documentation. The typical use case: compare a list of competitors on the same criteria and get a table back.
Websites, apps and slides
The Website Builder provides the backend, database, storage and deployment. You can connect a custom domain, Stripe or Shopify, and export the code to a private GitHub repository. Manus Slides builds a complete presentation from a description, speaker notes included.
TechCrunch puts Manus in the same category as Lovable and Replit. If you want to build an entire company with payments and outreach, NanoCorp goes further (see the last section).
Automations and connectors
Manus connects to more than 50 apps, including Notion, GitHub, Slack and Stripe, according to its startups page. The documentation also lists MCP connectors, Zapier and an API. The Browser Operator extension drives your own browser, using the sessions you're already logged into.
How much does Manus AI cost in 2026?
Manus bills in US dollars, so your bank may add currency conversion fees.
Plans as of October 26, 2026
| Plan | Monthly price | Credits | Concurrent tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300 per day | 1 |
| Pro | from $20 | from 4,000 per month | 20 |
| Pro (higher tier) | from $40, 7-day trial | from 8,000 per month | 20 |
| Team | from $20 per seat | shared pool | 20 |
Source: Manus help center pricing article, updated October 23, 2026. Pro allows 20 concurrent tasks and 20 scheduled automations. Annual billing gives a 17% discount on Pro and Team. The Team plan adds SSO, usage analytics, access management and the option to opt out of training on your data. The former Basic and Plus plans are now called Pro.
Some French-language guides still quote plans at €39 and €199 with a waitlist. Those no longer appear in the official pricing.
Is Manus AI free?
Yes, with limits. The Free plan gives you 300 credits per day, reset at midnight UTC, with no rollover. These daily credits only work in Manus 2.0 lite mode. Free users can use at most 1,500 daily credits per month. The free plan also allows one task at a time and two scheduled automations.
How Manus counts your credits
Manus charges each task based on its complexity and duration, across three cost items: language model tokens, the virtual machine, and third-party APIs such as financial databases.
Several help center rules affect your budget:
- Manus draws from credits in this order: event credits, daily credits, monthly credits, add-on credits, free credits.
- Monthly credits reset on your subscription anniversary date. A Pro plan started on January 1 gets 4,000 credits to use before February 1.
- Add-on credits stay active as long as you keep a paid subscription. They become inactive if you drop back to the free plan.
- Hosting a site that's already been delivered or storing a file costs no credits.
- If a task fails because of a technical problem on Manus's side, you get all your credits back.
- A zero or negative balance blocks you from starting any new task.
The dashboard shows an estimate before launch. For simple questions, the documentation recommends Chat mode, which uses fewer credits than the full agent.
Manus for Startups: 6 months of Team through a partner VC
A startup accepted into Manus's program gets 6 months of the Team plan for up to 20 seats, valued at $4,800, according to the Manus for Startups page.
The published criteria:
- less than 5 years old;
- between $500,000 and $50 million raised in equity;
- backing from a partner VC or accelerator, preferred but not required;
- being a new Manus user.
As of October 26, 2026, Manus has paused open applications and only accepts startups referred by its partner VCs. Ask your lead investor whether they're part of the network.
Is Manus AI a Chinese company?
Manus's history matters if you plan to give it company data.
A Chinese team based in Singapore
Manus is a product of Butterfly Effect. Before launch, the company raised $75 million in a round led by Benchmark. TechCrunch reports that Manus moved its teams to Singapore in mid-2025. In December 2025, Manus had 105 people across Singapore, Tokyo and San Francisco, and announced plans to open an office in Paris.
The Meta acquisition, unwound by Beijing
On December 29, 2025, Manus announced it was joining Meta, in a deal worth $2 billion according to TechCrunch. CEO Xiao Hong said at the time that the company would keep operating from Singapore.
In April 2026, Chinese authorities ordered the deal unwound. On August 11, 2026, Manus told users it would delete, on August 23 and 24, data generated by certain accounts since December 29, 2025, to comply with regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions. On September 1, 2026, Manus announced it was operating independently again, with the founding team in charge.
More than $500M raised in October 2026
On October 8, 2026, Butterfly Effect announced a raise of more than $500 million, according to TechCrunch. Boyu Capital and IDG Capital led the round, with existing shareholders Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund participating. The valuation has not been disclosed. Press reports mention a possible IPO in Hong Kong.
Your data on Manus: what to check
Read these points from the help center before you give Manus access to customer files or your CRM.
Who can see your tasks
On an individual account, your tasks are private by default. On a Team plan, the account owner can access every member's sessions, content included, and can export them. Let your team know before you invite them.
How Manus uses your content
You own your deliverables: websites, images, videos, slides. Manus uses your content to run the service and, in aggregated and de-identified form, to improve the product. Opting out of training on your data is listed among the Team plan features. The privacy policy also covers Monica AI, a related service.
The August 2026 data deletion
The August 11, 2026 note to users shows that a regulatory decision can wipe out working data with twelve days' notice. Manus provided a backup and restore tool. Keep a local copy of every important deliverable.
If your tasks involve personal data from European customers, have your data protection officer approve the GDPR setup before you connect your tools.
Using Manus AI in French
The interface, the help center and 44 documentation pages are available in French.
Installing Manus and picking the right mode
Manus runs in the browser at manus.im. Apps are available for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. Stick to the official app stores and the Manus website rather than APK files from third-party sites.
Use Chat mode for simple questions, and the full agent for multi-step tasks.
Writing a credit-efficient task
The documentation contrasts "Research AI", which is too vague, with "Research the 5 biggest trends in AI for healthcare and write a summary report." Group related requests into a single task, and review the intermediate results of a long task.
Example: benchmarking five competitors
For an HR SaaS, a useful prompt looks like this: "Compare 5 HR software tools for French SMBs: public pricing, payroll and leave features, integrations, customer reviews. Deliver a spreadsheet and a one-page memo. Use only official websites and cite every source." Manus breaks down the mission, opens the sites in its cloud browser and fills in the table.
This walkthrough follows the official documentation: we are not publishing test results. Check every price the agent pulls against the source page before you put it in a deck.
Our review of Manus AI
Strengths
- The finished deliverable. Manus hands back a file, a deployed website or an edited video.
- The daily free plan. 300 credits per day is enough to evaluate the tool on a short task.
- The breadth of scope. One subscription covers research as well as building websites or videos.
- The refund rule. A task that fails because of an outage on Manus's side gives you your credits back.
Limitations
- Costs are hard to predict. The bill depends on the duration and complexity of each task: a research job that drags on can quickly burn through a 4,000-credit budget.
- The jurisdiction keeps shifting. An acquisition, an order from Beijing and a data deletion in under a year: keep an exit plan.
- The startup program is closed to direct applications. Without a partner VC, you pay full price for the Team plan.
Which Manus AI alternative should you choose?
Manus, ChatGPT Work, Claude Cowork or an open source agent
| Criterion | Manus | ChatGPT Work | Claude Cowork | Open source agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main strength | Complete deliverables: websites, slides, video | Built into ChatGPT, Slack and Google Drive plugins | Office files and local folders | Full control over code and data |
| Free plan | 300 credits per day | Work on the web limited to paid plans | No | Free code; you pay for the server and API |
| Entry paid plan | $20 per month | Plus at $20 per month | Pro at $20 per month | Your server and your API keys |
| Where the task runs | Manus virtual machine, or your computer via Studio | Managed cloud, or your computer via the desktop app | Anthropic's servers, or your computer via the desktop app | Your machine or your server |
| Best for | Non-technical founders who want a delivered first draft | Teams already on ChatGPT | Teams that work on documents | Technical teams that want to self-host everything |
Sources: vendors' official pages, checked October 26, 2026. Our guides to ChatGPT Work and Claude Cowork cover their plans and limitations in detail.
On the open source side, Hermes Agent and the OpenClaw alternatives run on your own infrastructure. You gain control over your data, and you take on security and maintenance. Our OpenClaw vs ChatGPT comparison weighs the two approaches.
NanoCorp for building a complete company
Manus delivers parts: a website, a report, a video. NanoCorp assembles an entire company from a single sentence: product, landing page, Stripe payments and campaigns. To plug pay-per-call tools into Claude or ChatGPT, read our Agentik review. Our AI tool stack for startups shows where each of these tools fits in an early team.
Building your startup and looking for long-term support? swanbase backs early-stage founders in Paris and remotely, at no cost, by application; swanbase takes equity. Apply.
FAQ
What exactly is Manus AI?
Manus AI is a general-purpose AI agent made by Butterfly Effect. You describe an outcome, Manus carries out the steps on its own inside a virtual computer and hands you a finished deliverable: a report, website, presentation or video.
Is Manus AI free or paid?
Both. The Free plan gives you 300 credits per day, usable in Manus 2.0 lite mode, with one task at a time. The Pro plan starts at $20 per month for 4,000 credits, and a $40 tier gives you 8,000 credits with a 7-day trial. Prices checked October 26, 2026.
Is Manus AI a Chinese company?
A Chinese team founded Manus, then moved its teams to Singapore in mid-2025. Meta acquired it at the end of 2025 for $2 billion, then Chinese authorities ordered the deal unwound in April 2026. Manus has operated independently since September 1, 2026, with Tencent among its shareholders.
Which AI should I use instead of Manus?
It depends on the task. ChatGPT Work suits teams already on ChatGPT, and Claude Cowork suits document-heavy work. An open source agent like Hermes Agent keeps your data on your own server. Manus remains strong for complete deliverables, like a website or a video.
Is Manus AI available in French?
Yes. The interface, the help center and 44 documentation pages are available in French. You can write your tasks and receive your deliverables in French.
Can I download Manus AI on PC or Android?
Yes. Manus offers apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, in addition to the web version at manus.im. Download them from the official website or app stores rather than from a third-party APK site.
How many credits does a Manus task use?
The cost varies with the task's complexity and duration. Manus charges for model tokens, the virtual machine and any third-party APIs used. Manus fully refunds a task that fails because of an outage on its side.
