Manus

About Manus

What is Manus (2026 update)

Manus is a general-purpose AI agent built by the Chinese startup Butterfly Effect, designed to turn a written instruction into finished work such as a report, a slide deck, a spreadsheet, or a working web app. Instead of just answering in chat, Manus plans a multi-step task, browses the web, runs code, and hands back a deliverable, which is why it is usually described as an autonomous agent rather than a chatbot.

What is new in 2026

Manus shipped its 1.6 model line in early 2026, adding a faster Chat Mode alongside the existing Agent Mode and giving users a choice between Manus 1.6 Lite, 1.6, and 1.6 Max depending on how much reasoning a task needs. The bigger change is Wide Research, a mode that spins up many sub-agents in parallel to pull from dozens of sources at once for deep research jobs, cutting the time a single-threaded agent would need for the same task.

Manus also launched a desktop application with a feature called My Computer, which lets the agent operate directly on files, apps, and a browser already installed on the user’s machine instead of only working inside a cloud sandbox. On the builder side, the one-prompt full-stack app feature can scaffold a backend, wire up authentication, connect a database, and deploy the result to a live URL from a single request. Connector support now covers Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Notion, and GitHub.

Key features

• Agent Mode that plans, browses, and executes multi-step tasks end to end
• Wide Research for parallel, multi-source deep research
• Desktop app with My Computer for local file and app control
• One-prompt full-stack app builder with database and deployment
• Slide deck and document generation from a single prompt
• Scheduled and concurrent tasks so the agent can run jobs unattended
• Connectors for Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Notion, and GitHub

Pricing in 2026

Manus runs on a subscription plus credits model. Every plan includes a monthly (or daily, for Free) credit pool, and each agent task consumes credits based on how much compute it uses. Check the official site for the exact current credit costs per task type, since these change as models update.

Exact credit-to-task ratios and any enterprise custom pricing should be confirmed on the official Manus pricing page, since credit consumption depends on task complexity and model tier chosen.

Who should use it

Manus fits solo founders, consultants, and small teams who want an agent to independently research a topic, draft a document, or build a small internal tool without them writing the code or doing the browsing themselves. It is a good fit if you already think in terms of delegating a finished deliverable rather than chatting back and forth. Teams doing repeated deep-research work, like market scans or competitor tracking, get the most value from Wide Research and scheduled tasks.

Limitations and alternatives

The credit system means costs can climb quickly on complex or long-running tasks, and heavy users report the $20 and $40 tiers running out of credits faster than expected for daily use. Manus is also a cloud agent by default, so the desktop My Computer feature is needed if you want it to touch local files directly, and that adds another layer to manage. Since it is a China-based product, some teams with strict data residency requirements should check the official terms before sending sensitive data.

Alternatives worth comparing include Genspark, which offers a similar all-in-one agent workspace, Lindy, which focuses more on workflow automation with agents, and Devin from Cognition, which targets autonomous coding tasks specifically rather than general research and document work.

Frequently asked questions

Is Manus free to use?

Yes, Manus has a free plan with 300 daily refresh credits, enough for light Agent Mode tasks, but heavier research or app-building tasks will need a paid plan.

What is Wide Research in Manus?

Wide Research is a 2026 feature that runs many sub-agents in parallel across multiple sources at once, so a deep research task finishes faster than a single agent working through sources one at a time.

Can Manus build a full web app?

Yes, its one-prompt full-stack app builder can scaffold a backend, set up authentication, connect a database, and deploy the app to a live URL from a single request.

Does Manus have a desktop app?

Yes, Manus launched a desktop application with a My Computer feature that lets the agent work directly with local files, tools, and applications on the user's device.

Information last verified: September 2026.