Manus

Manus is an autonomous AI agent that carries out multi-step work in the cloud instead of answering chat messages. You give it a goal, like researching a market or building a slide deck, and it plans the steps, browses websites, writes and runs code, and delivers a finished file. Launched in March 2025 by the Singapore startup Butterfly Effect, Manus drew attention after Meta announced its acquisition in December 2025, a deal regulators challenged in 2026. Tasks run asynchronously, so you can close your browser and check the result later.

Key Features

1. Multi-step task execution

Manus breaks a goal into steps, then uses its own browser, code runner, and file tools to complete them without constant guidance.

2. Real browser automation

The agent visits real websites, fills in forms, and pulls data from pages, which supports research, price checks, and lead gathering tasks.

3. Wide Research with parallel agents

Wide Research splits a large research job across many sub-agents that run at the same time and combine their findings.

4. Code and web app building

Manus writes code, creates files, and can generate a full web app with backend logic and a database from one prompt.

5. Slides and documents

It produces editable PowerPoint slides and formatted documents, so research and reports come out as ready-to-share files.

6. Scheduled tasks and connectors

Manus can repeat work on a schedule and connect to tools like Slack, Supabase, and ElevenLabs, plus any MCP-compatible service.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How does Manus differ from a chatbot like ChatGPT?

A chatbot answers one message at a time, while Manus acts like a remote worker: it plans multi-step jobs, browses the web, runs code, and hands back finished files. You can also let it run in the background and return when the task is done.

What are Manus credits and how do they work?

Credits are the unit Manus charges for actions, and every search, code run, or file creation uses some. Complex tasks can use 500 to 900 credits in one session, so usage is hard to predict before a task runs. Credits do not roll over from month to month.

What plans does Manus offer?

The Free tier gives 300 refresh credits a day with one task at a time on the Lite model. Paid tiers start around $20 a month for 4,000 monthly credits and rise to about $200 a month for 40,000 credits, with team plans billed per seat. Annual billing saves roughly 17 percent.

Can Manus run tasks while I am away?

Yes. Manus runs tasks in the cloud, so a job keeps going after you close the tab or shut down your computer. You get the finished files and a summary of what it did when it finishes.

Conclusion

Manus suits people who want an agent that does the work, not just talks about it. Its research, browsing, and coding skills handle long jobs end to end, though credit use takes practice to predict. Start on the Free tier to learn how many credits your tasks need, then move up only when the workload justifies it.