Manus AI
A general-purpose agent that returns finished work, now on Manus 2.0
Overview
Manus is a general-purpose autonomous agent that plans and carries out multi-step work in its own cloud computer, returning finished research, websites, slides, spreadsheets, videos and games. It is run by Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd. in Singapore and resumed independent operations on 1 September 2026 after China ordered Meta's acquisition unwound.
Pricing
Pricing shown for reference only. These figures reflect RECATOOLS research as of 14 Oct 2026 and may be out of date or incomplete. This is not financial or purchasing advice — always confirm the current price on the provider’s official website before making any decision.
- Daily credits usable only on Manus 2.0 Lite
- In-depth research for everyday tasks
- Professional websites and slides
- Task scaling with Wide Research
- 20 concurrent and 20 scheduled tasks
- In-depth research with self-set usage
- Wide Research scaled to the chosen plan
- 20 concurrent and 20 scheduled tasks
- In-depth research for large-scale tasks
- Professional websites with data analytics
- Slides for batch production
- Flexible plans for teams from startups to enterprise
Use cases
What you can produce with Manus AI
- Cited research reports compiled from many web sources, with Wide Research for parallel subtasks
- Websites and web apps built and hosted from a plain-language brief
- Slide decks, including PowerPoint files, plus documents and spreadsheets
- Short product videos with an editable timeline in the Video Editor
- Playable browser games, including multiplayer hosted on a Cloud Computer
- Scheduled and event-triggered automations across connected apps such as Gmail, Slack and Notion
- Tasks carried out on your own computer through Remote Control and computer use
Manus is one of the few agents that regularly hands back a finished deliverable rather than a chat reply, and Manus 2.0 widens what it can make: automations triggered by events, always-on Cloud Computers, an editable video timeline and a game builder. A free plan exists, and $20 a month buys 4,000 credits plus daily refreshes.
The risks are cost and continuity. Credits drain fastest on long, open-ended jobs, so scope tasks tightly and watch the meter. And the company has just been through an acquisition by Meta, a Chinese regulatory order to unwind it and a data deletion for some users; its independence is new. Worth trying on well-defined research and build tasks, with outputs checked.
What we found
Manus is a general-purpose AI agent: it takes a request, plans the steps, works in its own cloud computer and returns a finished artefact such as a research report, website, slide deck, spreadsheet or video. Its founders set up the parent company, Butterfly Effect, in Beijing in 2022; Manus launched in March 2025 to heavy demand and moved its headquarters to Singapore later that year. The service is run today by Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd. under Singapore law.
Ownership has been turbulent. Meta acquired Manus on 29 December 2025. On 27 April 2026 China's National Development and Reform Commission said it had prohibited foreign investment in the Manus project and required the parties to withdraw the deal. To separate from Meta, Manus deleted data that some users had created since 29 December, on 23 and 24 August 2026 Singapore time, after a backup window, and it formally resumed independent operations on 1 September with its founding team still in charge. Earlier versions of this page said the deal was blocked before it happened; it had closed and was unwound.
The product kept shipping through all of this. Manus 2.0, released on 28 September, introduced the Cascade agent harness, Cloud Computers for always-on projects, event-triggered automations, a desktop workspace called Manus Studio with a video editor and game builder, and Cue, an app for personal agents. Manus Flex lets users bring their own API key from OpenRouter, Fireworks or Modal, though tools and hosting still draw Manus credits.
Pricing is credit-based. Paid plans cost $20, $40 and $200 a month for 4,000, 8,000 and 40,000 credits, each with 300 daily refresh credits and 20 concurrent tasks, or 17% less billed annually. A free plan gets daily refresh credits capped at 1,500 a month on Manus 2.0 Lite. Manus says it refunds credits for tasks that fail on its side, but long jobs still consume many credits. Manus reported $100 million in annual recurring revenue in December 2025.
Compiled by RECATOOLS from public sources: vendor documentation and pricing, code repositories and published reporting.
Frequently asked questions
About this listing
This entry was compiled from publicly available data including Manus AI's official website, press releases, documentation, and reputable third-party publications. RECATOOLS is not affiliated with Manus AI unless explicitly stated.
Third-party AI tools update their pricing, features, availability, and policies frequently. Information here may be outdated by the time you read this — we make reasonable efforts to keep listings current, but cannot guarantee absolute accuracy.
For the latest details, please refer to Manus AI directly →
Spotted something out of date? Suggest an update →
Alternatives to Manus AI
More in Agents & Automation
