Manus was one of the first "general AI agents" to go viral in 2025: you give it a goal, and it plans, browses, writes code and builds files on its own. In late September 2026 the company launched Manus 2.0, a rebuilt platform. So is it worth paying for now?
This Manus AI review covers what Manus 2.0 does, current pricing and how credits work, privacy questions, its limits, and who should (and shouldn't) pay. Pricing comes from Manus's own help centre, checked on November 1, 2026. To be transparent: we haven't run long-term paid tests, so treat this as an informed buyer's guide rather than a lab benchmark.
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Manus is a general AI agent that researches, builds websites and slides, writes code and runs scheduled or event-triggered automations. The Free plan gives 300 credits a day; Pro starts at $20 a month for 4,000 monthly credits, with a $40 tier for 8,000 credits; Team starts at $20 per seat. It suits researchers and solo builders who can live with credit-based costs.
What is Manus?
Manus is an autonomous AI agent: rather than chatting back and forth, you describe an outcome ("research the top five CRM tools for UK dental clinics and make a slide deck") and it works through the steps in its own cloud environment. It can browse the web, run code, create documents, deploy websites and generate slides.
The company was founded in China and is now based in Singapore. Meta agreed to buy it at the end of 2025, but as InfoWorld reports, China's National Development and Reform Commission blocked the deal in April 2026, and Manus has operated independently since. It now competes directly with Meta's own agent, Muse.
What's new in Manus 2.0
Manus announced version 2.0 on September 28, 2026 and called it "a new architecture, new products, and new capabilities". The main changes, according to the company:
- Cascade: a new system for running agents that brings in specialised tools only when needed. Manus says that in one tested configuration it used 23.2% fewer tokens, finished 28.2% faster and cost 32% less than its previous system (it didn't publish the test details).
- Automations: tasks can now start when something happens, like a new email, Slack message or calendar event, not just on a schedule.
- Cloud Computer: a paid, dedicated environment that keeps running when your laptop is closed.
- Manus Studio: the desktop app, now a workspace for documents, slides, websites, code, games and a video editor.
- Cue: a separate app for personal agents with their own email, phone number and wallet, in invite-only early access.
Manus pricing and credits
According to Manus's membership pricing page:
| Plan | Price | Credits | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300 per day | 1 concurrent task, 2 scheduled automations |
| Pro | From $20/month | From 4,000 per month | 20 concurrent tasks, 20 scheduled automations, advanced and Wide Research, slides, website deployment |
| Pro (higher tier) | From $40/month, 7-day free trial | From 8,000 per month | Same features, more credits |
| Team | From $20 per seat/month | Shared pool | SSO, data training opt-out, usage analytics, access control |
Annual billing saves 17%. Manus says the pricing page itself is the final word, so check it at checkout.
How credits are used
Manus's credits help page explains that credits pay for AI model tokens, virtual machines and third-party data APIs, and cost depends on a task's complexity and duration. Some details matter for budgeting:
- Monthly credits reset each cycle and don't roll over.
- Free users' daily credits are capped at 1,500 a month and only work with the lighter Manus 2.0 model.
- Add-on credits roll over only while you keep a paid subscription.
- Manus says it refunds credits for tasks that fail because of a technical problem on its side.
Manus AI review: pros and cons
Pros
- Handles whole projects end to end: research, slides, websites and code in one place.
- Event-triggered automations and always-on Cloud Computers in 2.0.
- A usable free tier for trying it out.
- Team plan offers a data training opt-out and SSO.
Cons
- Credit costs are hard to predict before a task runs.
- Unused monthly credits disappear.
- Autonomous agents can make confident mistakes; you still need to check the output.
- Ownership and regulatory history may concern some businesses' compliance teams.
Privacy and safety
An agent that browses, logs in and runs code on your behalf needs careful limits. Don't give it access to accounts or data you couldn't afford to have exposed, start with read-only tasks, and review anything before it's sent or published. Only the Team plan lists a data training opt-out, so individual users handling client data should read Manus's privacy policy first. Our guide to AI agent attacks on small businesses covers prompt injection and other risks in plain English.
Who should use Manus?
- Good fit: consultants, researchers, marketers and solo founders who produce reports, decks and simple websites, and who value time over predictable cost.
- Maybe: small teams that want an agent with shared credits and SSO.
- Also consider: if you mainly need answers and writing help rather than finished files, a standard chat assistant is cheaper and more predictable. Agents earn their cost on multi-step projects that would otherwise take you an afternoon.
- Poor fit: anyone who needs fixed monthly costs, strict data residency, or deterministic workflows. A tool like n8n or Zapier suits repeatable automations better.
Want to compare chat assistants first? See ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude, or our look at Claude Haiku 5.5 for small business.
Step by step: decide if Manus fits your budget
Use our free AI Subscription Cost Calculator to see Manus in the context of what you already spend:
- Open the calculator and tick the AI plans you already pay for, such as ChatGPT Plus or Gemini.
- Choose the number of months (12 shows a yearly figure).
- Add Manus Pro at $20 or $40 a month to the total yourself, or less 17% if you'd pay annually.
- Ask whether Manus replaces anything. If it lets you drop another subscription, the real cost is lower.
- Try the free tier first with one real task, and note how many credits it used before upgrading.
Not sure an agent is the right tool at all? The AI Tool Finder suggests options based on your task and budget.
Related: Prefer to build your own tool instead? See the best AI app builder for non-coders, or read about alternatives to OpenAI Agent Builder.
Sources and further reading
- Meta’s ex launches agent rival to Meta’s Muse (InfoWorld)
- What is the current membership pricing for Manus? (Manus Help Center)
- What are the rules for credits consumption? And how can I obtain them? (Manus Help Center)
FAQ
Is Manus AI free?
Yes, there is a Free plan with 300 credits a day, one concurrent task and two scheduled automations. Paid Pro plans start at $20 a month.
How much does Manus Pro cost?
Pro starts at $20 a month for 4,000 monthly credits, with a $40 tier for 8,000 credits. Annual billing saves 17%.
Do Manus credits roll over?
Monthly plan credits don't. Add-on credits roll over only while you keep an active paid subscription.
Is Manus owned by Meta?
No. Meta agreed to buy Manus at the end of 2025, but Chinese regulators blocked the deal in April 2026 and Manus operates independently.
What is new in Manus 2.0?
Manus 2.0, launched September 28, 2026, adds the Cascade agent system, event-triggered Automations, Cloud Computers, the Manus Studio workspace and the separate Cue app.
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