Manus
About ManusWhat is Manus? Manus is an AI agent that can do big, multi-step tasks on its own without you watching it all the time. It’s created by a Singapore startup called Butterfly Effect Technology. You give Manus one simple instruction, like “make a market research report on EV batteries” or “plan a 7-day trip to…
What is Manus?
Manus is an AI agent that can do big, multi-step tasks on its own without you watching it all the time. It’s created by a Singapore startup called Butterfly Effect Technology.
You give Manus one simple instruction, like “make a market research report on EV batteries” or “plan a 7-day trip to Japan”, and it does everything by itself. It researches, analyzes data, uses tools, and creates the final output in the background. When it’s done, it just tells you.
Instead of being a chat helper, Manus works more like a digital employee who takes action and finishes tasks for you.
Key Features of Manus
- Autonomous Task Execution: Manus operates without continuous oversight, executing multi-step workflows from a single, high-level prompt, acting as a true “digital worker.”
- Asynchronous Cloud Operation: Tasks run in the background on cloud servers, allowing users to close their browser or device and receive a notification when the work is done.
- Multi-Agent Architecture: It delegates complex tasks to specialized, collaborative sub-agents for parallel processing and enhanced efficiency.
- Code-Act Methodology: It uses executable Python code as its primary action mechanism for complex autonomous operations, enabling it to solve problems beyond simple text generation.
- Multi-Modal Capabilities: It can process and generate various output types, including text, images, code, reports, data visualizations, and presentations.
Who Can Use Manus?
- Entrepreneurs & Startups: For quick market research, competitive analysis, business intelligence dashboard creation, and website/application prototyping.
- Researchers & Academics: For conducting comprehensive multi-source research, synthesizing academic papers, and generating structured reports with citations.
- Content Creators & Marketers: For generating media, creating data-driven content, designing presentations, and automating social media research.
- Developers & Data Analysts: For coding, debugging, executing code in a sandboxed environment, data analysis, statistical summaries, and visualization.
- Business Professionals: For tasks like financial data analysis, travel itinerary planning, document automation, and resume screening.
Why Manus Is Better Than Its Competitors?
- Autonomy: Fully autonomous, requires only an initial, high-level prompt.
- Execution: Runs tasks asynchronously in the cloud, user can disconnect.
- Task Scope: General purpose, handles cross-domain, multi-step workflows
- Transparency: Provides real-time monitoring and step-by-step execution replays
- Action Mechanism: Uses executable code and browser automation to perform real-world actions.
English
Manus is the first truly autonomous AI agent that transforms vague intentions into tangible, professional-grade output. It operates as your dedicated digital coworker, taking on complex, multi-step projects—from market research and financial analysis to coding and content creation, and completing them end-to-end without needing constant check-ins. Powered by a multi-agent architecture and the Code-Act methodology, Manus executes actions in a sandboxed cloud environment, providing the unique benefit of allowing users to shut off their devices while their work continues in the background. With transparent execution logs and multi-modal output (including reports, websites, and presentations), Manus is engineered to move beyond simple chat and become the ultimate action engine for professional productivity.
2022
Singapore
Private
Manus helps to bridge the gap between human thought and digital execution. We believe that the next generation of AI shouldn’t just think, but act. By focusing on a multi-model approach and a specialized multi-agent architecture, we’ve engineered Manus to handle the complexity of real-world tasks. We are committed to transparency in execution, high-quality, actionable results, and empowering professionals to offload their most time-consuming workflows, making high-level intelligence accessible and directly applicable to daily operations.
Standard monthly usage
$20
MonthlyCustomizable monthly usage
$40
MonthlyExtended usage for productivity
$200
MonthlyHow does Manus work if I close my computer?
Manus operates in a cloud-based sandbox environment. Once you submit a task, it runs asynchronously on our servers, independent of your local device. You can close your computer and will receive a notification when the task is complete.
What kind of tasks can Manus automate?
Manus can automate multi-step, complex knowledge work, including: comprehensive market research, financial data analysis, software coding and deployment, travel planning, content generation, and generating reports/presentations from raw data.
How does the credit system work?
Each action Manus takes (e.g., a web search, an analysis, generating a slide, or running code) consumes a certain number of credits. Plans come with a set monthly credit allowance. Higher-tier plans offer more credits and often more complex actions per credit.
Is Manus a replacement for ChatGPT or is it a competitor?
Manus is a different class of AI. While traditional large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are primarily focused on conversation and content generation, Manus is an autonomous agent focused on end-to-end task execution and action in the real world (e.g., controlling a browser or deploying code).
What is the "Manus's Computer" feature?
It’s a transparency tool that allows you to watch a step-by-step replay of how the Manus agent executed your request. This provides accountability and allows you to understand the logic and debug any issues with the agent’s workflow.
Can Manus integrate with my existing business tools?
Yes. Manus is built with advanced tool integration. It can interact with web browsers, code environments, and databases. It also offers direct integrations with tools like Slack and the ability to operate across the web environment as a human would.
Manus represents the cutting edge of autonomous AI agents, shifting the paradigm from ‘AI assistants’ to ‘digital workers.’ Its multi-agent orchestration and ability to complete complex tasks entirely in the background, without requiring constant human intervention, mark a significant leap in productivity tools. While its beta nature still reveals occasional inconsistencies in execution speed and stability, its core capability—autonomy in action—is unmatched in the general-purpose agent market.
Pros
- Truly autonomous, end-to-end task execution from a single prompt.
- Asynchronous operation allows for background work after the user disconnects.
- Multi-agent architecture excels at handling and orchestrating complex, multi-step workflows.
Cons
- Occasional inconsistency and performance issues due to its complex beta nature.
- The credit-based pricing model can feel unpredictable for high-volume users.
- Users have reported limited responsiveness from human support during high-demand periods.
Final Verdict
Manus is a highly ambitious and powerful tool that delivers on the promise of an AI that acts rather than just chats. It is an essential investment for solo founders and power users who prioritize deep, unsupervised automation of complex professional workflows, provided they are prepared for the occasional beta-level instability that comes with pioneering technology.
CA Tushar Makkar
