Manus AI: the agent that does the work, and what UK users should know before paying

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Manus AI homepage asking What can I do for you, with shortcuts for slides, websites, games and video

Manus AI is a cloud-based artificial intelligence agent from Butterfly Effect, a Singapore company with Chinese roots, that plans and finishes jobs such as research reports, slide decks and websites. It suits marketers, founders and small teams who want finished work rather than a chat. There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20 a month (about £15, plus VAT) as of 18 October 2026. It works in the UK. Know this first: your files go to Manus's servers in the US and Singapore, and its backers include Tencent.

Last updated 21 October 2026. Written by Annie, a search and digital marketing specialist. Based on official documentation, pricing pages and video tutorials; I have not tested it hands-on. See the editorial policy.

Key facts

  • What it is: A general-purpose AI agent that works on its own cloud computer and hands back finished files, sites and automations
  • Made by: Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd., headquartered in Singapore (founded in China in 2022)
  • Price: Free plan; Pro from $20 a month (about £15); Team $20 a seat a month (about £15); VAT extra
  • Free plan or trial: Yes, 300 credits a day, capped at 1,500 a month and limited to Manus 2.0 lite
  • Runs on: Any web browser, plus apps for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android
  • What you need: An account (18 or over); Chrome or Edge for the optional browser extension
  • Open source: No
  • Available in the UK: Yes, as of 18 October 2026
  • Best for: Research, slides, simple websites and automations without any setup
  • Official site: manus.im
Manus at a glance: free plan, Pro from $20 a month (about £15), Team $20 a seat, runs in any browser plus Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android apps, available in the UK, not open source, best for research, slides, simple websites and automations with no setup
Manus at a glance. Prices and availability checked against Manus's pages on 18 October 2026.

On this page

What is Manus AI?

Manus is an AI agent: you describe an outcome, and it plans the steps, uses tools and delivers the finished thing. Ask a chatbot for a competitor analysis and you get text; ask Manus and you get the spreadsheet, the report and the slides. More on agents versus chatbots.

How it works:

  • It has its own computer. Each task runs in a sandbox, a virtual computer in the cloud with internet access, where Manus can install software. Watch every step, or close the tab and come back later.
  • It picks the models. Manus chooses a model for each step. It lists its image, video and audio models (from Google, OpenAI, ByteDance and others) but not the language models doing the planning.
  • It works in parallel. Wide Research splits a big job, such as profiling 50 companies, across many agents and merges the results into one table.
  • It reaches your apps. Connectors link Gmail, Notion, Slack, GitHub and custom tools through MCP, the common standard for plugging tools into agents. Browser Operator, an extension, works in your logged-in Chrome or Edge, and the desktop app works in your folders.
  • It runs on its own. Automations start work on a schedule or when something happens, such as a new email or a Shopify refund.

Manus opened as an invite-only preview in March 2025 and went viral.

What's new in Manus in October 2026?

  • 8 October: a reported $500m-plus round. VKTR and Dealroom reported that Boyu Capital and IDG Capital led it and that Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund invested again. Dark Reading had said the new funding assumed a $4bn valuation, which Manus hasn't confirmed.
  • 29 September: Manus Flex. Bring your own API key from OpenRouter, Fireworks or Modal. The provider bills you for the model, and Manus credits cover the rest.
  • 28 September: Manus 2.0. A new harness (the software around the model that plans and calls tools) called Cascade, which Manus says used 23.2% fewer tokens, took 28.2% less time and cost 32% less in one tested set-up. The desktop app becomes Manus Studio, with Video Editor and Game Dev. Automations can fire on events, Cloud Computer hosts games and always-on jobs, and Remote Control runs your computer from your phone. A new app, Cue, gives personal agents their own email, phone number, wallet and computer (free in early access, invite code needed). The privacy policy was updated the same day.
  • 24 September: an email attack revealed. Salt Labs hid instructions in an email. When Manus summarised the inbox, the researchers got a remote shell and could reach tokens for connected Gmail, Dropbox and GitHub accounts, Dark Reading reported. Meta's bug bounty team patched it.
  • 1 September: independent again. Manus resumed operating as a standalone company after China forced Meta to unwind its takeover, RuntimeWire reported. The founders, Red Xiao, Tao Zhang and Yichao "Peak" Ji, remain in charge.

How much does Manus cost in the UK?

Manus prices in US dollars only. Its terms say fees exclude sales taxes and are non-refundable unless the law says otherwise, so expect 20% VAT on top unless you're VAT-registered. Figures come from manus.im/pricing and manus.im/team, converted at $1 = £0.75.

Bar chart of Manus monthly prices in pounds: free plan, Pro about £15, Team about £15 a seat
Monthly prices converted from dollars at the rate used in this guide; VAT is added at checkout. Checked 18 October 2026.
Manus AI pricing page showing plans at $20, $40 and $200 a month with monthly credits
Manus pricing in US dollars on 18 October 2026. Screenshot: aiagents.org.uk.
PlanPrice (as of 18 October 2026)In poundsWhat you get
Free$0£0300 credits a day (reset at midnight UTC), capped at 1,500 a month, only on Manus 2.0 lite
Pro, 4,000 credits$20 a monthabout £154,000 credits a month plus 300 a day, 20 tasks at once, 20 scheduled tasks, Wide Research, beta features
Pro, 8,000 credits$40 a monthabout £30Same features, double the credits; other tiers in a drop-down
Pro, 40,000 credits$200 a monthabout £150Same features, for heavy use
Team$20 a seat a month, or $200 a seat a yearabout £15 a seat a month, or £150 a year4,000 credits a seat, pooled; admin dashboard, audit logs, free guests; SSO free from 30 seats, otherwise a flat $150
EnterpriseContact salesNot publishedCompliance API and connector policies

Paying yearly saves 17%. On the UK App Store, Manus Pro starts at £20.00 and a 2,000-credit top-up costs £20.00, VAT included.

A credit covers the model use, virtual machine time and outside services a task consumes. There's no fixed price per job: a quick lookup costs little, an app build a lot. Manus refunds credits if a task fails through its own fault.

Hidden costs:

  • Running dry. Monthly credits don't roll over. Add-on credits do, but only while you pay.
  • Cloud Computer. The always-on machine for bots and game servers is bought separately.
  • Flex bills. With your own key, the model provider charges per token on top of Manus credits.

More in our guide to what AI agents cost in the UK.

What do you need to run Manus?

  • An account. The terms require you to be 18 or over, though the App Store rates the app 13+.
  • A browser or device. Any modern browser works. There are also apps for Mac, Windows (Microsoft Store), iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later) and Android.
  • Chrome or Edge, optionally. Manus recommends them for Browser Operator, which its Trust Center lists for paid and Team plans only.
  • A computer left on, sometimes. Jobs in your own folders or browser stop if it sleeps. Cloud tasks carry on.
  • Skills. None. Clear, specific briefs waste fewer credits.

How do you set up Manus?

No install is needed to start:

Manus AI desktop app documentation explaining My Computer folder access and command approvals
Manus's desktop app documentation on 18 October 2026. Screenshot: aiagents.org.uk.
  1. Go to manus.im and choose Sign up. Use email, Google, Microsoft or Apple.
  2. You start on the Free plan, with 300 credits that refresh daily.
  3. Type a job in the box under "What can I do for you?", or pick a shortcut such as Create slides or Build website.
  4. Watch Manus plan and work on its cloud computer. Success is a finished file, deck or site to download, share or publish (on a Manus link or your own domain).

To let Manus use files on your Mac or PC:

  1. Download the Mac app from manus.im/download, or get the Windows app from the Microsoft Store, and sign in.
  2. Open My Computer, choose Add Folder and pick one folder. Your operating system asks you to confirm.
  3. When Manus asks to run a command, choose Allow Once; the docs say every local command needs approval. Save Always Allow for jobs you trust.

To connect apps:

  1. Open Connectors and link only what the job needs, such as Gmail. Browser Operator is enabled here too.
  2. In Settings, switch off "Ads About Manus" to stop your activity being shared for targeted adverts.

How do you use Manus? First things to try

  1. A research brief. "Compare business broadband for a 10-person office in Leeds: price, speed, contract length and sources, in a table."
  2. Wide Research. "Find 40 independent UK coffee roasters that sell wholesale. List city, website and minimum order in a spreadsheet."
  3. Slides from a document. "Turn this PDF report into a 10-slide deck for our trustees, in British English."
  4. A one-page website. "Build a site for my Bristol dog-walking business with prices and a contact form."
  5. A morning automation. "Every weekday at 8am UK time, summarise new client emails and list the ones that need a reply today." Connect Gmail or Outlook first.
  6. A first-cut video. "Make a 30-second product ad from these three photos and keep the timeline editable."
  7. A tidy folder. With My Computer: "Rename the PDFs in my Invoices folder as date, supplier, amount. Show me the list first."

More ideas: 25 AI agent examples.

Best Manus AI video tutorials

Video: CodeWithChris on YouTube.

CodeWithChris gives Manus a real app-launch project, covering setup, GitHub, chat versus agent mode and the desktop app; it predates Manus 2.0, so some menus have moved.

VideoChannelLengthUploadedBest for
Manus AI Tutorial - How to Actually Use AI AgentsCodeWithChris13:159 Sep 2026Beginners: one real project from start to finish
Introducing Manus 2.0Manus AI (official)2:4728 Sep 2026A quick tour of what changed in 2.0
Manus AI: Der KI-Agent, den gerade alle wollen (Komplett-Guide 2026) (in German)Henry Hasselbach14:2318 Jul 2026German speakers: the basics and how the sandbox works
Cue by Manus: The AI That Has Its Own Email, Phone, and WalletStay Ahead With AI4:335 Oct 2026Cue, and the security risks of agents with public contact details
What Happened To Manus AI?BetterWay8:202 Sep 2026Background on the Meta deal and China's role

Watch CodeWithChris first, then the official 2.0 video for what changed.

LinkWhat it's for
manus.imThe web app and sign-up
PricingIndividual plans and credits
Team planTeam prices, SSO and admin features
DocumentationHow each feature works
UpdatesChangelog of new features
Help centreBilling, credits and account questions
Trust CenterSecurity certificates and policies
Privacy policyHow your data is handled, including UK GDPR
API documentationFor developers building on Manus

Who owns Manus, and is it Chinese?

Manus is a Singapore company with Chinese founders, largely Chinese backers and a history that shows Beijing can shape its future.

  • 2022 to 2025. Founded in China as Butterfly Effect. Manus later moved its operations to Singapore, where Meta said most of its staff were based, eWeek and AP reported.
  • 29 December 2025. Meta bought Manus, in a deal reported at about $2bn.
  • 27 April 2026. China's foreign investment security review, run by the National Development and Reform Commission, blocked the deal and ordered the parties to withdraw, giving no reason, the Associated Press reported.
  • 23 to 24 August 2026. Manus deleted some users' data created since 29 December 2025 "to comply with regulatory requirements in specific jurisdictions", which it didn't name. It said this wasn't a breach.
  • June to August 2026. The Information reported in June that Manus was considering becoming a China-incorporated joint venture, and in August Caixin reported that Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund had funded a $2bn buyback from Meta, with Tencent now the largest shareholder, according to Silicon UK and RuntimeWire.

Manus says your data is stored in the US and Singapore, and I found no public evidence that UK users' data has gone to China. But ownership is drifting back towards China, so watch the privacy policy. Our guide to Chinese AI models covers open models you run on your own machine, where nothing leaves it; with a cloud service like Manus, what matters is who holds your data and which laws reach them.

Is Manus safe? Privacy, security and UK GDPR

Manus lists SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certificates, but it has had serious flaws, and every app you connect raises the stakes.

Permissions. Cloud tasks run in Manus's sandbox, not on your computer; the risk comes from what you connect. Connectors can read your email and documents. Browser Operator uses your logged-in sessions and is authorised per session, not per click; close its tab to stop it. My Computer works only in folders you add, and asks before each command.

Where data goes. Data is stored in the US and Singapore, prompts go to third-party AI providers, and Browser Operator sends page content to Manus's servers. Cloud Browser sandbox data is kept for up to 7 days after your last activity on Free, or 21 days on paid plans. Deleted account data goes within 30 days, with legal exceptions.

Training. The privacy policy (updated 28 September 2026) says Manus may use de-identified data to improve its models; depending on where you live, you can opt out by emailing privacy@manus.im. The team page goes further: "We never allow model training on your data."

UK GDPR. The policy's notice to European users covers the UK GDPR by name, makes Butterfly Effect the controller and names EDPO UK in London as its UK representative. Data goes to countries without UK adequacy status, such as the US and Singapore, under approved standard contracts. You can complain to your local regulator, in the UK the ICO. For Team plans Manus acts as the owner's processor, and API customers get a data processing addendum.

Incidents.

  • 24 February 2026: Aurascape published SilentBridge, three zero-click prompt injection flaws (hidden instructions in web pages, search results or documents), each rated 9.8 out of 10. They could leak Gmail content and give a root shell. Manus patched the critical issues in November 2025.
  • 24 September 2026: the Salt Labs email attack described above, patched through Meta's bug bounty programme.

Both worked the same way: Manus read untrusted content while holding the keys to your accounts.

Practical safety settings.

  • Add connectors one at a time and remove them after the job. Removing one doesn't delete what was already copied.
  • Use Allow Once in My Computer, and give Browser Operator a separate browser profile with only the logins it needs.
  • Don't save third-party passwords in Manus; you can ask it in chat to delete stored ones.
  • Don't let Manus process unknown emails or websites while sensitive accounts are connected.
  • Keep client, staff and health data off personal plans, and take advice before using a Team plan for it.

Read AI agents and UK GDPR before using Manus with anyone else's personal data.

Manus vs ChatGPT, Claude Cowork and other alternatives

ToolMade byWhere it worksFree planPaid from (as of 18 October 2026)UK?
ManusButterfly Effect, SingaporeCloud sandbox, plus your desktop and browserYes, 300 credits a day$20 a month (about £15) plus VATYes
Perplexity ComputerPerplexity, USCloud sandbox, plus Mac and Windows apps; local option on high-end Nvidia or AMD PCsNo, paid plans onlyPro $17 a month billed yearly (about £13) with weekly usage; Max $200 a month (about £150) with 10,000 creditsYes
ChatGPT Work (replaced agent mode)OpenAI, USChatGPT apps, including desktopLimited, desktop app onlyPlus, reported at £16 a month plus VATNo restriction stated; some features arrive later
Claude CoworkAnthropic, USClaude desktop app, sessions on Anthropic's serversNoPro at £18 a month plus VATYes
GensparkMainFunc Inc.CloudYes, 100 credits a day up to a lifetime capPlus $24.99 a month (about £19)Privacy policy covers UK users
Kimi AgentMoonshot AI, BeijingCloudFree chat; agent limits not checkedNot checkedNot checked

ChatGPT agent mode has given way to ChatGPT Work. I couldn't find a product called Kimi Work on kimi.com, which calls its agent features Kimi Agent and Agent Swarm.

I would pick Manus for a free plan and the widest range of finished output, from slides to video. Choose Claude Cowork or ChatGPT Work if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and prefer a US supplier. Perplexity Computer suits heavy researchers on Max. For truly private data, a local agent such as OpenClaw beats every cloud option here.

Who should use Manus?

Manus suits small business owners, marketers and consultants who want research, decks, landing pages and short videos without learning new tools, plus teams that want pooled credits and free guest reviewers. See AI agents for UK small businesses for where agents pay off.

Skip it if you handle client, patient or staff data without legal advice, if Manus's Chinese roots and backers worry your clients, if you need predictable costs (credits vanish fast on big jobs), or if your data must stay on your own computer.

Frequently asked questions

What is Manus AI?

Manus AI is a general-purpose AI agent made by Butterfly Effect, a company headquartered in Singapore. You describe a goal, and Manus plans the steps, works on its own cloud computer and delivers finished reports, spreadsheets, slide decks, websites or videos. Manus AI can also connect to apps such as Gmail and run automations.

Is Manus AI free?

Yes, Manus AI has a free plan. As of 18 October 2026, free users get 300 credits a day, capped at 1,500 a month, usable only with the lighter Manus 2.0 lite mode. That covers small tasks. Bigger jobs need a paid plan, from $20 a month (about £15, plus VAT) for 4,000 monthly credits.

How much does Manus cost in the UK?

Manus prices in US dollars. As of 18 October 2026, Pro costs $20 a month (about £15) for 4,000 credits, with $40 and $200 tiers (about £30 and £150). Team costs $20 a seat a month. VAT is extra. On the UK App Store, Manus Pro starts at £20 including VAT.

Is Manus AI safe to use?

Manus holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certificates, but researchers found serious prompt injection flaws in 2025 and 2026, both since patched. Manus stores data in the US and Singapore and may use de-identified data to improve models. Manus is reasonable for everyday work if you limit connectors and approve commands one at a time.

Who owns Manus AI? Is it still owned by Meta?

No, Meta no longer owns Manus AI. Meta bought it on 29 December 2025, but Chinese regulators blocked the deal on 27 April 2026. Manus became independent again on 1 September 2026, and Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund reportedly funded the buyback from Meta, leaving Tencent as the largest shareholder. Manus was founded in China and is headquartered in Singapore.

What is new in Manus 2.0?

Manus 2.0 launched on 28 September 2026 with a new agent harness, Cascade, which Manus says used 23.2% fewer tokens in one tested set-up. Manus 2.0 also renames the desktop app Manus Studio and adds Video Editor, Game Dev, event-triggered Automations and phone control of your computer, plus a separate agent app, Cue.

Manus vs ChatGPT: is Manus better than ChatGPT agent mode?

ChatGPT agent mode has been replaced by ChatGPT Work, so the real comparison is Manus versus ChatGPT Work. Manus offers a free plan with daily credits, Wide Research and stronger creative tools such as video. ChatGPT Work suits people already paying for ChatGPT Plus who prefer a US company.

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