Manus AI made waves by acting like a real digital worker. You give it a goal, and it browses the web, fills forms, writes code, and finishes multi-step tasks while you do other things. Still, you might want something cheaper, easier to self-host, or built for teams. Or you just want to test other Manus AI alternatives that do similar work.
Thankfully, you’ve plenty of options. Some focus on autonomous AI agents that can browse the web and complete multi-step tasks. Others work better as AI writing tools, no-code workflow builders, or open-source AI agent platforms you can self-host.
I tested dozens of the best Manus AI alternatives this year. Below you’ll find 10 standout picks. For each one, I’ll show what it does well, where it falls short, pricing, and who should use it. Let’s get to it.
What Makes a Good Manus AI Alternative?
Before you pick, think about what you actually need. Manus AI stands out because it acts like an autonomous agent. It opens a browser, clicks around, and completes tasks end-to-end.
So the best AI agent tools for automating online workflows usually check a few boxes:
- Web browsing + action: Can it use a browser, fill forms, and click buttons like you would?
- Tool integrations: Does it plug into Slack, Salesforce, Notion, or your CRM?
- Multi-step planning: Can it break big goals into steps and run them without hand-holding?
- Data control: Can you self-host it or does it meet enterprise security like SOC 2 and SSO?
- Price: Manus AI isn’t cheap. Many cheaper Manus AI alternatives offer free tiers.
Keep those in mind as you read. Your use case decides the winner. Also, remember that pricing is subject to change. Do refer to the official pricing page for the latest rates.
1. OpenManus: Best Open-Source Manus Alternative You Can Self-Host
If you like Manus but want to ditch vendor lock-in, start here. OpenManus is a community-driven, open-source AI agent platform that copies a lot of Manus’s core ideas. You can run it locally, tweak the code, and keep your data on your servers.
What you can do with it:
- Give it high-level tasks like “research top 20 SaaS blogs and build a spreadsheet of editors”
- Let it browse the web, scrape data, and use tools via API
- Chain together actions across Gmail, Google Docs, and Notion
Because it’s open source, OpenManus is one of the top Manus AI alternatives for developers and privacy-focused teams. You get full data control and no usage-based billing surprises.
Where it lags: Setup takes time. You’ll need Docker, some Python know-how, and your own LLM API keys. It’s not plug-and-play.
OpenManus is currently free to self-host. They are in the process of developing fair pricing models for their upcoming projects.
2. Suna by Kortix: Best No-Code AI Agent Builder for Business Tasks
Suna feels the most like Manus for non-coders. You describe a workflow in plain English, and Suna’s agent plans and executes it. The difference is Suna focuses on business ops: lead gen, market research, CRM updates, and email outreach.
You can watch the agent work in a browser window. It clicks, types, and navigates sites to finish tasks. Then it drops results into Sheets or Airtable.
Why people switch from Manus to Suna:
- Faster setup. No code or Docker needed.
- Strong templates for AI tools to automate sales, marketing, and lead gen workflows
- Built-in integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Apollo
Suna offers a free plan that includes 50 agent steps/month. Paid plans start at $40/month. This is the perfect option for marketers and ops teams who want no-code AI agent builders to automate workflows without writing code.
3. ChatGPT with GPTs + Operator: Best Manus AI Alternative for Everyday Productivity
ChatGPT isn’t a true autonomous agent out of the box. But pair it with custom GPTs and OpenAI’s new “Operator” browsing mode, and you get 80% of Manus for daily tasks.
Operator can use a cloud browser to book appointments, order groceries, and fill web forms. Combine that with GPTs that connect to Google Workspace, and you have a solid daily driver.
ChatGPT also wins on integrations and ease of use. Claude wins on long-document reasoning. Manus wins on true autonomy. If you just need a helper for writing, research, and light web tasks, ChatGPT is the most polished Manus AI alternative today.
ChatGPT pricing for paid plans starts at $20/month for Operator access.
This option is best for individuals who want an AI assistant that integrates with Slack, Notion, Salesforce, Google Workspace, and other SaaS tools without heavy set.
4. Claude by Anthropic: Best for Long Research and Document Workflows
Claude doesn’t browse like Manus yet. But for research-heavy jobs, it’s a beast. Drop in a 150-page PDF, ask it to summarize, extract data, and draft a report. It handles context better than most tools.
With the new “Computer Use” beta, Claude can also view your screen and click around. That makes it one of the emerging AI agents that can browse the web, fill forms, and complete multi-step online tasks.
Claude pricing structure is simple. It has a free plan and two paid plans. While the Pro plan costs $17 (if billed annually), the Max plan starts from $100 per month.
Claude is best for analysts, lawyers, and researchers who live in documents.
5. Rasa + Open Source LLMs: Best for Enterprise-Grade Custom AI Agents
Rasa has been around for years building chatbots. Now with LLM integrations, you can use it to build Manus AI alternatives that are SOC 2 compliant, run on-prem, and support SSO and RBAC.
You define goals, give it tools, and Rasa’s dialogue engine + LLM handles the planning. It takes engineering work, but you get enterprise security that most Manus AI alternatives lack.
Rasa Open Source is free. Enterprise licenses vary and come with custom pricing. This option is best for companies with strict compliance needs.
6. Zapier Central: Best for Automating SaaS Workflows Without Code
Zapier Central is Zapier’s AI agent play. You train an AI bot on your docs, connect it to 6,000+ apps, and give it goals like “every Monday, pull new signups from Stripe, enrich with Clearbit, and draft a welcome email”.
It doesn’t have a visual browser like Manus. But for AI productivity tools that connect to your browser, CRM, and docs to work like a digital worker, it’s the fastest to deploy.
Zapier has a free pricing plan and three paid plans starting from $19.99/month.
Zapier Central works great for teams already on Zapier and who want apps like Manus AI for AI agents without new infrastructure.
7. Rework AI: Best Manus Alternative for Sales and Outreach
Rework AI trains agents specifically for revenue teams. Give it a lead list and it will research each company, find the right contact, write a personalized email, and log activity in your CRM.
Unlike Manus, it comes with prebuilt sales tools: email warmup, LinkedIn scraping, and deliverability checks. So it’s one of the sharpest AI tools to automate sales, marketing, and lead gen workflows.
Rework AI pricing starts at $999 per year for a maximum of five users.
8. Koala + KoalaChat: Best Manus AI Alternatives for Content Creators
You might not need a full agent. If your main job is content, Koala is a better fit. It’s one of the best AI writing tools for bloggers, marketers, and creators. You pick a keyword, and it researches SERPs, outlines, and writes SEO posts with real-time data.
KoalaChat adds a ChatGPT-like interface with web access. So you still get research ability, but tuned for publishing. While Manus executes. Koala creates. If you publish 10+ posts per month, Koala saves more time than a general agent.
Koala pricing plans start at $9/month. This is a perfect option for bloggers and niche site owners who want Manus alternatives that are better for content.
9. Mistral AI: Best Open-Weight LLM + Tool Use Combo
Mistral released “Agents” to let their open-weight models use tools, browse, and run code. Host it yourself with vLLM or use La Plateforme API. You get GPT-4 class reasoning with no data sent to OpenAI or Anthropic.
This is huge if you need open-source Manus alternatives like OpenManus or Suna but want a stronger base model. Pair Mistral Large with a browser tool and you have a private Manus-like setup.
Mistral AI has a free plan and paid plans starting at $14.99 per month.
10. Jasper AI: Best for Marketing Teams That Need Guardrails
Jasper isn’t an agent like Manus. It won’t book your flights. But for AI writing tools for blog posts, SEO content, and social media, Jasper is still the most team-friendly option.
You get brand voice, style guides, campaign workflows, and analytics. Plus new “Jasper Agents” can do light research and pull from your knowledge base. So it covers the content slice of what Manus does, with better collaboration.
Jasper AI pricing starts at $59 per month per seat.
Which Manus AI Alternative Is Best for Teams and Enterprise Use?
Rasa takes the top spot for security. You can deploy it on-prem, set role-based access, and pass SOC 2 audits. Zapier Central is easiest for non-technical teams because it plugs into tools you already use.
If you need browser automation plus enterprise controls, look at Suna’s Team plan or a custom OpenManus setup with your own guardrails. These are the strongest Manus alternatives that are better for teams and enterprise security.
Are Open-Source Manus Alternatives Like OpenManus or Suna Hard To Set Up?
OpenManus needs technical setup. Plan for Docker, Python, and API keys. If you’ve deployed web apps before, you’ll manage.
Suna is the opposite. Sign up and start typing tasks. No code needed. So the answer depends on your team. Developers pick OpenManus. Marketers pick Suna.
Both count as open-source Manus alternatives, though Suna’s core isn’t fully open yet.
Which Manus Alternatives Are Best for Content Creation vs Coding vs Workflow Automation?
Split it by job:
- Content creation: Koala, Jasper, ChatGPT. These are best Manus AI alternatives for content creators because they tune output for SEO and brand voice.
- Coding + technical tasks: OpenManus, Mistral Agents, Claude. You can inspect code, self-host, and control the stack.
- Workflow automation: Suna, Zapier Central, Rework AI. They connect to your CRM and run sales, marketing, and ops plays without you.
Pick the category that matches your week-to-week work. A general agent like Manus tries to do all three. Most Manus AI alternatives do one really well.
So, Which Tool Should You Actually Use?
Here’s my take after testing everything. If you want one clear winner, it depends on your goal.
For true Manus-style autonomy without the price tag, use Suna. You get a visual browser, no-code setup, and templates for real business work. It’s the closest thing to Manus for non-developers right now.
If you care about privacy and want to own the whole stack, choose OpenManus. You trade setup time for control. That matters if you handle client data or need to comply with internal policies.
And if your main output is content, skip agents entirely. Koala writes better SEO posts faster than any general agent, Manus included.
The point is you don’t have to stick with Manus. The best AI agent tools today give you options. Test two or three from this list. See which one fits your workflow. Most offer free plans, so your only cost is time.
You have the tools. Now go automate the boring stuff.
