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Most buyers should pick Manus.
For developers who want an agent to complete workflows across browsers, code and files, Manus is the more concrete option: it has published plans, integrations and platform coverage. Adept is a better fit for teams exploring its multimodal models or Adept Workflow Language, but enterprise access is quote-based. Neither is presented as a self-hostable agent platform. Before choosing either for production, confirm API and SDK access, usage limits, data export and workflow portability with the vendor.
01Side by side
| Manus | Adept | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Published monthly tiers: $20–$200 individual; $20/seat Team | Enterprise quote; prices and billing terms unpublished |
| Free tier | Free: 300 daily refresh credits, capped at 1,500 monthly | No free plan listed |
| Open source and licence | Proprietary agent platform | Fuyu-8B and Persimmon-8B model releases |
| Self-hosting | Cloud-hosted; no self-hosted option | Self-hosting not stated |
| Integrations | GitHub, Notion, Linear, Slack, MCP, Zapier MCP | No third-party integrations listed |
| Deployment model | Hosted agent across web, desktop and mobile | Adept Workflow Language runs on Adept models |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, browser extension | Web |
| Limits and scaling | Credit tiers; concurrency and automation caps published | Usage and seat limits unpublished |
Manus Choose Manus if
- Choose Manus if you need a hosted agent for multi-step digital workflows.
- Choose Manus if published credit tiers and concurrency caps matter.
- Choose Manus if GitHub, Slack, MCP or Zapier MCP fit your stack.
Adept Choose Adept if
- Choose Adept if you want to explore its multimodal model research.
- Choose Adept if Adept Workflow Language fits your workflow experiments.
- Choose Adept if you want to evaluate its open model releases.
02Pricing at real usage
Manus has a free plan with 300 daily refresh credits, capped at 1,500 monthly, one concurrent task, and two Scheduled Automations. Paid individual tiers list 4,000 credits for $20 monthly ($16.67 per month with annual billing), 8,000 for $40 ($33.33 annual equivalent), and 40,000 for $200 ($166.67 annual equivalent). The 40,000-credit tier adds a free Cloud Computer. Team costs $20 per seat monthly, or $16.60 with annual billing, and includes 4,000 pooled credits per seat. Adept has no free plan or trial listed; enterprise access is by custom quote. Adept publishes no prices or billing terms. Manus cost rises by credit tier or team seats, but its pricing does not give a fixed per-task rate. Adept’s quote leaves usage and seat limits to confirm with sales.
03API, SDKs and integration
Manus connects to GitHub, Notion, Linear and Slack, supports MCP connectors for custom server endpoints, and offers a Zapier MCP connector for more than 8,000 third-party applications. Its agent operates virtual browsers, writes and runs code, and manipulates files; the product is positioned as a workflow agent rather than a conventional API-first service. Adept describes Adept Workflow Language (AWL) as a custom language for composing multimodal web interactions on Adept’s models. The vendors do not publish API or SDK entry points, supported programming languages, or CLI details on their homepages. Adept’s homepage does not list third-party integrations. For either product, ask the vendor how to authenticate workloads, call the service from your application, handle errors and observe usage before building a production integration.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Manus is proprietary, cloud-hosted software, with no self-hosted option. Adept’s open-source releases are models, not a stated self-hostable agent stack: the company announced Fuyu-8B as open-sourced and Persimmon-8B as fully permissively licensed. Adept does not name the Fuyu-8B license on its homepage. Self-hosting is not stated for Adept. Neither vendor publishes data export instructions for these products, so confirm export formats, retention and deletion terms before relying on stored work. Expect migration to require rebuilding workflows around another agent or model if those workflows depend on Manus’s browser actions or Adept’s custom AWL; ask each vendor what artifacts and workflow definitions can be exported.
Questions people ask
What does Manus do best?
Manus is designed to plan and carry out multi-step digital workflows using virtual browsers, code and files. Its listed uses include app development, research, media creation and automation. Developers should treat it as a hosted agent that delivers finished work, not assume it provides a conventional API or a self-hosted runtime.
Can developers self-host Manus or Adept?
Manus is described as proprietary cloud-hosted software with no self-hosted option. Adept’s homepage describes its models and Adept Workflow Language, but does not state a self-hosting option. Ask Adept about deployment, and ask both vendors about data export and the ability to move workflows elsewhere.
Is Adept open source?
Adept has announced open model releases: Fuyu-8B and Persimmon-8B. Its homepage describes Persimmon-8B as fully permissively licensed, but does not name the Fuyu-8B license. Those releases do not establish that Adept’s agent product, workflow service or surrounding infrastructure is open source.
Which is better for developers building production workflows?
Manus is the more concrete choice if you need a hosted agent with published plans, platform support and integrations such as MCP. Adept may suit teams evaluating its models or AWL, but its enterprise pricing is quote-based. For either, verify API access, usage limits, operational support and export terms before committing.