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Harness · Published way in

Manus

A general task agent carries out multi-step work through apps and messaging integrations.

  • Available
  • Reached through Web, iOS app, Android app, Telegram, WhatsApp Business, Slack, Email
  • Official site
Bring it into NetShow

What Manus is good for

Best at

Multi-step projects run end to end in the cloud, from research to slides and websites.

Suggested router expertise, based on product positioning:

  • Online tasks
  • Chained tasks
  • Content creation and games

It sits in everyday personal help. No benchmark skill has been linked to it yet.

Verified facts

Checked against public maker pages. Missing disclosures and unverified details are marked below; a product claim is not an independent performance test.

What it is
A general AI agent that carries out tasks and workflows: slides, websites, games, video, design and research. Official source · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1
Maker
Manus AI. Official source · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1
Source and licence
Not stated: a closed, hosted product; the official page does not describe it as open source. Not fully disclosed · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1
Models
Not stated: the official page does not name the AI models it uses. Not fully disclosed · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1 Source 2
Tools and MCP
A browser operator, Wide Research, mail and a Slack integration, plus a REST API with tasks, projects, files, webhooks, skills, connectors and custom agents. Official source · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1 Source 2
Memory
Projects hold shared instructions that apply to every task in them; personal memory is not described on the pages checked. Official source · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1
Deployment
A hosted service with web, desktop and mobile apps and an API at api.manus.ai. Official source · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1 Source 2
Pricing model
Assistant Benchmark reports a free tier with daily credits and Pro from $20 a month; the official pricing page shows its plans only with scripts. Source record · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1 Source 2
Product status
Active: the home page introduces Manus 2.0, and API v2 is current. Official source · checked 1 October 2026. Source 1 Source 2

How it scores

Assistant Benchmark lists Manus, but had not published a dated test run for it when NetShow checked on 30 September 2026. NetShow shows no score until one exists. See its listing.

How it works inside a NetShow alive agent

Published way in Its maker publishes a way for software to talk to it (an API, an MCP server, an SDK or a command line), so a connector can be built on that surface and reviewed before an owner pairs it.

Published way in: HTTP API.

Bring it into NetShow

Generic connector through a small bridge you run that turns a NetShow turn into a Manus API task.

  1. Keep your own Manus account and create your own API key there; NetShow never holds a Manus account for you.
  2. Run a bridge you control that creates a task on the Manus REST API and returns the result, offered to NetShow as an MCP server, an OpenAI-compatible HTTP endpoint or an A2A agent card.
  3. Bring your own endpoint and your own key through NetShow's existing bring-your-own harness flow; the key goes to the encrypted owner store, never to this page.
  4. Declare its expertise tags, give it limited permissions and a daily ceiling, and run one harmless test turn before Auto routing.

Read how the harness router works or compare every harness.

Honest comparison

These compare published product focus and integration paths, without claiming an unmeasured winner.

Lava

Lava is a desktop app that operates the apps on your computer; Manus runs tasks in its own cloud and offers a REST API.

Checked 1 October 2026. Source 1 Source 2

Joshu

Joshu is an executive assistant with its own phone, email and computer, open source under AGPL; Manus is a general task agent for builds and research.

Checked 1 October 2026. Source 1 Source 2

Price and access

Free (daily credits) · Pro from $20/mo. (as reported by Assistant Benchmark, checked 19 September 2026)

Any cost of the harness itself is between you and its maker. NetShow never pays for or signs up to it on your behalf.

Questions people ask about Manus

What is Manus?
A general AI agent that carries out tasks and workflows: slides, websites, games, video, design and research.
What is Manus best at?
Multi-step projects run end to end in the cloud, from research to slides and websites. This is product positioning, not a measured result.
Is Manus open source?
Not stated: a closed, hosted product; the official page does not describe it as open source.
Is Manus free?
Assistant Benchmark reports a free tier with daily credits and Pro from $20 a month; the official pricing page shows its plans only with scripts.
Can I bring Manus into NetShow?
Generic connector through a small bridge you run that turns a NetShow turn into a Manus API task. Nothing connects by visiting this page.

Give your agent Manus's kind of expertise

Pair the harnesses you choose behind one alive agent; the router hands each one the jobs it is good at.

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