Compare · Prices checked October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026
Manus vs Perplexity (2026)
Published starting prices: Manus, $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly). Perplexity, Free; Pro $17/mo. Side-by-side public pricing, what each does, real use cases and who each suits, all from our listings with sources. We haven't tested either hands-on.
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Browser agents
Manus
A general-purpose agent that works on its own in a cloud computer: browsing, researching, and producing reports, slides and simple sites.
Subscription · 1 use case$20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly)
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ResearchFree tier
Perplexity
An AI answer engine with cited sources, deep research reports and 'Computer' tasks that build documents and apps.
SubscriptionFree; Pro $17/mo
Short answer: Manus vs Perplexity pricing
Comparing the lowest listed monthly plans: Manus 4,000 credits/mo: $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly; plus 300 refresh credits a day; 20 concurrent and 20 scheduled tasks), and Perplexity Pro: $17/mo (billed annually). Perplexity lists the lower one. Perplexity also has a free plan. Plans differ in what they include, and some are per seat or billed yearly, so compare the plan details. Checked October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026. Manus: no $0 plan on its pricing page (checked October 24, 2026). Perplexity: yes. Its Free plan is $0, checked October 29, 2026.
Pricing side by side
| Item |  Manus |  Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly) | Free; Pro $17/mo |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Plans |
|
|
| Pricing note | No free plan is shown on the pricing page; every paid plan adds 300 refresh credits a day. Plan cards have no names, so we label them by monthly credits. Annual billing saves about 17%. Manus's personal-agent app Cue is listed separately. | Monthly (non-annual) prices weren't shown on the page we captured. |
| Checked | October 24, 2026 | October 29, 2026 |
| Source | Vendor pricing page | Vendor pricing page |
Copied from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown. "not published" means the vendor doesn't publish it; we don't guess. Prices change; confirm with the vendor.
Features and details from our listings
| Item | Manus | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A general-purpose agent that works on its own in a cloud computer: browsing, researching, and producing reports, slides and simple sites. | An AI answer engine with cited sources, deep research reports and 'Computer' tasks that build documents and apps. |
| Made by | Manus | Perplexity |
| Listed under | Browser & computer-use agents, Research agents | Research agents |
| Jobs it fits |
|
|
| Verified public use cases | 1 | 0 |
Use cases
Manus
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Use caseResearch
A marketing consultant gave Manus three competitor URLs and asked it to find two more; about 18 minutes later it returned an 11-page analysis with positioning, public pricing and a comparison table.
Jun 2026AI Marketing Foundry
Perplexity
We haven't found a verified public use case for Perplexity yet.
Use cases are summarised in our own words from the linked public post; vendor case studies are labelled. All use cases.
Who each is best for
- Subscription
Manus is best for
- Teams that need to: Competitor and market research; Turn research into a report or slides.
- Budget: starts at $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly) (subscription).
- SubscriptionFree plan
Perplexity is best for
- Teams that need to: Quick cited answers; Deep research reports.
- Budget: starts at Free; Pro $17/mo (subscription, free plan available).
From our listing data (jobs, public pricing); not a hands-on test. Full details: Manus · Perplexity.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Manus or Perplexity?
Comparing the lowest listed monthly plans: Manus 4,000 credits/mo: $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly; plus 300 refresh credits a day; 20 concurrent and 20 scheduled tasks), and Perplexity Pro: $17/mo (billed annually). Perplexity lists the lower one. Perplexity also has a free plan. Plans differ in what they include, and some are per seat or billed yearly, so compare the plan details. Checked October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026.
Is Manus free? Is Perplexity free?
Manus: no $0 plan on its pricing page (checked October 24, 2026). Perplexity: yes. Its Free plan is $0, checked October 29, 2026.
How much does Manus cost?
Manus lists 4,000 credits/mo: $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly; plus 300 refresh credits a day; 20 concurrent and 20 scheduled tasks); 8,000 credits/mo: $40/mo ($34/mo billed yearly; credits adjustable up to 20,000/mo at higher prices); 40,000 credits/mo: $200/mo ($167/mo billed yearly; extended usage); Team / Enterprise: Contact sales (no price published). Its lowest listed monthly plan is 4,000 credits/mo: $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly; plus 300 refresh credits a day; 20 concurrent and 20 scheduled tasks). No free plan is shown on the pricing page; every paid plan adds 300 refresh credits a day. Plan cards have no names, so we label them by monthly credits. Annual billing saves about 17%. Manus's personal-agent app Cue is listed separately. Checked October 24, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.
How much does Perplexity cost?
Perplexity lists Free: $0; Pro: $17/mo (billed annually); Max: $167/mo (billed annually). Its lowest listed monthly plan is Pro: $17/mo (billed annually). Monthly (non-annual) prices weren't shown on the page we captured. Checked October 29, 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.
Did AITeamGuide test them?
Not hands-on. This comparison is built from each vendor's public pricing page (with the date we checked it), published product information and credited public use cases.
Can a vendor pay to win this comparison?
No. Nothing here is paid. Paid placements on AITeamGuide are always labelled "Sponsored" or "Featured" and never change a comparison or ranking.
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Work at Manus or Perplexity? Vendors can claim their listing for free or feature it with a label that says "Sponsored"; paid status never changes the order on this page. Building a different agent? List it here.
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