You’ve probably seen the buzz around a new kind of AI that doesn’t just chat with you, but actually does things. These autonomous AI agents are supposed to take a simple request and run with it, turning it into a finished project. Manus AI is one of the big names popping up in this space, and the idea is pretty cool: an AI that can handle everything from research and writing to coding and design, all by itself.
But what’s it actually like to use? And is it the right tool for you or your business? This article is a straightforward, practical look at Manus AI. We’ll get into what it can do, who it’s best for, how much it costs, and some real limitations you need to be aware of, especially if you’re looking for automation you can count on at work.
What exactly is Manus AI?
At its core, Manus AI is a general-purpose AI agent. Basically, you give it a high-level goal, and it works on its own to figure out the smaller steps, then gets them done to deliver the final result. It’s less like a chatbot and more like a freelance assistant you can hire for a specific project.
It’s important to know that Manus AI isn’t a new language model like GPT-4. Instead, it’s an "agentic" layer that uses those powerful models to think, plan, and act. It hooks these models up to a set of tools and its own little computing world, which lets it do things like browse the web, write code, and create files. Developed by Monica and its parent company, BUTTERFLY EFFECT PTE. LTD., Manus AI is trying to connect the idea in your head (the "mind") with a finished product you can use (the "hand").
Key features and capabilities of Manus AI
To get a feel for where Manus AI shines, let’s look at what it does well. Its strengths are its independence and creative range, which leads to some pretty impressive results.
Autonomous task execution
One of the coolest things about Manus AI is that it works in the background. You can give it a big project, like "build an interactive website that teaches the basics of quantum physics," and then just close the app. Manus gets to work and pings you when it’s done. The process is pretty open, too. It looks at your prompt, makes a to-do list of all the subtasks it needs to handle, and checks them off one by one. It feels a lot more like handing off a task to a person than typing into a chat window.
Multi-modal content creation
Manus AI isn’t just a one-trick pony. It can pump out a surprisingly wide variety of content from a single request, which is great for creators who need to make a bunch of different things. From what users have shared and what the company advertises, it can tackle:
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Websites: It can spin up a live, interactive webpage from a document, some notes, or even just a vague idea.
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Slideshows: It can build entire presentations, complete with structured content and visuals, all based on a topic you give it.
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Images & Videos: It’s also able to generate visuals, from posters and infographics to short animated clips and concept art.
In-depth research and data analysis
Beyond just making stuff, Manus AI is also pretty good at digging into research. It can pull and combine information from different online sources to create detailed reports. In one review, a user gave it a 184-page curriculum document and asked it to build a training course. Manus managed to pull out the key requirements, teaching methods, and assessment rules to structure the final course, which shows it can get through some dense material.
Who is Manus AI really for? Ideal use cases
With all these skills, Manus AI is a fascinating tool, but it isn’t the right fit for every single problem. It really shines in a few key areas, mostly for individuals and one-off projects.
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Individuals and creators: If you’re a solo entrepreneur, artist, or content creator, Manus AI could save you a ton of time. It lets you produce a promotional webpage, a presentation, and social media graphics without having to become an expert in a dozen different apps.
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Researchers and students: It’s handy for tasks like putting together literature reviews, turning a research paper into a slideshow, or creating charts for academic projects. Its ability to process big documents and pull out the important bits is a huge help here.
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Rapid prototyping: A developer or product manager could use Manus to quickly mock up a website or app. It’s a fast way to turn an idea into something you can actually click on and share with others for feedback.
The common theme here is that Manus AI is at its best when you’re dealing with self-contained projects that need a mix of research, creativity, and a bit of technical work.
The limitations of a generalist: Where Manus AI falls short for business
This is where the dream of a do-it-all agent bumps up against the reality of running a business. While Manus AI is a powerful generalist, its approach has some major downsides for structured business needs.
A lack of specialized business integrations
Manus AI works in its own little world. It’s a powerful space, but it can’t connect to or do things inside the other systems you rely on, like your helpdesk, CRM, or internal wiki. For instance, you can’t ask Manus AI to find all recent Zendesk tickets tagged ‘billing_error’ and summarize them on a Confluence page. It just doesn’t have the keys to get in.
For any company, being able to connect to your existing tools is a must. Platforms like eesel AI are built with simple, one-click integrations that let AI agents work securely inside the software you already use, not as a separate, walled-off service.
A screenshot showing the variety of business apps eesel AI can integrate with, highlighting a key difference with Manus AI.The ‘black box’ problem and lack of control
Handing over the keys to a fully autonomous AI is a bit nerve-wracking in a professional setting. When it comes to talking to customers, one mistake can hurt your brand’s reputation. Reviews and tests show that Manus AI often needs a few tries and some human guidance to get a task just right. That back-and-forth is fine for a personal project, but it’s a non-starter for live customer support.
This is why having control over the rollout is so important. eesel AI handles this with a powerful simulation mode. It lets you test your AI setup on thousands of your own past support tickets, risk-free. You can see exactly how the AI will respond before it ever touches a real customer conversation. This lets you automate things gradually and with confidence.
The eesel AI simulation mode, demonstrating how businesses can test AI responses before deployment, a feature lacking in Manus AI.Learning from generic data vs. your business context
Manus AI gets its knowledge from the general internet and whatever documents you upload for a specific task. This means its answers don’t have the deep, specific context of your company, your brand voice, your internal policies, or the history of past customer issues. It’s like asking a random person on the street for your company’s return policy.
A truly helpful support agent needs to know your business inside and out. eesel AI is designed from day one to learn from your data. It trains on your past support tickets, help center articles, and internal knowledge bases to give answers that are accurate, on-brand, and actually helpful to your customers and employees.
A view of the eesel AI training interface, where the AI learns from a company's specific data, unlike the more generalist Manus AI.A closer look at pricing
Manus AI’s pricing is a mix of subscriptions and credits that you use up as the AI works. You can find the details in its mobile app listings.
This model can be tricky for businesses. The credit system means you don’t always know what your costs will be. As some users have noted, a single complex task can eat up a lot of credits, especially if you have to try a few times to get it right. This makes it hard to budget and can lead to some unpleasant surprises.
| Plan / Item | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Manus Basic | $19.00 / month | A monthly subscription for basic features. |
| Manus Plus | $39.00 / month | A monthly subscription for more advanced capabilities. |
| 1900 Manus Credits | $19.00 | A one-time purchase of credits consumed by AI tasks. |
This is quite different from the straightforward, predictable pricing of a platform like eesel AI, which offers clear monthly plans with no hidden fees per resolution. You know exactly what you’re paying, no matter how many tickets your support team handles.
A better alternative to Manus AI for support teams: eesel AI
When it comes to automating customer or internal support, a specialized tool will always beat a generalist. eesel AI is the better choice here because it was built specifically for this job.
Here’s why it’s a better fit:
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It’s actually built for support: It’s designed for customer service, IT support, and internal Q&A, with features that fit those workflows perfectly.
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It connects to everything you use: It works smoothly with your helpdesk, chat tools, and knowledge bases, operating right inside your existing setup.
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You’re in control: Features like simulation mode and selective automation give you total command over what gets automated and when.
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Predictable pricing: You get flat monthly fees that you can budget for, without worrying about per-ticket charges popping up.
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Surprisingly simple to set up: You can get it up and running in minutes, all on your own. No need for long sales calls or mandatory demos.
A workflow diagram showing how eesel AI automates customer support, providing a clear alternative to a generalist tool like Manus AI.Manus AI: A powerful tool for specific jobs
Manus AI is an impressive piece of technology that gives us a real peek into the future of general-purpose AI agents. If you’re an individual creator, researcher, or just someone working on a standalone project, it’s a fantastic tool that can speed things up and open new creative doors.
But for structured business tasks like customer support, its one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t cut it. The lack of integrations, the all-or-nothing autonomy, and the unpredictable pricing make it a tough sell for teams that need reliability, control, and deep knowledge of their own business. While generalist tools are exciting, companies see real results when they use specialized, integrated, and controllable AI designed for what they actually need.
Ready to see what an AI agent built for support can do for your team? Discover how eesel AI connects with your helpdesk, learns from your knowledge, and starts automating tickets safely in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Manus AI is a general-purpose AI agent that takes high-level goals and breaks them down into smaller tasks, executing them autonomously. It acts as an "agentic" layer, utilizing powerful language models to plan, act, and deliver finished projects without continuous human input.
Manus AI is capable of multi-modal content creation, including generating live websites, structured slideshow presentations, and various visuals like posters, infographics, and short animated clips, all from a single request. It handles a wide range of creative and technical tasks.
Manus AI is ideally suited for individuals, solo entrepreneurs, content creators, researchers, students, and those needing rapid prototyping. It excels in self-contained projects that require a mix of research, creativity, and some technical work.
For businesses, Manus AI lacks specialized integrations with existing systems like CRMs or helpdesks, making it operate in isolation. It also presents a "black box" problem with less control over its actions and learns from generic data rather than specific business context.
The pricing for Manus AI combines monthly subscriptions with a credit-based system, where credits are consumed as the AI performs tasks. This model can lead to unpredictable costs for businesses, making budgeting difficult, especially for complex or iterative projects.
Manus AI operates largely within its own environment and generally lacks the capability to integrate with or perform actions inside existing business tools like helpdesks, CRM systems, or internal wikis. This limits its utility for interconnected business workflows.
