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5 best Manus alternatives compared
The main Manus alternatives are ShiftHands, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, Lindy and Squad.so. They split three ways: agents hosted on your own Mac, open-source runtimes you configure yourself, or hosted AI teammates for business work. Start by deciding what you are replacing: Manus's finished-task workflow, its cloud infrastructure, its credits or its creative tools.
Engine disclosure: ShiftHands uses open-source Hermes Agent software by Nous Research under the MIT License. ShiftHands is a separate product that provides its own Mac app, project-based workspace and browser/phone interface. ShiftHands is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nous Research.
See it working
See ShiftHands working. Agents type, browse and report back.
Click through the real app: projects down the side, a chat per agent, automations that report back, and a browser you can take over. The agents do the typing.
Recorded in the ShiftHands demo workspace.
Virtual Environment
Your AI team, in a 3D office.
Every ShiftHands plan, Free included, comes with the Virtual Environment: a 3D office in the app where your agents work at their desks, grouped by project. Walk over, pull up a chair, and watch your crew get it done.
Your boss desk
Sit down to see every project and every agent at a glance, and chat with anyone without leaving your chair.
Watch your agents work
Every agent has a desk in its project area. Agents running an automation head to the Automations room. Walk up to any agent and chat.
- Free and Pro
- No extra AI usage for the 3D view
- Mac app and web, including phone browsers
Rendered in the ShiftHands demo workspace with made-up names. Open the Virtual Environment from the sidebar or from Chief of Staff in the app. Agents still run on your Mac and use your connected AI accounts.
The product you are replacing
Manus at a glance
Manus describes itself as an autonomous general AI agent that completes tasks and delivers results. It is not a simple cloud chatbot: Manus 2.0 combines a cloud sandbox, a desktop app, creative tools and event-driven automations.
Sources: Manus pricing, Manus 2.0 announcement, Manus desktop, Manus automations, Manus Flex, Manus plans documentation, read October 13, 2026.
- Manus sandbox
- Each task gets an isolated virtual computer with internet access, tools and its own file system.
- Manus Studio / My Computer
- The desktop app for macOS (Apple silicon) and Windows. It works with local folders you approve, and each local command asks for your approval.
- Cloud Computer
- An optional paid, dedicated environment for longer-running projects and services, such as multiplayer games.
- Creative outputs
- Research, documents, spreadsheets, slides, websites, code, games and video, including a Video Editor timeline.
- Automations
- Scheduled tasks and event triggers from apps such as Gmail, Outlook, GitHub, Shopify, Slack and Notion. Work that sends or publishes can require approval.
- Browser Operator and Cue
- Browser Operator is an extension that lets Manus act in your own signed-in browser. Cue is a separate personal-agent app for phone and desktop, in invite-code early access.
- Manus Flex
- Connect your own API key from a supported inference provider. Model inference is billed by that provider; other Manus services still use credits.
- Pricing
- Paid plans from $20 a month: $20 (4,000 credits), $40 (8,000) and $200 (40,000), each with 300 refresh credits a day, 20 concurrent and 20 scheduled tasks. Manus documents a limited free plan. Team and Enterprise are separate.
Best Manus alternatives
Each option suits a different use case, and each card names its main trade-off. The list is not an overall ranking; ShiftHands is our product.
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ShiftHandsProject agents on your Mac with phone supervision
Our productShiftHands incorporates Hermes Agent technology within its Mac-based workspace. It does not expose every standalone Hermes Agent feature. It suits buyers who want persistent project chats and Mac-hosted agents rather than Manus as their main task workspace.
- Where it runs
- On your own Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer, macOS 13 or later), through the ShiftHands Mac app.
- Best fit
- People who keep each project's agents in one place, with their own chats, history and model, and check in from a phone browser.
- Difference from Manus
- Agents work on your Mac under your own model accounts: Claude through Claude Code, ChatGPT through Codex, or an API key for DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi or Qwen. There are no ShiftHands credits.
- Pricing
- Free at $0: 10 agent messages a day, 1 project, 3 agents and 2 daily automations. Pro is advertised at $49.99 a month; checkout is not live yet.
Trade-off No video, game or website-building studio. It needs an Apple-silicon Mac that stays on with ShiftHands open, and browser control uses the separate free Ego Lite app.
Sources: ShiftHands download and ShiftHands pricing, checked October 13, 2026.
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OpenClawSelf-hosted agents across messaging apps
For buyers who want a configurable, persistent agent gateway they run themselves and reach through WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and other chat apps.
- Where it runs
- Your own computer (macOS, Linux or Windows) or a server, with the Gateway installed as a background service.
- Best fit
- Developers who want their assistant in the chat apps they already use, with the model of their choice.
- Difference from Manus
- Software you host and configure, with persistent memory, multi-agent routing, skills, cron jobs and webhooks. No managed sandbox or creative studio.
- Pricing
- Free, MIT-licensed software with no paid tier. Model and server costs are separate.
Trade-off You install, secure and maintain the Gateway yourself, and tools run on the host unless you configure sandboxing.
Sources: OpenClaw and OpenClaw documentation, checked October 13, 2026. More options: OpenClaw alternatives.
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Hermes AgentOpen-source agents with memory and skills
Hermes Agent is also the open-source software incorporated into ShiftHands. The standalone project provides direct runtime configuration, messaging gateways and execution options that ShiftHands does not necessarily expose. It suits buyers who want to control an open-source runtime.
- Where it runs
- Hermes Desktop for macOS and Windows, a terminal install on Linux, and local, Docker, SSH or cloud sandbox backends.
- Best fit
- Developers who want memory that learns their projects, self-written skills, custom models and scheduled jobs.
- Difference from Manus
- Open-source software you run and configure, reachable through Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal and email, instead of a managed task workspace.
- Pricing
- Free and MIT-licensed. Model costs are separate; Nous Portal is an optional paid plan for model and tool credits.
Trade-off You set up and maintain it yourself, and it has no built-in creative studio for video, games or websites.
Sources: Hermes Agent and platform support, checked October 13, 2026. More options: Hermes Agent alternatives.
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LindyAI teammates for connected business workflows
For buyers who care about Slack, email, iMessage, approvals and business integrations more than Manus's wider creative-production environment.
- Where it runs
- Lindy's hosted service.
- Best fit
- Teams that want an assistant in Slack threads, inboxes and meetings, with scheduled routines and 1,500+ integrations.
- Difference from Manus
- Built around business communication: inbox management, meeting notes and follow-ups, iMessage access and built-in approvals. You can pick a model per task.
- Pricing
- Free: $50 in credits for 7 days, no card required. Lindy's pricing page lists Team at $49.99 per active user a month for 5,000 credits; Enterprise is custom.
Trade-off Work is metered in credits, and every active user in the workspace is billed.
Source: Lindy pricing, checked October 13, 2026.
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Squad.soHosted AI teammates with a cloud computer
For buyers who want hosted, recurring business operations with specialist teammates, tickets, integrations and shared cloud execution.
- Where it runs
- A dedicated cloud computer for your squad, with a separate browser profile for each AI teammate.
- Best fit
- Business owners who want ongoing operations work done without running agent software.
- Difference from Manus
- A team of named teammates working from a ticket queue, with one-tap approvals, daily caps, a secret vault and 70+ integrations, rather than task-by-task delegation.
- Pricing
- $99 a month per squad, with your own AI plan billed separately. Optional inboxes are $10 a month each and human seats $9.
Trade-off A monthly fee on top of your AI plan, and the work runs on Squad's cloud computer.
Source: Squad.so pricing, checked October 13, 2026. More options: Squad.so alternatives.
Manus alternatives comparison
| Product | Where agents run | Interface and local access | Task workflows and outputs | Scheduling | Approvals and controls | Pricing and model access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manus | Tasks use Manus cloud sandboxes; Manus Studio can execute approved operations on your computer; optional dedicated Cloud Computer | Web, desktop and mobile apps; approved local folders; Browser Operator | Research, slides, websites, code, games and video | Scheduled tasks and event triggers | Approval for local commands and for automations that send or publish | From $20/month with credits; Flex uses your provider API key |
| ShiftHands | Your Apple-silicon Mac | Mac app plus any browser, including a phone; works on your Mac's files | Project chats with history; subagent teams | Automations post a result card; Free lists 2 daily | Flagged commands: Allow once or Deny from desk or phone; depends on agent settings | Free; Pro $49.99/month (checkout not live); your own model accounts |
| OpenClaw | Your computer or server | Chat apps, CLI, browser Control UI, desktop and mobile apps | Persistent memory, multi-agent routing, skills | Cron jobs and webhooks | Sender pairing, allowlists, optional sandboxing | Free, open source; your own model provider |
| Hermes Agent | Your computer, a server or a container | CLI, Hermes Desktop, chat apps | Persistent memory, self-written skills, subagents | Cron jobs | Command approval modes; sandbox backends | Free, open source; your own model provider |
| Lindy | Lindy's hosted service | Web, Slack, email and iMessage | Inbox, meetings, briefs, 40+ skills | Scheduled routines | Approvals built in | Free trial credits; Team $49.99 per active user/month; model choice per task |
| Squad.so | Squad's cloud computer | Web dashboard and connected apps | Named AI teammates, ticket queue, shared docs | Scheduled tasks | One-tap approvals and daily caps | $99/month plus your own AI plan |
Table entries come from each product's own pages, checked October 13, 2026. Prices and features can change.
When ShiftHands makes more sense than Manus
ShiftHands fits when you want a project workspace for agents on your own Mac, rather than a managed platform that delivers finished creative and research work.
ShiftHands
- You want agents grouped by project, each with its own persistent chat, history and model.
- You want the work to run on your Mac, and to follow it and approve flagged commands from a phone browser.
- You want to watch an agent use a browser, take control, and hand it back, through the free Ego Lite app.
- You want scheduled automations that post a result card back into the agent's chat.
- You want to start on a free plan with your existing Claude or ChatGPT sign-in, without buying credits. You still need the Mac and a model sign-in or API key.
To see what your Mac needs, read where ShiftHands agents run.
Manus
Manus may be the better fit if you want a general AI agent that delivers finished creative and research work from a managed environment. Manus supports research, presentations, websites, video and game creation, alongside scheduled and event-triggered automations.
Stay with Manus if you rely on Manus Studio, its browser and local-computer tools, connected applications or cloud infrastructure that can keep work running without your laptop. ShiftHands does not replace Manus' full creative-production suite, and its agents require an Apple-silicon Mac with ShiftHands running.
How to choose a Manus alternative
Task type
Finished slides, websites, video or games point to Manus. Ongoing project work, messaging or business operations point to the alternatives.
Hosting
Your own Mac (ShiftHands), your computer or server (OpenClaw, Hermes Agent), or a vendor's cloud (Lindy, Squad.so, and Manus's sandbox or Cloud Computer).
Local-file access
Manus Studio, ShiftHands, OpenClaw and Hermes Agent can work with files on your machine. Lindy and Squad.so work through connected apps.
Workflows
Compare how work arrives: one-off tasks, project chats, chat-app messages, inbox and Slack threads, or a ticket queue.
Credits and subscriptions
Manus and Lindy meter work in credits. Squad.so charges a flat fee on top of your AI plan. ShiftHands, OpenClaw and Hermes Agent use your own model accounts.
Model flexibility
Manus Flex and Lindy let you choose models in different ways. Check which providers each supports and who bills you for inference.
Availability
Some Manus features, such as the Cue app, are in early access. ShiftHands Pro checkout is not live yet.
Hardware
ShiftHands needs an Apple-silicon Mac that stays on. Manus Studio runs on macOS and Windows. Hosted options need no hardware of your own.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Manus alternative?
Yes. OpenClaw and Hermes Agent are free, open-source software, though you pay for model usage. ShiftHands has a Free plan with 10 agent messages a day, and Lindy offers $50 in free credits for 7 days. Manus documents a limited free plan of its own.
Can a Manus alternative run locally?
Yes. ShiftHands runs agents on your own Apple-silicon Mac, and OpenClaw and Hermes Agent run on your own computer or server. Manus itself can also work locally through Manus Studio.
Is there a Manus alternative for Windows?
ShiftHands is Mac-only and needs Apple silicon. Hermes Agent has a Windows desktop app, OpenClaw runs on Windows, and Lindy and Squad.so run in the browser. Manus Studio also supports Windows.
Which alternative can I use from my phone?
ShiftHands works from any phone browser. OpenClaw and Hermes Agent reach you through chat apps, and Lindy works over iMessage and Slack. Squad.so is managed from its web dashboard.
Do Manus alternatives use credits?
Lindy uses credits like Manus. Squad.so charges $99 a month plus your AI plan. ShiftHands, OpenClaw and Hermes Agent use your own model accounts or keys. Manus Flex also lets you bring a provider API key, while other Manus services still use credits.
Is there an open-source Manus alternative?
OpenClaw and Hermes Agent are both MIT-licensed open-source projects that you host yourself.
What do I lose by moving from Manus to ShiftHands?
You lose Manus's creative studio for video, games and websites, its managed cloud sandbox and its Cloud Computer. You gain project-based agents on your own Mac, using your own model accounts, and you need an Apple-silicon Mac that stays on.
Product names belong to their owners. ShiftHands is not affiliated with or endorsed by Manus, the OpenClaw Foundation, Nous Research, Lindy or Squad. Facts and prices were checked on each product's own site on October 13, 2026 and can change.