Manus vs Serif
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Manus has the lower starting price: about $20 a month, against $30 for Serif.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Cloud virtual computer
- Web browsing and code execution
- Scheduled tasks
- App connectors
- Desktop mode
- Document collection and follow-up
- Email triage and drafting
- Policy-based replies
- Human escalation
- Meeting recorder and knowledge base
| Feature | Manus | Serif |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | General-purpose AI agent that works in its own cloud computer | AI agents that handle email, document collection and follow-ups |
| Category | Agents & automation | Agents & automation |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free trial |
| Starting price | $20/mo | $30/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No, 7-day trial |
| Made by | Butterfly Effect | Serif |
| Based in | Singapore | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Manus has the lower starting price: about $20 a month, against $30 for Serif.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
5 plans
Free
Free
- 300 credits a day
- Up to 1,500 credits a month
Pro
$20/mo
- 4,000 credits per month
- 20 concurrent tasks
Pro 8K
$40/mo
- 8,000 credits per month
- Adjustable up to 20,000 credits
Pro 40K
$200/mo
- 40,000 credits per month
- Adjustable up to 5M credits
Team
$20/mo
- Per seat, starting price
- Shared credit tiers
5 plans
Lite
$30/mo
- Email triage and drafting
- Meeting recorder
- Task manager and knowledge base
Standard
$50/mo
- 5x Lite usage
- True Voice replies
Team
$50/mo
- Per user
- Pooled usage
- Shared playbooks
- Priority support
Pro
$200/mo
- 20x Lite usage
- Dedicated support
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Custom AI models
- SSO, SCIM and RBAC
- Custom data retention
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Manus
- Handles long multi-step tasks alone
- Keeps working after you close it
- Produces finished files and sites
- Credit use is hard to predict
- Long tasks can fail midway
- Data runs on its cloud machines
Serif
- Keeps chasing until files are complete
- Escalates unclear cases to people
- Strong security credentials
- Usage limits tied to plan tier
- Pro tier costs $200 a month
- Needs time to train on your workflows
Which one should you choose?
Choose Manus if you want:
- Handles long multi-step tasks alone
- Keeps working after you close it
- Produces finished files and sites
Watch out: credit use is hard to predict.
Choose Serif if you want:
- Keeps chasing until files are complete
- Escalates unclear cases to people
- Strong security credentials
Watch out: usage limits tied to plan tier.
Manus vs Serif FAQ
What is the difference between Manus and Serif?
Manus: General-purpose AI agent that works in its own cloud computer. Serif: AI agents that handle email, document collection and follow-ups. Both are agents & automation tools.
Is Manus or Serif cheaper?
Manus has the lower starting price: about $20 a month, against $30 for Serif.
Do Manus and Serif have free plans?
Manus: Yes. Serif: No, 7-day trial.
Who makes Manus?
Manus is made by Butterfly Effect, based in Singapore.
Who makes Serif?
Serif is made by Serif.
Which should I choose, Manus or Serif?
Choose Manus if you value handles long multi-step tasks alone and keeps working after you close it. Choose Serif if you value keeps chasing until files are complete and escalates unclear cases to people.