# A free, open-source Manus alternative you can self-host

> Manus charges by credits, but "free" can mean a trial that runs out or code you run yourself and keep. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System, free to self-host, or start on Kortix Cloud. Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project.

URL: https://manus-alternative.com/free-manus-alternative

## What "free" buys you, option by option

How each option charges, where its configuration lives, and what stays yours.

| | Kortix (recommended) | Manus | OpenManus | AgenticSeek |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Free to self-host | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| What free means | Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project | Task credits; current plans on its pricing page | Free to run; you pay the model provider | Free to run on your own hardware |
| Where configuration lives | Files in a git repo you own | In the Manus workspace | config.toml on your machine | config.ini on your machine |
| Model choice | Any provider, your own keys | Managed models, or your key with Flex | Provider set in config.toml | Local models; cloud API optional |
| Review of work | A change request a person merges | Work products inside the Manus app | Terminal output from your run | Local session output |

## What you own when it is free

`terminal`

```sh
# one Docker Compose stack on your own machine
curl -fsSL https://kortix.com/install | bash
kortix self-host start
kortix self-host status
```

Source: https://kortix.com/self-hosted

The self-host path from Kortix's own docs runs the whole stack on your own machine.

## How Manus bills, and what "free" really means

Manus runs on credits. Its Flex announcement says a task spends Manus credits for the services and infrastructure it uses, and that model inference is billed by the provider once you bring your own key ([Manus Flex](https://manus.im/blog/introducing-manus-flex)). Plan names and credit amounts sit on the Manus pricing page, and they change, so read them there (checked October 2026). Free credits inside a hosted product are a way to try that product; they are not code you run and keep.

A free self-hosted agent is a different offer. You install it, connect a model you pay for, and the configuration lives on your machines. Kortix, OpenManus and AgenticSeek each take that shape, and that is the difference a generic "free Manus alternative" list blurs.

## The three free paths, and who each fits

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System. It is free to self-host. Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project (Kortix pricing page, checked October 2026). It fits a team that wants finished work with a person reviewing it: agents run on [self-host](/self-host) or Kortix Cloud, the configuration sits in one git repo you own, and every session ends as a change request.

OpenManus fits a developer who wants a general agent framework to build on. It is a Python project you clone and run, you set the provider and model in `config.toml`, and it starts a browser tool as a default MCP server ([OpenManus](https://github.com/FoundationAgents/OpenManus)). The framework is free; you pay the model provider you configure.

AgenticSeek fits a person who wants the work to stay on their own hardware. It runs local reasoning models, browses the web and writes code without sending data to a cloud, and it needs a GPU able to run a 14B model ([AgenticSeek](https://github.com/Fosowl/agenticSeek)). There is no subscription, and the cost is your own electricity and hardware.

Manus still fits a team that wants a hosted product with no setup. It manages the model, the harness and the infrastructure, so a team can skip the setup work.

## What open source gives a team

Open source means the code can be read, forked and audited, and the configuration can live in a repo you control. That matters most for the two questions a buyer asks first: where the data sits and who can change how the agent behaves. A self-hosted option answers both, because the files are yours and the model call goes to a provider you chose. If you are still weighing the whole field, the [Manus alternatives](/manus-alternatives) page maps it, and the [Manus pricing](/manus-pricing) page covers what Manus charges.

## Price and ownership questions

What "free" covers, and what it does not.

### Is Manus free?

Manus runs on credits, and its Flex announcement says a task spends them for the services and infrastructure it uses. Check the Manus pricing page for the current plans and credit amounts, since they change.

### Is there a free open-source alternative to Manus?

Yes. Kortix is free to self-host, OpenManus is a free framework you run yourself, and AgenticSeek runs on your own hardware. Each is free to run; you still pay for a model or for your own compute.

### Is Kortix free to self-host?

Yes. Self-host is free. Free is $0 with 200 credits per month and 1 project. The team plan is $40 per seat per month with 2,500 credits per month per seat, pooled.

### Do free options keep my data?

A self-hosted option keeps the configuration and the work product on storage you control. A hosted product keeps the workspace on its side, so read its terms. Kortix sends model calls only to the provider whose key you configured.

### What does free to self-host actually cost me?

No subscription. You run one Docker Compose stack on your own machine, so you pay for that machine and for the model provider you connect. A self-hosted Kortix has no managed model lineup to buy.

## Start on the open-source AI Operating System

Free to self-host, or start on Kortix Cloud.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem