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Manus Alternative

Manus vs AutoGPT: which open source agent fits your team

Kortix is open source, and the choice between AutoGPT and Manus comes down to where the agent runs and who runs it: AutoGPT is a large open-source project with a paid hosted tier and a free self-host path, while Manus is a managed cloud agent with no self-host.

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Kortix, Manus and AutoGPT, side by side

Kortix is the recommendation; the Manus and AutoGPT columns state what each one documents, checked October 2026.

Open source

  • KortixYes. Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it.
  • ManusNo. A hosted product you sign in to.
  • AutoGPTYes. The GitHub project is open source; the hosted Platform is paid.

Self-host

  • KortixSelf-host is free; Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or on-prem.
  • ManusNone; runs in Manus's cloud only.
  • AutoGPTSelf-host on your own infrastructure, or run the managed Platform.

Model choice and keys

  • KortixAny model provider with your own keys.
  • ManusFlex brings OpenRouter, Fireworks or Modal; agent infrastructure uses Manus credits.
  • AutoGPTBuilt-in models on the Platform; self-host brings your own keys.

How you build an agent

  • KortixAgents, skills and memory as files in one git repo.
  • ManusDescribe the task; Manus plans and executes it.
  • AutoGPTDescribe the outcome, or shape each step in a visual builder.

Cost shape

  • KortixSelf-host is free; the team plan is $40 per seat per month.
  • ManusPaid plans; BYOK inference billed by the provider, runs use credits.
  • AutoGPTSelf-host is the free path; the Platform is paid and usage-based.

The company as files in one repo

kortix.yaml
# kortix.yamlagents:  support-triage:    file: agents/support-triage.md # what it does, in plain markdown    connectors: all # what it may reach triggers:  - slug: daily-digest    type: cron    cron: '0 0 9 * * 1-5'    prompt: Summarize yesterday's support tickets and open a change request with the digest.
Source: https://github.com/kortix-ai/suna

From the Kortix README: an agent and its scheduled trigger sit in kortix.yaml, files a reviewer reads and diffs.

AutoGPT, Manus and Kortix: how to choose

AutoGPT and Manus get weighed against each other because both promise finished work from a short instruction, and they arrive there differently. AutoGPT is an open-source project, with 185,000+ GitHub stars (checked October 2026), that you either self-host or use as a managed service. Manus is a managed service with no version you host. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System a whole team owns and deploys.

AutoGPT gives you a visual builder, a marketplace of ready-made agents and connections to 45+ platforms. The hosted Platform is a paid service with usage-based agent runs, and self-hosting is the free path where you provide the infrastructure and the model keys. It fits a team that wants to shape a workflow on a canvas or start from a template, then run it on its own machines or on AutoGPT's.

Manus fits the handoff case. You describe a goal, and it plans and executes the steps in Manus's cloud, returning a finished deliverable such as a report, a deck or a site. Manus Flex lets you power it with an inference key from OpenRouter, Fireworks or Modal, while the other services a task uses still consume Manus credits. There is no self-host path.

Kortix takes the third position: the system a company owns. Your agents, their skills, your company memory and every connector are files in one git repo you own. Each session runs on its own cloud computer and branch, and session work reaches main through a change request a person approves, because merge is default-deny for agents. Any model provider works with your own keys, or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for. Run it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network, and self-host is free. The team plan is $40 per seat per month, from Kortix.

Two pages help narrow it down: open-source Manus alternatives covers the wider field, and Kortix vs Manus goes deeper on the hosted-versus-owned split. To see the configuration for yourself, Read the docs.

AutoGPT and Manus, answered

  1. Is AutoGPT better than Manus?

    They suit different setups. AutoGPT is an open-source project you self-host or use as a paid hosted Platform; Manus is a managed cloud agent you sign in to, with no self-host. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System a team owns and deploys.

  2. Is AutoGPT free?

    Self-hosting is the free path: you provide the infrastructure and the model keys. The hosted Platform is a paid service with usage-based agent runs. Both paths use the same repository.

  3. What is the closest open-source Manus alternative?

    Kortix is the closest in scope: open source, with agents, skills, memory and connectors in one git repo you own, self-hosted or managed. AutoGPT and OpenManus are open-source alternatives you build and run yourself.

  4. How does each one handle review of the work?

    Kortix puts a gate on every change: session work reaches main through a change request a person approves, and merge is default-deny for agents. AutoGPT runs its workflows on a schedule or a trigger, and Manus returns results in its app.

Own the agent layer

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: one git repo for your agents, skills, memory and connectors.

Try KortixSee the alternatives

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