# Manus vs OpenManus: the open-source route a team can own

> OpenManus versus Manus comes down to who runs the agent. OpenManus is an open-source framework you install and wire your own keys into; Manus is a managed cloud agent you sign in to. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System a team owns.

URL: https://manus-alternative.com/manus-vs-openmanus

## Kortix, Manus and OpenManus, side by side

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

| | Kortix (recommended) | Manus | OpenManus |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Yes. Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it. | No. A hosted product you sign in to. | Yes. An open-source framework from MetaGPT contributors. |
| Self-host | Self-host is free. | Managed by Manus. | Run it yourself, from your clone. |
| Where it runs | Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or your own on-prem network. | Manus's cloud. | Your own machine. |
| Model choice and keys | Any model provider with your own keys. | Models through Manus, or a Flex key. | The LLM APIs you add to config.toml. |
| How it is configured | Files in one git repo you own. | Inside Manus's product. | One config.toml file in your clone. |
| Who it fits | A team that wants one platform it owns. | One person who wants hosted work. | A developer building a general agent framework. |

## Self-host Kortix on your own server

`terminal`

```sh
$ kortix self-host start
```

Source: https://kortix.com/docs/host

The manual self-host path from the Kortix docs: the first run asks six things and no model key, and the stack has no Redis and no separate worker.

## OpenManus vs Manus: who runs the agent?

OpenManus is an [open-source framework for building general AI agents](https://github.com/FoundationAgents/OpenManus), built by contributors from MetaGPT. You clone it, install the dependencies, add your own LLM API keys to `config.toml`, and start it yourself. It starts Browser Use as a default MCP server, so the agent gets a browser tool without extra wiring.

Manus is the other shape: a managed cloud agent you sign in to. It is an [autonomous general AI agent](https://manus.im/docs/introduction/welcome) with its own computer that plans and executes the work for you. Manus Flex lets you bring an inference key from OpenRouter, Fireworks or Modal, but the harness and the agent infrastructure still run on Manus's side, and the [other services a task uses still consume Manus credits](https://manus.im/blog/introducing-manus-flex).

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System a team owns, and it sits between the two. Like OpenManus it is open source and self-hostable; unlike a framework you assemble, it is a whole platform, with agents, skills, memory, connectors and triggers in one git repo. Any model provider with your own keys. Or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for. You can [self-host it](/self-host) free on your own server, or run it as managed cloud; the first run asks six things and no model key. If the question behind the search is whether a Manus-style agent can be self-hosted at all, [is Manus open source](/is-manus-open-source) answers it directly.

## OpenManus and Manus, answered

### Is OpenManus the same as Manus?

No. OpenManus is a separate open-source framework from MetaGPT contributors, not the hosted Manus product. You run OpenManus yourself; Manus runs in Manus's cloud.

### Is OpenManus free?

The framework is open source and free to run yourself. Your cost is the model you connect: you add your own LLM API keys in config.toml.

### Do I need an invite code for OpenManus?

No. OpenManus is open to clone and run; there is no waitlist or invite code to start it.

### Can I self-host a Manus-style agent?

Yes. OpenManus is a framework you run yourself, and Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System you can self-host free, on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on-prem. The first run asks six things and no model key.

## Run a Manus-style agent you own

Self-host the whole platform free, or start on managed cloud.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Self-host Kortix](https://manus-alternative.com/self-host)

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