Self-host an open-source Manus alternative
Manus runs only in Manus's cloud, so there is no Manus you can self-host. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System you run yourself: the full platform as one Docker Compose stack on your own server, with a sandbox and a branch per session.
Self-host Kortix in three commands.
Bootstrap a bare Linux server, or install the CLI by hand.
Bootstrap
$ curl -fsSL https://github.com/kortix-ai/suna/raw/dev/scripts/kortix-selfhost-up.sh \| bash -s -- --domain kortix.example.com --email ops@example.comInstall by hand
$ curl -fsSL https://kortix.com/install | bash$ kortix self-host init --domain kortix.example.com --admin-email you@example.com$ kortix self-host startCheck the instance
$ kortix self-host configure$ kortix self-host start$ kortix self-host doctorWhat you run when you self-host Kortix.
Every layer a team keeps on its own infrastructure, plus the models it points them at.
- The whole platform on a server you control
- kortix self-host installs, configures and updates the full platform as one Docker Compose stack.
- Agents and skills are files you own
- Your agents, their connectors and their schedules live in kortix.yaml and Markdown files, versioned and diffable.
- Every session runs on its own cloud computer
- A session clones the repo, works on its own branch, and runs on its own isolated machine.
- Work reaches main through a change request
- Merge is default-deny for agents, so a person reads the diff before it lands.
- Connect your own model keys
- A self-hosted instance has no managed models, so you connect your own provider keys.
~/.config/kortix/self-host/default/docker-compose.yml.envCaddyfileupdater.sh# kortix.yamlagents: support-triage: file: agents/support-triage.md connectors: all$ kortix sessions new --prompt "Summarize this week's commits and open a change request"$ kortix cr lsproject (git repo + kortix.yaml)└─ session ──> cloud computer: an isolated sandbox on a branch named after the session└─ the OpenCode agent works└─ change request ──> you review & merge ──> main$ kortix providers set anthropic$ kortix providers set openai sk-...$ kortix providers lsBuilt to survive a security review, not slip past one.
One isolated sandbox per session, per-resource permissions, and an audit trail on your own infrastructure.
- SOC 2Type I
- SOC 2Type IIIn progress
- SAML 2.0SSO
- SCIM 2.0
- Audit log
What "self-host Manus" really means
There is no self-hosted Manus. Manus is a hosted general agent that runs in Manus's own cloud: you sign in, state a goal, and it plans and executes the steps (Manus documentation). The question behind "self-host Manus" is really which agent platform you can run on your own infrastructure and keep. For Kortix, the answer is one Docker Compose stack on a server you control.
Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System. Your agents, their skills, your company memory and every connector live in one git repo you own, and every session runs on its own cloud computer. You can read the source on Kortix on GitHub.
What runs on your server
A self-hosted Kortix is the full platform on a server you control: one Docker Compose stack that the kortix self-host CLI installs, configures and updates (Kortix). The web app, the REST API, the LLM gateway and the database all run on that box. The first run asks for your admin email, a sandbox provider key and a preview domain, and it asks for no model key.
What stays off the server, by design
Two parts stay off the box. Every session runs on a cloud sandbox provider such as Daytona, Platinum or E2B, created with your provider key, and the sandbox calls back to your instance's public API URL. Model inference runs wherever you point it, because a self-hosted instance has no managed models: you connect your own provider keys.
What to have ready before the first start
Self-hosting needs a Linux server with a public IP, DNS records for your domain and its API subdomain, ports 80 and 443 open, a sandbox provider key, and a model provider key added after the first sign-in. Run kortix self-host doctor and fix every failing check before you invite the team. The kortix self-host start command pulls images from docker.io, so the instance must be reachable for the sandbox to call back.
Why a team self-hosts instead of renting an agent
When agents do real work, the configuration becomes an asset. With Kortix that asset is a repo: agents and skills are Markdown, memory is files, and connectors and triggers are declared in kortix.yaml. Session work reaches main through a change request. Merge is default-deny for agents. Self-host is free, and you pay only your own compute and model bills. For the wider field of open-source agents, the Kortix blog compares them, and Kortix covers how to choose a platform your team can own.
Self-hosting questions
- Q1
Can you self-host Manus?
No. Manus is a hosted agent that runs in Manus's cloud and publishes no self-host path. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System you can run on your own server instead.
- Q2
What do you need to self-host Kortix?
A Linux server with a public IP, DNS for the domain and its API subdomain, ports 80 and 443 open, a sandbox provider key, and a model provider key. One bootstrap script installs the CLI and starts the stack.
- Q3
Where does the data live when Kortix is self-hosted?
The platform, its API and its database run on your server. Sessions run on the sandbox provider you connect, and inference runs on the model providers you point it at.
- Q4
Is self-hosting free?
Self-host is free. You pay your own server, sandbox compute and model bills.
- Q5
Can a self-hosted Kortix use a subscription instead of an API key?
Yes. Any model provider with your own keys. Or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for. Or sign in with your OpenCode Console account for OpenCode Zen and Go.