Abacus AI DeepAgent vs Manus (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Abacus AI DeepAgent if

• Fits if you want one subscription covering an agent plus several image and language models
• Works for people who want first drafts of slide decks and small apps from a prompt

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to try before paying, since there is no free plan or trial
• Tight if you pick Basic: 3 agent conversations a month, with unrestricted use only on Pro
• Not for you if you want to know what a credit buys, because the page does not say
• Watch out: the $7 first month applies to Basic only, then it renews at $10

Pick Manus if

• Fits if you want to hand over a research job and get a finished report back
• Works for teams that want one shared pot of credits and a view of who used what

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're staying free, with one task at a time, 2 scheduled tasks and only the Lite model for agent work
• Skip it if metered plans annoy you, because unused monthly credits don't roll over
• Not for you if you want a desktop app on Linux or an Intel Mac, as only Apple Silicon and Windows downloads are listed
• Watch out: the pricing page lists a 40,000-credit Pro tier, but the help center states prices only for the first two
• Pricey if you need SSO on a small team, at a flat $150 below 30 seats

Abacus AI DeepAgent

• Both plans run on monthly credits (20,000 on Basic, 30,000 on Pro); the pricing page does not say what a credit buys.
• Basic allows 3 AI Agent conversations a month; unrestricted agent use needs Pro at $20.
• The $7 first month applies to Basic only; the page does not state a free plan or a standard free trial.
• The pages read list no standalone iOS or Android app for the agent, so it is recorded as web only.

Manus

• Usage is metered in credits, and unused monthly credits do not roll over to the next cycle.
• Free accounts are limited to the Manus 2.0 Lite model in Agent Mode, 1 concurrent task and 1,500 daily-refresh credits a month.
• The pricing page lists Pro tiers of 4,000, 8,000 and 40,000 credits a month; the help center states prices only for the first two.
• The macOS desktop download is labeled for Apple Silicon, and no Linux app is listed.

Abacus AI DeepAgent

Apps from a prompt

The agent builds full-stack web apps and mobile apps from a text description, with hosting and a database listed on the product page.

Documents and slide decks

It writes reports and generates presentations and documents, including from its own research on a topic.

Agent swarms

Example tasks run several agents in parallel, such as reviewing recent pull requests or researching many companies at once, then merging the results.

Browser use and system connections

The agent can use a browser and connect to a user's systems to carry out tasks, according to the product page.

Many underlying models

A single subscription gives access to models from several providers, plus image and video generators, in one assistant.

Manus

Agent Mode

Tasks run in a cloud virtual machine that handles file operations, browser automation and code execution. Credits are consumed only while a task is actively processing.

Wide Research

Splits a large research job across many agents working in parallel and returns reports and datasets. The pricing page lists it among the paid Pro features.

Slides, websites and web apps

Generates slide decks from a prompt and builds full-stack web apps with a built-in database, backend and login, which can be deployed and connected to a custom domain.

Browser Operator

A Chrome extension that lets Manus work inside your own browser session, using your existing logins and open tabs once you grant it access.

Scheduled and concurrent tasks

Tasks can run on a schedule and side by side: 2 scheduled tasks and 1 concurrent task on the free plan, 20 of each on Pro.

Connectors and API

Connects to apps such as Gmail, Notion, Slack, Google Calendar and GitHub. A public API can create tasks, send follow-up messages and retrieve results.

Abacus AI DeepAgent

• ChatLLM Basic$10

  per user / month

  First month $7. 20,000 credits a month, 3 AI Agent conversations a month, the coding IDE and desktop listener.

• ChatLLM Pro$20

  per user / month

  Everything in Basic, with unrestricted use of the AI Agent and Coding Agent, complex tasks and 30,000 credits a month.

Manus

• Free$0

  300 daily refresh credits (1,500 a month at most), 1 concurrent task, 2 scheduled tasks, and only the Manus 2.0 Lite model in Agent Mode.

• ProFrom $20

  per month, billed monthly; 17% less when billed annually

  4,000 credits a month at $20 or 8,000 at $40, plus daily credits, 20 concurrent tasks, 20 scheduled tasks and all Manus 2.0 models.

• TeamFrom $20

  per seat / month, billed monthly; 17% less when billed annually

  Everything in Pro, plus a shared credit pool, usage analytics, access control and a training-data opt-out. SSO costs a flat $150 below 30 seats and is free from 30.

Abacus AI DeepAgent

• Other savings

  First month of Basic for $7

  New subscribers pay $7 for the first month of ChatLLM Basic instead of $10, then $10 a month.

Manus

• Annual discount

  Save 17% with annual billing

  The pricing page's billing toggle shows a 17% saving when Pro is billed annually, and the help center lists the same discount for the Team plan.

• Startups

  Manus for Startups: 6 months of Team

  Eligible startups get 6 months of the Team plan for up to 20 seats, which Manus values at $4,800. Open applications are paused; new ones come through partner VC referrals.