Manus vs Openclaw

A side-by-side comparison of Manus and Openclaw to help you decide which tool is the better fit for your needs in 2026.

FeatureManusOpenclaw
Rating4/54.5/5
PricingInvite-only / Free betaFree (open source)
CategoryAI AgentAI Agent
Features5 listed6 listed
Manus logo

Manus

★★★★ 4/5AI Agent

Autonomous AI agent from China that went viral. Browses the web, writes code, and completes complex tasks end-to-end.

Pricing

Invite-only / Free beta

Key Features

  • Fully autonomous task execution with web browsing capability
  • Writes and runs code to complete complex workflows
  • Creates documents, spreadsheets, and presentations autonomously
  • Multi-step reasoning with self-correction and retry logic
  • Deploys simple web apps and interacts with online services

Pros

  • +Handles complex multi-step tasks with minimal user intervention
  • +Combines browsing, coding, and document creation in one agent
  • +Free during beta period with impressive capabilities
  • +Clean interface showing real-time agent actions and reasoning

Cons

  • Invite-only access with long waitlists
  • Originated in China raising data privacy concerns for some users
  • Can be slow on complex tasks taking minutes to complete
Openclaw logo

Openclaw

★★★★½ 4.5/5AI Agent

Most popular open-source AI agent. Personal assistant that manages email, calendar, and tasks via WhatsApp/Telegram.

Pricing

Free (open source)

Key Features

  • Autonomous task execution via WhatsApp/Telegram
  • Voice and text interaction
  • Email and calendar management
  • Web browsing and research
  • Open source and self-hosted
  • Multi-LLM support (GPT, Claude, Gemini)

Pros

  • +Completely free and open source
  • +Runs locally for privacy
  • +Works with any chat app
  • +Active community (247K GitHub stars)

Cons

  • Requires technical setup
  • Still in early development
  • Can be unpredictable on complex tasks

The Verdict

Openclaw leads with a 4.5/5 rating vs Manus's 4/5. That said, ratings only tell part of the story — consider your workflow and requirements.