Comparison
APX vs Manus: A project crew or a general agent in the cloud?
Both handle research, recurring work, skills and chat channels. Manus is a hosted agent that turns a request into a finished deliverable such as a report, slides, a website or a video; APX keeps a named crew working on your projects from your own computer or server.
The short answer
Choose APX if…
- You want an ongoing crew for your projects, with distinct roles, a shared task board and work you can follow in one place.
- Agents hand off work; tasks keep their status, discussion and results.
- Desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux; Android app, web panel and terminal.
- MIT. Model and service usage can have separate costs.
Choose Manus if…
- You want a hosted agent that delivers finished research, slides, sites or videos from one request, with nothing to set up.
- A general AI agent that produces research, slides, websites, games, videos and other deliverables.
At a glance
Scroll the table to compare both products.
| What matters | APX [1] | Manus [2] |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | A team organized around projects, roles and tracked tasks.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ | A general AI agent that produces research, slides, websites, games, videos and other deliverables.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ |
| How you use it | Desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux; Android app, web panel and terminal.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗ | Web, desktop (macOS and Windows) and mobile apps; Slack, Telegram and an API.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗ |
| Where work runs | Your computer or a server you control. Model providers receive the prompts you send.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ | Tasks run in Manus' cloud sandboxes or a persistent Cloud Computer; My Computer runs approved commands in folders you authorize.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ |
| Working together | Agents hand off work; tasks keep their status, discussion and results.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ | Wide Research splits work across parallel agents; a task can be shared with up to 50 people; Team plan shares projects and skills.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗ |
| Context over time | Persistent memory, project context and reusable skills.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ | Projects with master instructions and a knowledge base; file-based skills you can save from a task, upload or import.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ |
| Recurring work and chats | Scheduled routines and connected chat channels, including Telegram and Discord.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ | Scheduled and event-triggered automations; Manus Agents in Telegram and Slack.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗ |
| Models and extensions | Model providers, Claude Code, Codex and ACP agents; MCP and skills.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗ | Manus' own model options; prebuilt MCP connectors such as Gmail, Notion and GitHub.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ |
| License and costs | MIT. Model and service usage can have separate costs.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ | Hosted subscription. Free with 300 daily credits; Pro from $20/month; Team from $20 per seat/month.Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗ |
With the models you already use
APX doesn't tie you to one model. Use your plan, an API or a local model, and give each agent the one that suits it.
- ChatGPTYour ChatGPT plan.
- ClaudeAnthropic's API, with your key.
- GeminiGoogle's Gemini API.
- Claude CodeIts sessions sit beside your chats.
- CodexIts sessions sit beside your chats.
- ACP agentsOpenCode, Qwen Code, goose and more.
- OpenAI-compatible APIsAnything that speaks that API.
- Local modelsOllama or LM Studio, with no key.
What makes the difference
Manus is built around the deliverable: you describe the outcome and its agent, sandbox and studio tools produce the file, site or video. It also offers projects, skills, automations, parallel agents and a desktop bridge to your own folders, so the difference is not memory or scheduling. APX runs the crew on hardware you control with the model providers you choose, while Manus runs tasks on its own service and bills them in credits.
Try it on real work
Ask both for the same weekly market brief delivered to Telegram. Compare the result, how you correct it the second week and what each run cost.
Sources and scope
Written by APX, using the primary sources below. This is a documented-feature comparison, not a hands-on benchmark or a security audit. Features, plans and terms can change. A missing detail is not a missing feature.
APX
Manus
- 01Manus home
- 02Introducing Manus 2.0
- 03Manus membership pricing (help center)
- 04Manus Team plan
- 05Manus resumes independent operations
- 06Manus Desktop and My Computer
- 07Manus Cloud Computer
- 08Manus Wide Research
- 09Manus Collab
- 10Manus Projects
- 11Manus Skills
- 12Manus automations
- 13Manus Agents in Telegram
- 14Manus Agents in Slack
- 15Manus MCP connectors
Product names and logos belong to their respective owners. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
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