n8n vs Manus: Which AI agent is better?
Compare pricing, AI models, integrations, security posture, pros, cons, and buyer fit before choosing the right AI productivity agent for your workflow.
Verdict: n8n vs Manus
Pick n8n if you need open-source workflow automation alternative to zapier with native ai agents. Pick Manus if you need general-purpose autonomous ai agent for complex multi-step tasks.
n8n wins on price.
Manus supports 3 models.
n8n integrates with 12 platforms.
n8n
n8n is a fair-code workflow automation platform that has emerged as the open-source go-to for technical teams who want Zapier-style automation but need self-hosted deployment, source-available code, a...
- 600+ pre-built integrations + custom HTTP nodes
- AI Agent nodes with tool-use loops
- Native LangChain integration
- Vector store nodes (Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector, Qdrant)
- Self-host or cloud (your choice)
- Self-hostable — full data sovereignty, no Zapier-style egress fees
- Native AI agent + LangChain support — built-in for AI builders
- Open-source community drives extensive integration coverage
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier for non-technical users
- Self-hosting requires infrastructure expertise (Docker, K8s, etc.)
Manus
Manus is a general-purpose autonomous AI agent that gained massive viral attention in 2025 for its ability to plan and execute complex multi-step tasks across the web — research, analysis, writing, co...
- General-purpose autonomous agent for any web task
- Multi-step planning + tool use + code execution
- Persistent memory across sessions
- Cloud sandboxed execution environment
- Verifiable output artifacts (docs, sheets, code, diagrams)
- Most capable general-purpose autonomous agent shipped to date
- Verifiable output artifacts make quality review tractable
- Strong on research-heavy multi-source synthesis tasks
- Higher cost than focused agents (Devin for code, Operator for browser)
- Long-running tasks can consume credits unpredictably
Who should buy this
n8n
- Engineering team needing self-hosted automation for compliance / cost / sovereignty reasons
- AI builder constructing multi-agent systems with LLM + vector store + tool-use loops
- Mid-market RevOps team wanting Zapier-level capability without per-task pricing at scale
- Non-technical users wanting plug-and-play (Zapier's UI is more polished)
- Buyers without devops to self-host (cloud tier compensates)
Self-hosted: free (infrastructure cost only). Cloud: $20-$50/mo Starter/Pro. Enterprise: custom contracts (typically $5-30K/yr).
Verified 2026-05-03
Manus
- Knowledge worker doing research-heavy multi-step tasks (consultant, analyst, researcher)
- Founder / executive offloading complex multi-source synthesis
- VC / PE professional running due diligence + competitive landscape
- Single-purpose buyers (use Devin for code, Operator for web automation)
- Buyers needing deterministic / repeatable workflows (general agents are less predictable)
Free trial. Standard: $39/mo. Pro: $200/mo. Enterprise: custom annual contracts (typically $10-50K+/yr).
Verified 2026-05-06
Capabilities at a glance
| Capability | n8n | Manus |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted deployment | Source-available | — |
| AI Agent nodes with tool-use loops | — | |
| Native LangChain integration | — | |
| Vector store integrations | Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector, Qdrant | — |
| 600+ pre-built integrations | — | |
| Custom code in any node (JS/Python) | — | |
| Public API | Closed beta | |
| General-purpose autonomous agent | — | |
| Multi-step planning + tool use | — | |
| Code execution in sandbox | — | |
| Web browsing + research | — | |
| Persistent session memory | — | |
| Document / spreadsheet / diagram output | — |
Security & compliance
| Standard / control | n8n | Manus |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 | Type II | — |
| ISO 27001 | — | |
| GDPR | ||
| Self-hosted option | — | |
| SSO / SAML | — | |
| RBAC | — | |
| Audit logs | — | |
| Trains on customer data | No | — |
What users say
n8n
Open-source community, Engineering teams self-hosting workflows, AI builders
Manus
Y Combinator startups, Independent consultants, VC firms running due diligence
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, n8n or Manus?+
n8n's Cloud Starter plan is $20/month and Manus's Standard plan is $39/month. n8n is the cheaper entry point.
What AI models do n8n and Manus use?+
n8n runs on Any LLM via OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, custom endpoints, LangChain native. Manus runs on Claude Opus + Sonnet, GPT-5 family, Custom Manus orchestration models.
What is the main difference between n8n and Manus?+
n8n is positioned as best open-source workflow automation alternative to zapier with native ai agents, while Manus is positioned as best general-purpose autonomous ai agent for complex multi-step tasks. Pick the one whose strength aligns with your primary use case.
Which has better integrations, n8n or Manus?+
n8n integrates with GitHub, Slack, Notion, Salesforce and 8 more. Manus integrates with Web browsing, Code execution sandbox, Document export (PDF, DOCX, XLSX), API (closed beta).
What are the main weaknesses of n8n and Manus?+
n8n's main drawback: steeper learning curve than zapier for non-technical users. Manus's main drawback: higher cost than focused agents (devin for code, operator for browser).
Are n8n and Manus worth it in 2026?+
Both remain competitive productivity options in 2026. n8n stands out for self-hostable — full data sovereignty, no zapier-style egress fees. Manus stands out for most capable general-purpose autonomous agent shipped to date. Choose based on which trade-offs fit your workflow and budget.