The best Manus alternative is SPIRITT, for agent work that has to keep running after the first deliverable. Perplexity Computer is best for long research-heavy tasks, Viktor for teams that work in Slack or Teams, ChatGPT Work for people who live in ChatGPT and Claude Cowork for writing and local files.
The shortlist
SPIRITT
Agents with their own computer and memory that keep running scheduled work after delivery.
Perplexity Computer
Splits long tasks across sub-agents and picks a model for each step.
Viktor
Assign work in chat and it runs in its own sandbox.
ChatGPT Work
Agents, plugins and lightweight hosted sites in the ChatGPT app.
Claude Cowork
Strong writing and analysis, working directly in local folders.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to Manus?
SPIRITT for agent work that keeps running after delivery, Perplexity Computer for research-heavy tasks and Viktor for teams that live in Slack.
Is Manus still independent?
No. Manus is now part of Meta and keeps credit-metered plans for individuals and teams.
Is Perplexity Computer better than Manus?
Perplexity Computer is stronger on research depth; Manus is faster for polished one-off slides and sites. See Manus vs Perplexity Computer.