# Perplexity Computer vs Manus: pick the open-source AI Operating System

> Perplexity Computer and Manus are closed hosted agents; Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System that runs on your own infrastructure, with the agents, skills, memory and connectors in one git repo you own.

URL: https://opensourceperplexitycomputer.com/perplexity-computer-vs-manus

## Perplexity Computer, Manus, and the open source system you own

Two hosted agents beside the open source system you self-host and own.

| | Kortix (recommended) | Perplexity Computer | Manus |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Yes. Read it, fork it, audit it. | No. Closed and hosted. | No. Closed and hosted; no source published. |
| Self-host | Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or on-prem. Self-host is free. | None. Cloud only, or a closed local build. | None documented; the agent runs in Manus's cloud. |
| Where it runs | One isolated sandbox per session, each on its own branch. | A managed Linux sandbox in Perplexity's cloud. | Manus's cloud, with a dedicated cloud browser. |
| Task model | Agents do finished work; a person reviews each change. | Multi-step agent, auto-routing about 19 hosted models. | A general agent that plans, executes and delivers work. |
| Configuration | Files in one git repo you own. | Inside Perplexity's product. | Inside Manus's product, in per-account settings. |
| Connectors | 3,000+ apps, plus MCP, OpenAPI and raw HTTP. | About 400 managed OAuth connectors. | MCP connectors, custom MCP servers, Zapier and Slack. |
| Cost floor | Self-host is free. | $200 per month on Max, credits per task. | Team from $20 per seat per month, credit-based. |

## What each hosted agent is, and who runs it

Perplexity Computer is a closed, hosted AI agent that Perplexity sells inside a paid Perplexity plan. Manus is a closed, hosted general agent that its maker sells on a credit-based subscription. Each takes a task from a browser or an app, plans the steps, and returns finished work such as a report, a deck or a website. Neither is software you download and run on servers you control.

## How each one is priced

Perplexity Computer runs on Perplexity Max at $200 a month, and credits are metered on every task on top of the subscription ([Builder.io's hands-on review](https://www.builder.io/blog/perplexity-computer), checked October 2026). Manus sells pooled credits across Free, Pro and Team plans, and its own team page starts at US$20 per seat per month for 4,000 credits per seat, shared across the team ([Manus for Teams](https://manus.im/team), checked October 2026). Kortix takes the other shape: on a self-hosted instance the software costs nothing, so you pay only the compute and the model provider bills you attach, with no per-seat meter ([the pricing guide](/perplexity-computer-pricing) sets the two floors side by side).

## How each routes work across models

Perplexity Computer chooses the model for every subtask from about 19 hosted models, and you do not set that mapping ([Builder.io](https://www.builder.io/blog/perplexity-computer), checked October 2026). Manus picks a model for each task from a hosted lineup of its own ([Manus for Teams](https://manus.im/team)). Kortix makes the choice explicit and yours: any model provider with your own keys, set per agent, per session or per message, or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for ([Kortix docs](https://kortix.com/docs)).

## Why neither one is self-hostable

Perplexity Computer runs only in Perplexity's cloud, and its local Portable Computer moves the same closed runtime onto hardware you buy, an NVIDIA DGX Spark at about $4,679 or a Linux machine with an RTX GPU carrying at least 24 GB of VRAM, with a Perplexity subscription still required ([Vellum's breakdown](https://www.vellum.ai/blog/official-perplexity-computer-breakdown), checked October 2026). Manus publishes no self-hosted server; its agent runs in Manus's cloud, and its own docs describe a fully managed cloud. Self-hosting Kortix runs the whole system on hardware you name, and [the self-hosting guide](/self-hosting) starts with one Docker Compose stack.

## Where the decision turns on ownership

The difference that decides the choice is what you can own. On Perplexity Computer and on Manus, the configuration, the model routing and the connector set live inside the vendor's product, and your work is a ticket in their system. Kortix keeps the agents, skills, company memory, connector config and triggers as files in one git repo you own. Each session runs on its own isolated sandbox and branch, and session work reaches main through a change request a person reads as a diff, with merge default-deny for agents. For the direct head-to-head, read [Kortix vs Perplexity Computer](/kortix-vs-perplexity-computer); for the wider open source field, see [the alternatives](/alternatives); and for the team case, read [Perplexity Computer for teams](/perplexity-computer-for-teams).

## One repo, one session, one change request

`session flow`

```
project (git repo + kortix.yaml)
└─ session ──> cloud computer: an isolated sandbox on a branch named after the session
└─ the OpenCode agent works
└─ change request ──> you review & merge ──> main
```

Source: https://github.com/kortix-ai/suna

From the Kortix repository README: a session is a sandbox on its own branch, and work reaches main through a change request.

_FAQ_

## Questions about the two hosted agents

### Is Perplexity Computer or Manus open source?

Neither publishes its source. Perplexity Computer is closed and hosted, and its local Portable Computer runs the same closed runtime on hardware you buy. Manus runs in Manus's cloud and publishes no source to read. Kortix is open source: you can read it, fork it and audit it, then self-host it for free.

### Can I self-host Perplexity Computer or Manus?

No. Perplexity Computer runs only in Perplexity's cloud, and its local build ships as closed software on your own machine. Manus publishes no self-hosted server. Kortix self-hosts for free as one Docker Compose stack on a laptop, a VPS, your VPC or on-prem.

### How much does each one cost?

Perplexity Computer runs on Perplexity Max at $200 a month with credits per task on top. Manus sells pooled credits from $20 per seat per month on its team plan, with a free tier to start. Kortix self-host is free, and you pay only your own compute and model bills (checked October 2026).

### How do Perplexity Computer and Manus choose models?

Perplexity Computer routes each subtask across about 19 hosted models, and Manus selects a model per task; neither lets you set that mapping. Kortix makes model choice explicit: any provider with your own keys, per agent, per session or per message.

### Which one should a team choose?

Kortix, when the team has to own the system. The agents, skills, memory and connectors live in one git repo, work reaches main through a change request a person approves, and self-host is free. Perplexity Computer and Manus suit one person who wants a hosted agent with nothing to run.

## Run the open source system you own.

Self-host Kortix for free, or start on Kortix Cloud, with any model and your own keys.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Compare the alternatives](https://opensourceperplexitycomputer.com/alternatives)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem