Manus vs Claude Code vs OpenCode: Pricing and Which to Pick (2026)

Manus works in the cloud; Claude Code and OpenCode work on your machine. We compare pricing, how each one bills, key features and which fits your profile.

The core difference: where the agent works
Pricing: credits, subscription or pay per model
Features that make the difference
Which to pick for your profile
What doesn't change with the tool

The short verdict: pick Manus if you want to ask for a finished result (a published website, a report, a slide deck) without installing anything. Pick Claude Code if you code on your own project and want Anthropic's models built in. Pick OpenCode if you want an open source agent, your choice of model and control over where your code goes.

All three are sold as "autonomous agents," but they don't really compete for the same job. The core difference isn't the model or the price: it's where the agent works. That choice drives everything else, from the privacy of your code to how your bill grows.

	Manus	Claude Code	OpenCode
Made by	Manus (owned by Meta)	Anthropic	Open source project (MIT)
Where it works	Virtual machine in the cloud	Your computer (also on the web)	Your computer
Interface	Web and apps	Terminal, IDE, desktop and web	Terminal, desktop and web
Entry price	Free with 300 daily credits; Pro from 20 USD/month	Claude Pro, 20 USD/month	Free agent; Go at 10 USD/month
How it bills	Credits spent per task	Usage allowance per 5 hours and per week	You pay for models: your own key, Zen or Go
Models	Manus picks them	Claude (Opus 5.5 by default)	75+ providers and local models
Best for	Finished deliverables with no setup	Daily work on a repository	Model flexibility and data control

Prices checked on October 23, 2026. Manus figures come from the Manus pricing page and third-party breakdowns such as No Code MBA, because the site shows them through a slider and they change often.

The core difference: where the agent works

Manus: the agent that works on its own machine

Manus doesn't get installed. You type the task on the web and the agent runs it on a virtual machine in the cloud: it installs what it needs, browses the internet, writes and runs code, and sends back the result. That result can be an app deployed to a public URL, a document, a spreadsheet or a slide deck.

The upside is obvious: you don't need Node.js, Python or Docker on your computer, and it doesn't use your resources while it works. The trade-off is just as clear: the agent can't see your local project unless you upload it, and everything you give it is processed on Manus servers. Since late 2025, Manus has been owned by Meta, which announced the acquisition and said the subscription would keep running.

Claude Code: the agent inside your project

Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent. You install it on your computer and it works on your repository: it reads files, runs commands, runs your tests and works with git. You can also use it from VS Code, JetBrains, the desktop app or the browser at claude.ai/code.

It runs on Claude models: Opus 5.5 by default, with Sonnet, Haiku or Fable available through /model. Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5 have a one-million-token context window, so it can read a lot of code without losing track. If you're new to it, start with the Claude Code guide.

OpenCode: the agent that doesn't lock you into a provider

OpenCode is an open source agent under the MIT license. Like Claude Code, it works on your local project, but it isn't tied to a model: it supports more than 75 providers and local models through Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp.

That independence is its main selling point. If a provider raises prices or its model gets worse, you switch models and keep the same agent and the same setup. And if you connect a local model, your code never leaves your computer. The step-by-step is in the OpenCode installation guide.

Pricing: credits, subscription or pay per model

Comparing prices here is misleading, because the three charge for different things. Manus charges for work done, Claude Code for usage time and OpenCode for the models you choose.

Manus: credits spent per task

Plan	Monthly price	Credits
Free	0 USD	300 daily credits, don't roll over
Pro	20 USD	4,000 per month
Pro (higher tier)	40 USD	8,000 per month
Higher tiers	up to 200 USD or more	up to 40,000 per month or more, via slider
Team	from 20 USD per seat	Shared credit pool

Annual billing saves around 17%, according to No Code MBA.

The problem with credits is that Manus doesn't publish what each task costs. It depends on how long and complex the task is. These are third-party estimates, not official rates:

Task type	Approximate credits
Simple query or chat	10–50
Web search	100–300
Generate and run code	200–500
Build a web app	500–1,000 or more
Deep research with many sources	500–1,500

With 4,000 credits you can do a few big tasks or dozens of small ones. Before paying for a high tier, try the free daily credits and check in the dashboard how much your real tasks consume.

Claude Code: subscription with a usage allowance

Claude Code is included in Claude subscriptions:

Plan	Monthly price	Usage
Pro	20 USD	Baseline
Max 5x	100 USD	5 times Pro usage
Max 20x	200 USD	20 times Pro usage
Team Standard	20 USD per seat (annual billing)	More usage than Pro
Team Premium	100 USD per seat (annual billing)	5 times a Standard seat

You don't pay per task: you pay a flat fee and get a usage limit that resets every 5 hours and every week. If you hit the cap, you wait, upgrade or turn on extra usage. Each plan and its limits are covered in Claude Code pricing.

OpenCode: the agent is free, you pay for models

Option	Price
The agent	Free (MIT)
Free catalog models or local models	0 USD in API costs (you pay for your hardware and power)
Your own API key	Whatever each provider charges
OpenCode Go	10 USD/month, with a cap per model
OpenCode Go Plus	40 USD/month, with higher caps

Running local models with Ollama removes the API cost, but it isn't entirely free: you need a machine that can run the model, and local models usually perform worse than frontier models on complex tasks. How Go's caps work is explained in OpenCode Go pricing and limits.

How to really compare: cost per deliverable

Since each one bills a different unit, the useful comparison isn't "20 USD vs 20 USD" but how much each thing you finish costs you. A simple method:

Pick three tasks you repeat every month (a prototype, a refactor, a report).
Do them on each tool's free or cheapest plan and write down what they use: credits in Manus, share of the allowance in Claude Code, dollars in OpenCode.
Divide the plan price by the number of those tasks you can fit in a month.

If you bill those deliverables to a client, put that cost into the profit margin calculator to see what you actually keep.

Features that make the difference

Manus: cloud browser and finished deliverables

Its own browser. The agent browses, reads documentation, fills in forms and tests web apps on its virtual machine.
Ready-made deliverables. Besides code, it returns apps deployed to a public URL, documents, spreadsheets and slide decks.
Zero setup. The agent builds the whole environment, not you.

Claude Code: hooks, plan mode, subagents and MCP

Hooks. Scripts that run on agent events; for example, running the linter and tests every time it edits a file.
Plan mode. The agent explores the repository and proposes a plan before touching anything.
Subagents. It delegates side tasks, like searching the code or writing tests, without filling up the main context.
MCP. It connects to external tools (databases, Figma, Notion) through MCP servers, with no glue scripts.
Plugins and skills. An official marketplace bundles skills, subagents, hooks and MCP servers ready to install.

An example: you ask for an authentication endpoint. With an MCP server for your database, Claude Code reads the real schema, proposes the plan in plan mode, writes the route and the migration, and a hook runs the tests as soon as it finishes editing.

OpenCode: models on demand, subagents and undo

Build and Plan agents. Build is the agent that edits; Plan explores and plans without touching project files.
Subagents. General for multi-step tasks and Explore for searching the code or the web without editing anything. They can run in the background while you keep working.
Snapshots and /undo. OpenCode saves snapshots of the files the agent touches, in a store separate from your repository. If you don't like a change, /undo returns those files to their previous state. Note: it doesn't undo what terminal commands did (a modified database, a push), and the documentation warns it's no substitute for your commits.
A model per task. You can use an expensive model to decide what to build and a cheap one for the bulk of the edits.

Which to pick for your profile

Founders and solopreneurs: Manus

If you want to validate an idea, build a prototype or produce a report without fighting a development environment, Manus is the shortest path. You ask for the result, not the steps. Keep an eye on credits for long tasks, and don't upload sensitive information without checking its terms.

Developers with their own project: Claude Code

If you spend the day in a repository with tests, branches and deployments, Claude Code fits into your workflow without changing it. Claude models, long context, hooks and MCP make it strong for sustained work on existing code. If you already pay for Claude Pro or Max for the chat, it's included.

Teams with privacy requirements or a tight budget: OpenCode

If your code can't leave your infrastructure, or you want to pay less by picking cheaper models, OpenCode gives you that control. With local models, the code stays on your machine, which matters when you work under rules like the GDPR. With Go, you get a broad catalog for 10 USD a month.

What about combining them?

Plenty of people do. A sensible combination: Manus for prototypes and research that don't touch your code, and Claude Code or OpenCode for daily work on the repository. If you're torn between those two, the head-to-head is in OpenCode vs Claude Code.

What doesn't change with the tool

No agent removes the hard part: deciding what to build, reviewing what it delivers and stopping it when it goes wrong. The tool matters less than the environment and rules you give it, which is the idea behind why the harness matters more than the model.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main difference between Manus, Claude Code and OpenCode?

Where the agent works. Manus runs tasks on a virtual machine in the cloud and hands you the result. Claude Code and OpenCode work on your project, on your computer, with access to your files, your terminal and git.

Which one is cheaper?

It depends on how you use it. OpenCode is open source and you can run it with free or local models; its Go subscription costs 10 USD a month. Manus and Claude Code start at 20 USD a month, but Manus charges credits that are spent per task, while Claude Code gives you a usage allowance that resets every 5 hours and every week.

How many tasks do Manus's 4,000 credits get me?

There's no fixed number. Published estimates range from 10 to 50 credits for a simple query to 500 or more for building a web app, so 4,000 credits can be a few big tasks or dozens of small ones. Your actual usage shows up in the Manus dashboard.

Is Manus good for coding?

It's good for building prototypes and small apps from scratch without installing anything. For working on an existing repository, with your tests and your git workflow, a local agent like Claude Code or OpenCode is a better fit.

Can I use OpenCode without sending my code to the cloud?

Yes, if you connect it to a local model through Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp. You need a machine that can run the model, and local models usually perform worse than frontier models on complex tasks.