OpenAI lastly dropped their agent, chasing Sam Altman’s AGI imaginative and prescient from earlier this yr. However they’re late to the celebration. Common-purpose brokers are already in all places, doubling as private assistants. I’ve been utilizing Manus for quiet a while for duties like sorting knowledge, crafting shows, simplifying course content material, taking notes, and extra. It has streamlined my work like a dream. Naturally, I used to be curious to see how OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Agent stacks up, so I put it head-to-head with Manus. Right here’s a no-nonsense breakdown of how they carried out.
Manus vs ChatGPT Agent: Pricing
ChatGPT Plus, at $20/month, offers prolonged (although not limitless) entry to the ChatGPT Agent, together with GPT-4.1 mini, net looking, and superior voice capabilities. However, Manus gives a Free Beta plan with 300 each day refresh credit and 1 concurrent job, sufficient for gentle experimentation, however simple to exhaust. The Manus Fundamental Beta plan, priced at $16/month, will increase the restrict to 1,900 credit and a couple of concurrent duties. Whereas it’s barely cheaper than ChatGPT Plus, heavy workflows can eat credit rapidly, which could restrict lengthy periods or advanced agent duties.
Manus AI

ChatGPT Agent

For those who don’t know what ChatGPT Agent is, checkout our detailed weblog – ChatGPT Agent has Arrived and it’s so Cool!
Now that the associated fee half is sorted, let’s take a look at each the fashions on similar prompts and see which one performs higher. For this, I’m utilizing the free plan of Manus and ChatGPT plus account.
Process 1: Making a PPT
Immediate: “Create a concise, data-driven PowerPoint presentation (10-12 slides) on “Profession and Wage Development in Generative AI” for professionals getting into or advancing within the area, overlaying – a title slide (“Profession and Wage Development in Generative AI,” subtitle: Alternatives & Traits, identify, date); an intro defining Generative AI, its tech (LLMs, GANs, Diffusion Fashions), and purposes (ChatGPT, Midjourney); market development ($50B+ by 2025), adoption (tech, healthcare, finance), and AI startup funding; key roles (AI Analysis Scientist, ML Engineer, NLP Engineer, Immediate Engineer, AI Product Supervisor) with abilities; wage developments (2024-2025, e.g., $80K-$300K US, ₹20L-₹80L India) vs. conventional AI roles; prime employers (Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, healthcare/gaming); important abilities (Python, PyTorch, creativity, certifications); future developments (AI ethics, distant work); challenges (evolving tech, competitors) with options; and a roadmap (studying, portfolio, networking). Use a contemporary template (darkish/gentle, AI visuals), charts (salaries/market), icons, infographics, minimal textual content, and bullet factors for readability.”
ChatGPT Agent:
Manus:
Statement:
Manus delivered a extra detailed and visually interesting presentation, whereas the ChatGPT Agent fell quick in each content material and design, making Manus the clear winner for this job.
Process 2: Information Evaluation and Reporting
Immediate: “Gather dependable datasets on international warming, together with key metrics equivalent to:
- International temperature anomalies (yearly averages)
- Atmospheric CO2 ranges (ppm)
- Sea degree rise (mm/yr)
- Arctic ice extent (month-to-month averages)
Use respected sources like NASA (https://local weather.nasa.gov), NOAA (https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov), or the IPCC. Clear and preprocess the info if wanted. Then, generate visualizations to focus on developments, equivalent to:
- A line graph exhibiting international temperature modifications over time (e.g., 1880–current).
- A dual-axis plot evaluating CO2 ranges and temperature anomalies.
- A bar or line chart exhibiting Arctic ice soften over many years.
- A map-based visualization of regional temperature variations.”
ChatGPT Agent:

Checkout full output right here.
Manus:

Checkout full output right here.
Statement:
Manus supplied solely the graphs, with none rationalization of what every graph represents or what insights to derive from them. In distinction, the ChatGPT Agent included an outline for every plot—explaining what it reveals, the insights it gives, and the info getting used.
For this job, the ChatGPT Agent clearly takes the win!
Process 3: Make my DHS Session Schedule
Immediate: “I’m attending DataHack Summit 2025 and need assistance selecting the most effective periods for my talent degree. I’m a GenAI fanatic with primary data – I take advantage of AI instruments each day and perceive Vibe coding, MCP, and no-code ideas. May you assessment the summit schedule right here and counsel 10 must-attend periods? I’m searching for: beginner-to-intermediate GenAI content material (like immediate engineering or mannequin fine-tuning), no-code/low-code demos, real-world case research, rising developments (multimodal AI, agentic workflows), and ideally some hands-on workshops. For every suggestion, please embody why it’s related to me. Thanks!”
ChatGPT Agent:

Discover full output right here.
Manus:

Discover full output right here.
Statement:
Each instruments had been in a position to scan the web site, however their approaches differed considerably. Manus organized the periods by speaker fairly than specializing in the hack periods themselves, an unhelpful method, because the precedence ought to have been the periods, not the audio system.
In the meantime, the ChatGPT Agent did checklist the hack periods, however the output was underwhelming. Many periods had been technical and didn’t align properly with the immediate I supplied.
In the long run, neither mannequin succeeded in making a workable plan for me.
Immediate: “I wish to purchase the brand new iPad Air (M3 mannequin) in India and need assistance discovering the most effective deal. My supply pincode is 201301. Please verify main platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Apple India Retailer, Croma, Vijay Gross sales, and Reliance Digital for the bottom value. Embrace any ongoing financial institution reductions, cashback gives, or change offers within the comparability. Additionally confirm vendor authenticity and guarantee protection. Deal with discovering the most affordable dependable choice with quick supply to my location. Let me know if you happen to want some other particulars.“
ChatGPT Agent:

Manus:

Discover full output right here.
Statement:
Each Manus and the ChatGPT Agent supplied correct responses with right mannequin specs, pricing, and buy hyperlinks. Nonetheless, Manus delivered a cleaner output with a single, clear hyperlink, whereas the ChatGPT Agent included a number of hyperlinks, making it more durable to determine the proper one for putting an order. Moreover, a few of the hyperlinks from the ChatGPT Agent weren’t functioning correctly.

So for this job, Manus is a transparent winner.
Ultimate Verdict
Process | ChatGPT Agent | Manus |
---|---|---|
Making a PPT | Fail | Move |
Information Evaluation and Reporting | Move | Fail |
Make my DHS Session Schedule | Fail | Fail |
Purchasing Assist | Fail | Move |
Conclusion
On this head-to-head comparability, Manus comes out because the extra dependable agent for dealing with general-purpose duties, particularly if you happen to take the time to customise your prompts properly. It persistently delivers cleaner outputs, is simpler to navigate, and has been round lengthy sufficient to iron out a few of the tough edges that also present in OpenAI’s newly launched ChatGPT Agent. Whereas the ChatGPT Agent reveals promise, significantly in reasoning and contextual understanding, it lacks polish in execution and nonetheless feels early-stage by way of usability. That mentioned, OpenAI is more likely to iterate rapidly, and future updates might considerably enhance its efficiency. For now, if you happen to’re searching for a extra mature, sensible agent to assist with on a regular basis workflows, Manus has the sting. You can too checkout my earlier articles on Manus:
Do attempt these brokers by yourself and let me know your ideas within the remark part beneath.
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