Manus vs ChatGPT: pricing and usage limits (Oct 2026)

Manus starts at $20/mo, ChatGPT at $8/mo. Both have a free plan. Every plan from both vendors, the limits each one actually publishes, and what changed recently, with a source on every line.

Chat assistantsChecked Sources on every line

The short answer

Verdict from the data
Cheaper to start
ChatGPT. ChatGPT Go is $8/mo; the cheapest Manus plan, Manus Pro, is $20/mo ($12 more).
Free plan
Both have one. What each includes is quoted under Free plans below.
Top of the ladder
Manus Pro at $20/mo vs ChatGPT Pro 500 at $500/mo.
Hard numbers
ChatGPT doesn't publish exact allowances, so the limits below are quoted, not counted.
Latest move
ChatGPT, 29 Sep 2026: ChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance.

Pick ChatGPT if you want the lowest monthly bill. Beyond price and free access, the deciding factor is which models and features you need; we track the money, not the model quality.

Head to head

FactManusChatGPT
Free planFree tierFree tier
Cheapest planPro · $20/moGo · $8/mo
Top planPro · $20/moPro 500 · $500/mo
Plans tracked15
Yearly discountNone shownNone shown
Allowance periodsMonthlyNot stated
Latest changeNone loggednew tierlimit cut
Last checked
$20/moManus Pro · cheapest plan
Try Manus Official site · manus.im
$8/moChatGPT Go · cheapest plan
Try ChatGPT Official site · chatgpt.com

Closest price match: Manus Pro vs ChatGPT Plus

Pro

$20/mo
Limits 4,000 monthly credits (help-center example of a $20 Pro membership); credits expire at end of cycle.Source: help.manus.im · checked 2026-10-16

Plus

$20/mo
Limits Expanded messages/uploads, advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research and Codex. 'Limits apply'; message caps may vary with demand and are not published.Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16

Every plan side by side

ToolPlanPriceLimits as stated & source
ManusPro$20/mo
4,000 monthly credits (help-center example of a $20 Pro membership); credits expire at end of cycle.
Source: help.manus.im · checked 2026-10-16
ChatGPTGo$8/mo
More messages with tools, more uploads, image creation and voice than Free; longer memory. May include ads. Exact caps not published.
Source: chatgpt.com · checked 2026-10-16
ChatGPTPlus$20/mo
Expanded messages/uploads, advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research and Codex. 'Limits apply'; message caps may vary with demand and are not published.
Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
ChatGPTPro 100$100/mo
Pro reasoning (GPT-6 Astra), longer Codex/Work sessions, 'unlimited' subject to abuse guardrails. Lowest of three Pro tiers; per-model allowances vary by tier and are not published.
Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
ChatGPTPro 200$200/mo
More usage than Pro 100. New (non-grandfathered) Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower usage allowance than previously offered.
Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
ChatGPTPro 500$500/mo
Highest included usage; includes GPT-6 Astra Ultrafast and GPT-6.1 Sol Ultrafast.
Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16

Free plans

ToolFree?What you get for $0 & source
ManusFree tier
Free users get daily refresh credits, capped at 1,500 credits/month, usable only for Manus 2.0 lite. Free credits never expire.
Source: help.manus.im · checked 2026-10-16
ChatGPTFree tier
Free $0: 'Unlimited text chats with GPT-6' subject to abuse guardrails; limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research, memory, Codex access. Help center says Free users have GPT-5.6 Luna; tools have separate limits. Ads may appear in some countries.
Source: chatgpt.com · checked 2026-10-16

Recent price and limit changes

  1. new tierlimit cut
    ChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance

    Pro 500 adds Ultrafast GPT-6 Astra / GPT-6.1 Sol. New, non-grandfathered Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower allowance; grandfathered users keep the old allowance through Oct 29, 2026.

  2. new tier
    ChatGPT adds a $100/month Pro tier (5x Plus Codex usage)

    New Pro tier between Plus ($20) and Pro ($200); temporary 10x Codex promo through May 31, 2026. Plus Codex usage rebalanced across the week.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, Manus or ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is cheaper to start: ChatGPT Go costs $8/mo, against $20/mo for Manus Pro. At the top end, Manus Pro is $20/mo and ChatGPT Pro 500 is $500/mo.

Is Manus or ChatGPT free?

Manus: Yes. Free users get daily refresh credits, capped at 1,500 credits/month, usable only for Manus 2.0 lite. Free credits never expire. ChatGPT: Yes. Free $0: 'Unlimited text chats with GPT-6' subject to abuse guardrails; limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research, memory, Codex access. Help center says Free users have GPT-5.6 Luna; tools have separate limits. Ads may appear in some countries.

How do the usage limits compare at the closest price?

Manus Pro ($20/mo): 4,000 monthly credits (help-center example of a $20 Pro membership); credits expire at end of cycle. ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo): Expanded messages/uploads, advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research and Codex. 'Limits apply'; message caps may vary with demand and are not published.

When did Manus and ChatGPT last change their pricing?

29 Sep 2026, ChatGPT: ChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance. 9 Apr 2026, ChatGPT: ChatGPT adds a $100/month Pro tier (5x Plus Codex usage).

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