Manus AI introduces $39 monthly subscription for agent service

Manus AI agent is becoming a subscription service with two pricing tiers at $39 and $199 per month, according to Bloomberg News. The Beijing-based startup’s move to monetize comes shortly after its beta release this month. The premium tier allows users to run up to five simultaneous tasks and provides additional computation credits. The AI agent, which performs complex tasks rather than just responding to prompts, is built on existing language models including Anthropic’s Claude. This monetization strategy contrasts with China’s ongoing AI user acquisition race, where competitors like Baidu have made their AI tools free. Butterfly Effect, Manus’ parent company, is reportedly seeking investment at a valuation of at least $500 million, with current backers including ZhenFund and HSG.