ManusAI announced Tuesday it will offer unlimited access to its artificial intelligence chatbot at no cost, marking a significant departure from competitors who charge for extensive use of similar services.
The San Francisco-based startup unveiled “Chat Mode” on June 11 through its official social media account, allowing users to ask questions and receive immediate responses without usage limits or fees. The company also offers an upgraded “Agent Mode” with advanced capabilities for users requiring more complex tasks.
The launch comes as AI assistants become increasingly integrated into daily workflows, handling more than 200 billion requests annually, according to industry studies. Major competitors including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini typically offer limited free tiers before requiring paid subscriptions for expanded access.
“This could accelerate adoption across diverse user groups,” said tech industry analysts, noting that removing cost barriers may significantly broaden ManusAI’s potential user base.
The company describes its Agent Mode as an “autonomous and agentic real-time, synchronous collaborator” capable of performing multi-step coding tasks and complex operations through natural-language prompts. The feature draws comparisons to GitHub Copilot’s agent mode, which allows real-time collaboration and solution iteration.
Industry reaction has been mixed. Some users praised the unlimited access model, while others questioned the sustainability of providing advanced AI services without charge. The approach raises questions about long-term business viability and data privacy implications as the company seeks to attract users through free services.
ManusAI’s strategy appears designed to capture market share by eliminating entry barriers that competitors maintain through pricing tiers. Whether the model proves sustainable or forces industry-wide changes in AI service pricing remains unclear.
The company has not disclosed how it plans to monetize the free service or provided details about its funding structure to support unlimited usage.