Elicit vs Manus
Free plans, cheapest paid tier, annual rates, API access and usage limits — side by side.
Which should I choose?
- All of them have a free plan, so you can test before paying.
- Elicit is the cheapest way in at $12/mo; Manus starts at $20/mo.
- Manus is credit-metered, so the sticker price is not the whole cost.
Every line above is derived from the recorded plan data, not an opinion. Prices verified 17 Aug 2026.
| Feature | Elicit | Manus |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Research | Research |
| Company | Elicit | Butterfly Effect |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid | $12/mo | $20/mo |
| Best annual rate | Not verified | Not verified |
| Top plan | $169/mo | $200/mo |
| Plans | 4 | 4 |
| Usage-based option | No | No |
| API | Not verified | Not verified |
| Open weights | Not verified | Not verified |
| Credit-metered | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Last verified | 17 Aug 2026 | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Plan | Elicit | Manus |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Basic · Free | Free · Free |
| Tier 2 | Plus · $12/mo | Pro · $20/mo |
| Tier 3 | Pro · $49/mo | Pro+ · $40/mo |
| Tier 4 | Scale · $169/mo | Pro Max · $200/mo |