Manus vs Project Mariner
Two of the most-asked-about agents in the autonomous space. Here's how they actually stack up.
Manus
Browser-based autonomous AI agent for research, app building, and end-to-end tasks
Free + $39/mo
Read full review →Project Mariner
Google DeepMind's experimental browser agent for completing web tasks
From $20/mo
Read full review →Side-by-side comparison
| Manus | Project Mariner | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Browser-based autonomous AI agent for research, app building, and end-to-end tasks | Google DeepMind's experimental browser agent for completing web tasks |
| Pricing | Free + $39/mo | From $20/mo |
| Categories | autonomous, research, browser-based | autonomous, browser-agent, research |
| Made by | Manus AI (acquired by Meta, December 2025) | Google DeepMind |
| Launched | 2025-03 | 2024-12 |
| Platforms | Web | Chrome browser |
| Status | active | active |
Manus highlights
- + End-to-end autonomous task execution from a single prompt
- + Browser Operator: web research beyond surface-level queries
- + Wide Research: multi-source analysis that bypasses context window limits
- + Persistent memory across sessions and projects
- + Cloud Computer environment for app building and deployment
Project Mariner highlights
- + Chrome extension that takes over the active browser tab to complete multi-step tasks
- + Gemini 2.0 multimodal brain reads pixels, web elements, text, forms, and images simultaneously
- + Sandboxed execution: agent is limited to the currently active tab and cannot access other tabs or local files
- + Human-in-the-loop confirmation gates for sensitive actions such as purchases or form submissions
- + 83.5% score on the WebVoyager benchmark for end-to-end web task completion
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Manus or Project Mariner?
Neither is universally better. Manus (Free + $39/mo) leans into autonomous, while Project Mariner (From $20/mo) is closer to autonomous. Pick based on which workflow you actually do every day.
What is the price difference between Manus and Project Mariner?
Manus is free + $39/mo. Project Mariner is from $20/mo. See the pricing row in the comparison table.
Can I use Manus and Project Mariner together?
In most cases, yes. They serve overlapping but distinct needs, so running them side by side is common until you decide which fits your workflow.