OpenManus vs. Manus AI: When the Waitlist Becomes the Warning Sign

Manus AI - a Chinese-built agent platform by Monica - went viral with a slick promise: fully autonomous AI agents that work like digital employees.

But there was a catch: it was invite-only. With a 2 million+ person waitlist, Manus became the hottest AI tool no one could use.

Enter the open-source community. In just three hours, a group called MetaGPT released OpenManus - a free, public, open-source replica. And the dev world said: “We’ll take it.”

What the Companies Are Saying

Monica, the team behind Manus AI, stayed mostly quiet - leaning into the mystery and exclusivity. Meanwhile, MetaGPT pushed OpenManus to GitHub, offering near-instant access to the same multi-step agent logic. 16,000+ stars in 48 hours.

OpenManus isn’t just a product. It’s a statement.

What That Means (In Human Words)

This isn’t about features. It’s about friction.

The second Manus locked the door, someone else built a window - and made it wide open. OpenManus may not have the polish, but it gave people something better: control.

It says a lot about where AI is right now: If you try to build a moat around access, someone will turn the blueprint into a public good. And they’ll do it before your landing page finishes loading.

The New Reality: Democratisation vs. Control

The rise of OpenManus isn’t just about community energy - it’s about a deeper cultural shift.

We’re watching a movement form where developers, researchers, and builders don’t want to wait. They want things open - the code, the model, the access, the roadmap.

This is what democratising AI really means: It’s not about giving access - it’s about removing the need to ask.

So is this scary? Maybe - if you're building behind closed doors. Because this moment proves one thing: If you create something powerful and restrict it, someone else will rebuild it and release it for free.

That’s not rebellion. That’s the new rhythm.

In this world:

• Exclusivity is a risk.

• Community is speed.

• Collaboration is survival.

Here’s how it’s playing out:

This moment shows us that democratising AI isn’t a slogan - it’s happening. The tools are in the wild. The builders are everywhere. And no one’s waiting anymore.

🔚 Bottom Line

• OpenManus is available now.
  You can run it locally via GitHub: http://github.com/geekan/MetaGPT/tree/main/openmanus

• Manus AI is not yet available to the public.
  It remains invite-only: http://www.manus.ai/

• They are not the same company.
  OpenManus is a community-built clone, not a sibling.

• This was a flex - and it landed.
  What started as a waitlist became a wake-up call.

• More to read.

Frozen Light Team Perspective: 

AI Is More Than Just Tech - It’s a Cultural Shift

We’re not saying this is the end of Manus. We’re not saying OpenManus won. We’re saying: look closer - something much bigger is happening.

Here are just a few examples we remember - but there are many more:

• Elon Musk sue OpenAI, demanding it return to its founding vision of openness

• Google and Honor partner to deploy Veo 2 and quietly use humans as data points

• OpenAI release a free academy to teach people how to use its tools

• A developer community build OpenManus in three hours because they were tired of waiting

None of these stories are just about technology. They’re about power. Access. Culture. Speed. And who decides what AI gets to be.

This is what happens when a new force enters the world: Some people control it. Others open it. And the rest of us shape how it’s used.

We admire the OpenManus move - not as a takedown, but as proof of what’s changing. This wasn’t a rebellion. It was momentum.

If we keep looking at AI like it’s a feature or tool, we’ll miss the real transformation: A new relationship between people and power. A new kind of collaboration. A new kind of competition.

AI is not something small. It’s not a product update. It’s the start of something way bigger than tech.

You’re not late. But if you’re not paying attention, you’re going to miss the magic that’s already underway.