Manus Browser Operator is an extension that lets the Manus agent use your own browser. Its feature page puts it simply: "Your browser already works. Now, connect it to Manus." It uses your logins and open tabs. Tasks run from your own IP address. That part is smart. The agent itself is Manus, and its page does not say the model runs on your computer.
Off Grid AI Desktop (OGAD) uses the same idea, with one change. The extension connects your Chrome to OGAD, and the agent's model runs on your own computer. With a local model selected, the pages it reads never go to a cloud AI. And you pay once, not in monthly credits.
Get Pro for $79.99 once · Download Off Grid AI
Off Grid AI and Manus Browser Operator side by side
| Off Grid AI Pro | Manus Browser Operator | |
|---|---|---|
| Works in your signed-in browser | Yes, Chrome extension | Yes, extension on the Chrome Web Store |
| Where the agent's model runs | On your computer, with a local model | Not stated on its page |
| Access control | Pair with a six-word check; read-only chat by default | Permission before access; revoke at any time |
| Sends, creates and deletes | Wait for your yes in OGAD | Per-action approval not described |
| Passwords | Sign-ins from your Vault or you; codes and card numbers refused | Manus says it does not see them |
| Price | $79.99 once, or $7.99 a month | $20, $40 or $200 a month, with credits |
| Beyond the browser | Memory, meetings, chief of staff, phone apps | The wider Manus agent |
Checked 30 October 2026 against Manus's Browser Operator page and pricing. Off Grid AI's price is a limited-time lifetime offer, down from $119.
What it costs over three years
Manus lists three paid plans. The $20 plan has 4,000 credits a month plus 300 refresh credits a day. The $40 plan has 8,000 credits, and the $200 plan has 40,000. Yearly billing saves 17%. These are the monthly prices.
| 1 year | 3 years | |
|---|---|---|
| Manus, $20 plan | $240 | $720 |
| Manus, $40 plan | $480 | $1,440 |
| Off Grid AI Pro, lifetime | $79.99 | $79.99 |
Off Grid AI has no credits. The model runs on hardware you already own, so a long task costs the same as a short one.
How a browser task runs on your computer
- Install the Off Grid AI extension in Chrome and keep OGAD running.
- In the extension, open Settings > Desktop and choose Pair with desktop. Check that the six words match, then approve in OGAD.
- Ask about the page you have open. Plain chat gets read-only tools, so it reads and answers.
- Turn on Agent for a task that needs clicks across pages. It uses the sessions you are already signed in to.
- When the task wants to send, create or delete something, OGAD shows the action. You approve it or reject it.
If a page needs a login, the task pauses and hands it back to you. The extension refuses one-time codes, card numbers and CAPTCHAs in code. For a full walk-through, see how to automate tasks in your signed-in browser with local AI.
The browser is one part of Pro
Browser Operator is a door from your browser to Manus. Off Grid AI Pro is your whole working day, on your own hardware:
- Memory. Your screens, meetings, mail and documents become one local memory you can search and ask.
- Meetings without a bot. Calls are recorded, transcribed and summarised on your computer.
- Actions you approve. It drafts replies and issues through Gmail, Linear, Jira and Notion. Nothing goes out without your yes.
- God, your chief of staff. A morning brief, meeting prep with notes from last time, and the to-dos people owe you.
- Reflect, Vault, Clipboard and Sync. Where your day went, passwords encrypted on your disk, every copy searchable, and your phone and computer in sync, device to device.
All of it is in the same $79.99, on up to 5 devices.
When Manus is the better pick
Manus is a general agent. Beyond the browser, its plans include in-depth research, websites, slides and Wide Research across many tasks at once. Its paid plans run many tasks in parallel. And it runs on any laptop, because you do not host the model. OGAD needs a computer that can run a local model. Most Apple silicon Macs and recent PCs can, and the app shows which models fit.
If you want one cloud agent that builds sites and decks as well as browsing, Manus fits. If the agent will read client portals, internal tools or private accounts, keep the model on your own machine.
Switch in ten minutes
- Download OGAD for Mac, Windows or Linux.
- Get Pro and enter your key in the app.
- In Models, download a text model that can use tools. The app shows which fit your computer.
- Add the Off Grid AI extension to Chrome and pair it with the desktop.
- Run a short reading task and check the result against the pages.
FAQ
Is there a Manus Browser Operator alternative that runs locally?
Yes. Off Grid AI Desktop runs the model on your Mac, Windows or Linux computer. Its Chrome extension lets that model work in your signed-in browser. With a local model selected, the pages it reads stay on your computer.
Does Manus Browser Operator use my logged-in browser?
Yes. The Manus page says it works inside your current browser session, with your existing logins and active tabs, from your own IP address. It asks permission before it gets access, and you can revoke it.
How much does Manus cost?
On 30 October 2026, Manus's pricing page lists paid plans at $20, $40 and $200 a month, with credits each month. Yearly billing saves 17%.
Is Off Grid AI cheaper than Manus?
Off Grid AI Pro costs $79.99 once for lifetime access, a limited-time price. The $20 Manus plan is $240 a year at the monthly price.
Does Off Grid AI ask before it acts?
Yes for sends, creates and deletes. Those wait for your approval in Off Grid AI Desktop. Plain browser chat only gets read-only tools.
Get Off Grid AI Pro and keep your browser agent's thinking on your own computer.
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