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Manus AI is separating from Meta and going back to operating as an independent company. The deal is unwinding after regulatory pushback, and as part of the transition, some users have a short window to back up their data before it's deleted. If you built something in Manus, here's what's happening, what to do about it today, and how B12 compares if you're weighing a Manus alternative.

What's happening with Manus

Meta's deal to bring Manus in-house is unwinding after regulators in China blocked it. Manus is returning to independent operations, and data created on or after December 29, 2025 by affected users will be deleted between August 23 and 24, 2026. This isn't a shutdown and it isn't a security incident. Manus is still live, still shipping features, and most users aren't affected at all.

If you are affected, here's the timeline:

- Back up your data by August 22, 2026 (7:59 p.m. EDT / 1:59 a.m. CEST August 23 / 7:59 a.m. SGT August 23) - Deletion window: August 23 to 24, 2026 - Restoration begins: August 25, 2026, and may only be partial

Manus is notifying affected users by email and in the app. If you haven't heard anything, you're likely in the clear. Backing up is still worth doing any time a platform goes through a change like this.

Step 1: save your project before it's gone

The fastest way to back up a Manus-built website or app is to give it a new, working home right now, rather than relying on export files that may miss dynamic features.

Copy the live link to your Manus project while it's still up, and paste it into B12's prompt box when you sign up. B12 reads the live site and turns it into a starting point, so you end up with a working copy saved outside Manus, even if the original gets deleted.

Do this before August 22, while your Manus project is still reachable.

Step 2: make it yours with B12's AI Agent

Once B12 has a first draft from your Manus link, refine it by chatting with the AI Agent. Upload a few screenshots of your old site and tell it what to do with them:

- "Use the same color palette and hero layout as my Manus site." - "Keep the same pages I had but make the navigation a drop-down mega-menu." - "Add a login page with email signup and send a confirmation when someone registers."

A reference goes a long way. Show B12 what you already had instead of describing it, and the first draft comes back closer to what you had in mind, whether you want a close match to your old site or a fresh take on it.

If your project needs more than pages, B12's AI Agent can build that in too:

- "Add a database to store the leads coming through my contact form." - "Set up payments so clients can pay online." - "Turn this into a booking page that syncs with my calendar."

B12's backends run on Supabase, the same infrastructure trusted by millions of developers and ready for serious workloads. You just don't have to set it up yourself.

Is B12 a good Manus competitor or alternative?

Manus AI is a general purpose autonomous agent built for executing tasks and automating workflows. B12 is more focused: it builds websites, web apps, online stores, portfolios, and more by chatting with AI. If you used Manus to create a website, a client portal, a project dashboard, or an interactive tool, B12 is a strong Manus competitor for that specific job.

Where B12 fits well as a Manus alternative:

• You want a real website or web app, not just an automated task
• You want a backend (logins, payments, bookings, a database) built in without setting it up yourself or hiring a developer
• You want to keep improving the site over time by chatting with an AI Agent, not just generating it once
• You want to build without a credit meter climbing every time a task gets complicated

If what you needed from Manus was workflow automation or web research, tools like Lindy or Perplexity are built for that. B12 isn't trying to be either. That said, B12's AI Agent keeps working after launch: schedule it to run skills like an SEO or accessibility audit daily, weekly, or monthly, without being at your computer.

Back up first, then decide

Whatever you decide about Manus long-term, back up your data before August 22. If you had a site or app built there, paste the link into B12 today and you'll have a working copy saved no matter what happens next.

Start for free

No. Manus is separating from Meta and continuing to operate independently. The only immediate change is a data backup and deletion window for a specific set of affected users.

Users with data created on or after December 29, 2025, who Manus has notified directly by email and in-app. If you haven't received a notice, this likely doesn't apply to you.

Affected data created after December 29, 2025 will be deleted starting August 23, 2026, and restoration doesn't begin until at least August 25, and may only be partial. Back up anything you need before then.

Copy the live link to your Manus site or app while it's still up and paste it into B12's prompt box when you sign up. B12 turns that into a starting point, then you refine it by chatting with the AI Agent and uploading screenshots of anything you want to replicate.

No. Manus is a general purpose agent that automates tasks across your desktop and the web. B12 is built specifically for websites and web apps. If what you built in Manus was a site, portal, or client tool, B12 covers that fully, backend included. If you also relied on Manus for wide-ranging task automation or research, you may want to pair B12 with another tool for that side of the work.

Usually, yes. B12's AI Agent can rebuild the frontend and add backend pieces like logins, a database, payments, or bookings on top of what it pulls in from your Manus link. If your original app had very custom logic, you may need to refine some pieces by hand, but most common patterns, like portals and internal tools, transfer well.

No. Describe what you want, paste your old Manus link, and add screenshots if you have them. The AI Agent handles the code, hosting, and setup. You can dig into the details later if you want to, but you don't need to going in.

Yes, to a point. B12's AI Agent can run skills on your site on an ongoing basis, pre-built ones like an SEO audit, an accessibility audit, site QA, or a content strategy pass, or a custom skill it writes for you. Say "save this as a skill" once, and it's there to reuse in any future conversation. You can also schedule any task to run once or on a recurring daily, weekly, or monthly basis, so the agent keeps working even when you're not at your computer. Skills and scheduled tasks both live in the Agent pane in your editor, so you can run, edit, or remove them whenever you want. It's not the same as Manus's general automation across any website or workflow, but it means B12 keeps working on your site after launch, not just at the start.

Most Manus alternatives are other general agents built for research or automation. B12 is a better fit specifically when what you built in Manus was a website, app, or client tool, since that's what B12 is built to do, backend included.

If what you need is broader workflow automation or an open-source autonomous agent you run yourself, that's outside what B12 does. B12 is the best Manus alternative specifically when the thing you built was a website, app, store, portal, or dashboard.

Yes. You can start building on B12 for free, no credit card required, and upgrade if you need more.