OpenClaw vs Manus AI vs n8n: Which AI Agent Platform Should You Choose?

The AI agent landscape has exploded. In the span of a year, we went from chatbots that could answer questions to autonomous agents that book flights, write code, manage calendars, and run entire business workflows. For mid-size companies evaluating their options, three platforms keep coming up in conversation: OpenClaw, Manus AI, and n8n.

Each takes a fundamentally different approach to AI automation. OpenClaw is an open-source, local-first AI agent framework. Manus AI is a cloud-hosted autonomous agent. n8n is a visual workflow automation tool with AI capabilities bolted on. Choosing the wrong one can mean months of wasted effort.

This guide breaks down the differences across pricing, security, extensibility, and real-world use cases so you can make an informed decision for your team.

Quick Verdict

• Choose OpenClaw if you want maximum control, run everything locally, and have technical staff to manage it. Best for privacy-conscious teams and developers who want deep customization.

• Choose Manus AI if you want a managed, cloud-hosted agent that handles complex tasks out of the box with minimal setup. Best for teams that want results fast without infrastructure work.

• Choose n8n if you need repeatable, deterministic workflow automation with some AI sprinkled in. Best for operations teams building structured business processes.

What Each Platform Actually Does

OpenClaw: The Open-Source AI Agent Framework

OpenClaw is a local-first, open-source AI assistant that runs on your own hardware and connects to the LLM of your choice. With 180,000+ GitHub stars and an MIT license, it has quickly become the most popular open-source AI agent project in history. Created by Peter Steinberger, OpenClaw turns messaging apps into powerful AI interfaces.

The core idea: you run OpenClaw on your machine (or server), connect it to Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, or other models, and interact with it through WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, or iMessage. It supports 1,700+ skills on ClawHub, covering everything from web browsing and code execution to smart home control and calendar management.

OpenClaw AI is not a model. It is a framework that orchestrates models, tools, and memory into a coherent agent experience.

Manus AI: The Cloud-Hosted Autonomous Agent

Manus AI takes the opposite approach. Instead of giving you building blocks, it gives you a finished product. You describe a task, and Manus spins up a sandboxed environment to complete it autonomously. It can browse the web, write and execute code, create documents, and manage multi-step workflows without manual intervention.

Now part of Meta, Manus uses a credit-based pricing model: the Standard plan runs $20/month (4,000 credits), Customizable is $40/month (8,000 credits), and Extended is $200/month (40,000 credits). All plans include 300 daily refresh credits and support up to 20 concurrent tasks.

n8n: Visual Workflow Automation with AI Nodes

n8n is a workflow automation platform in the tradition of Zapier and Make, but with an open-source core and a visual node-based editor. It connects hundreds of apps and services through drag-and-drop workflows. In recent updates, n8n added AI nodes that let you call LLMs, build RAG pipelines, and create AI-powered steps within your automations.

The key difference: n8n workflows are deterministic by design. Step A triggers Step B, which triggers Step C. You can add AI decision-making at specific nodes, but the overall flow is structured and predictable. This makes n8n less "agentic" but more reliable for repeatable business processes.

Direct Answer: What is the best OpenClaw alternative?

The best OpenClaw alternative depends on your priorities. Manus AI is the closest alternative for autonomous AI agent capabilities, offering a managed cloud experience instead of self-hosting. n8n is better if you need structured, repeatable workflow automation rather than free-form AI agents. For teams that want OpenClaw's flexibility without the infrastructure overhead, Manus AI is the most direct replacement.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Deep Dive: OpenClaw vs Manus AI

This is the comparison most people are searching for, and for good reason. Both OpenClaw and Manus AI promise autonomous AI agents, but they deliver on that promise in very different ways.

Control vs. convenience. OpenClaw gives you full control. You pick the model, manage the memory, choose your tools, and own your data. Manus AI handles all of that for you. If something breaks in OpenClaw, you debug it. If something breaks in Manus, you file a support ticket.

Cost at scale. OpenClaw's costs scale with your LLM usage. A team of five running moderate workloads might spend $25-250/month on API calls. Manus AI's credit system is more predictable but can get expensive for heavy usage. The Extended plan at $200/month provides 40,000 credits, but complex multi-step tasks can burn through credits quickly.

Privacy. OpenClaw runs locally. Your data stays on your machine (unless you configure external APIs). Manus processes everything in their cloud. For companies handling sensitive data, regulated industries, or teams with strict compliance requirements, this distinction matters significantly.

Customization ceiling. OpenClaw is infinitely customizable. You can write skills, modify the core behavior, connect any tool, and build workflows that don't exist yet. Manus AI is powerful out of the box but limited to what the platform supports. You are renting capability, not building it.

Need help choosing the right AI agent platform for your team? We have implemented all three. Contact KumoHQ →

Deep Dive: OpenClaw vs n8n

Comparing OpenClaw to n8n is a bit like comparing a pilot to an autopilot system. Both get things done, but the underlying philosophy is completely different.

Agentic vs. deterministic. OpenClaw is an AI agent. You give it a goal, and it figures out the steps. n8n is a workflow engine. You define the steps, and it executes them in order. OpenClaw can handle ambiguous, open-ended requests. n8n excels at "when X happens, do Y, then Z, every time, exactly the same way."

Reliability. Deterministic workflows win here. An n8n workflow that processes invoices will process them the same way on attempt 1 and attempt 10,000. An OpenClaw agent might handle edge cases differently each time, which is sometimes a feature and sometimes a bug.

AI integration. n8n has added AI nodes that let you call LLMs, use vector stores, and build RAG chains within workflows. But AI is an add-on, not the core. OpenClaw is AI-native. Every interaction starts with an LLM reasoning about what to do next.

Team adoption. n8n's visual editor has a lower learning curve for non-developers. Operations managers, marketing teams, and business analysts can build automations without writing code. OpenClaw currently requires more technical comfort, though the messaging-based interface makes day-to-day usage accessible to anyone.

Security: The Elephant in the Room

Security deserves its own section because the differences between these platforms are stark.

OpenClaw has a well-documented security surface. Security researchers have found over 135,000 exposed OpenClaw instances accessible from the public internet. The risks include prompt injection attacks, API key exposure, and unauthorized access to connected services. This is not a flaw in OpenClaw's design. It is a consequence of self-hosting: when users misconfigure their deployments, they create vulnerabilities. Properly secured OpenClaw instances (behind VPNs, with authentication, rate limiting) are solid. The problem is that many deployments skip these steps.

Manus AI sandboxes each task execution in isolated cloud environments. You don't manage the infrastructure, so you can't misconfigure it. The trade-off is that your data flows through their servers. For teams in healthcare, finance, or government, this can be a compliance blocker regardless of how good the sandboxing is.

n8n offers both options. Self-hosted n8n gives you full control over security, while n8n Cloud provides SOC2-compliant managed hosting. The workflow model also limits the blast radius of any single failure: a compromised node affects that node's scope, not the entire system.

Direct Answer: Is OpenClaw safe to use for business?

Yes, but only with proper security configuration. Out of the box, OpenClaw requires careful setup: use authentication, run behind a VPN or firewall, rotate API keys regularly, and never expose your instance to the public internet. Companies with dedicated DevOps or security teams can run OpenClaw safely. Teams without that expertise should consider managed alternatives like Manus AI or n8n Cloud.

When to Choose Which

Choose OpenClaw when:

• You have developers on staff who can manage a self-hosted deployment

• Data privacy is non-negotiable (healthcare, legal, finance)

• You want to use a specific LLM or mix multiple models

• You need multi-channel support (WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram in one agent)

• You want to build custom skills tailored to your business

• Budget is tight but technical talent is available

Choose Manus AI when:

• You need autonomous task completion with minimal setup

• Your team is not technical enough to self-host

• You want a polished, managed experience

• Tasks are complex but well-defined (research, document creation, data analysis)

• You are comfortable with cloud-based data processing

• Speed of deployment matters more than customization depth

Choose n8n when:

• Your primary need is structured, repeatable workflow automation

• You want a visual editor that non-developers can use

• You need reliable integrations with hundreds of SaaS tools

• AI is a component of your automation, not the entire foundation

• You need audit trails and deterministic execution for compliance

• You are replacing or upgrading from Zapier or Make

Pricing Breakdown for a Mid-Size Team

Here is what a team of 10 people might realistically spend per month on each platform:

• OpenClaw: $0 (software) + $50-300/month (LLM API costs depending on usage) + infrastructure costs if running on a cloud server ($10-50/month). Total: roughly $60-350/month.

• Manus AI: $40-200/month per seat depending on the plan. For a team of 10 with moderate usage, expect $400-2,000/month.

• n8n: Free if self-hosted (plus server costs of $20-100/month), or $240-600/month for n8n Cloud depending on execution volume.

OpenClaw is the cheapest option if you have the technical capacity to run it. n8n sits in the middle. Manus AI costs the most but requires the least internal effort.

Not sure which platform fits your stack? We can audit your workflows and recommend the right tool. Contact KumoHQ →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can OpenClaw replace Manus AI completely?

For most use cases, yes. OpenClaw can do everything Manus does and more, thanks to its extensible skill system and multi-model support. The catch is that OpenClaw requires significantly more setup and ongoing maintenance. If your team has developers comfortable with self-hosting, OpenClaw is the more powerful and flexible option. If you want a turnkey experience, Manus AI delivers value faster with less overhead.

Is n8n better than OpenClaw for business automation?

It depends on the type of automation. For structured, repeatable processes (lead routing, invoice processing, data syncing), n8n is more reliable and easier to maintain. For open-ended tasks that require reasoning, context awareness, and natural language interaction, OpenClaw is the better fit. Many teams end up using both: n8n for backend workflow automation and OpenClaw as the conversational AI layer.

What are the hidden costs of running OpenClaw?

The software is free, but the real costs include LLM API usage ($5-50/month for individuals, $50-300+ for teams), server hosting if you move beyond a local machine ($10-50/month on a VPS), and engineering time for setup, security hardening, skill development, and ongoing maintenance. For a mid-size company, budget 5-10 hours of developer time per month for OpenClaw operations.

Which platform has the best security for enterprise use?

n8n Cloud has the strongest enterprise security posture with SOC2 compliance and managed infrastructure. Manus AI offers solid sandboxing by default. OpenClaw gives you the most control over security but places the entire responsibility on your team. For regulated industries, n8n Cloud or a properly hardened OpenClaw deployment behind your corporate VPN are the safest bets. Manus AI's cloud-only model can create compliance challenges for data residency requirements.

Can I use OpenClaw and n8n together?

Absolutely. This is one of the most effective setups we have seen in practice. Use n8n for deterministic backend workflows (CRM updates, email sequences, data pipelines) and OpenClaw as the intelligent front-end that interacts with users through messaging channels. OpenClaw can trigger n8n workflows via webhooks, and n8n can send results back to OpenClaw for delivery. You get the reliability of structured automation combined with the flexibility of AI-driven conversation.

The Bottom Line

There is no single "best" AI agent platform. OpenClaw, Manus AI, and n8n each solve different problems for different teams. The right choice depends on your technical capacity, budget, privacy requirements, and whether you need agentic AI, managed autonomy, or structured workflow automation.

For technical teams that value control and privacy, OpenClaw is hard to beat. For teams that want fast results without infrastructure overhead, Manus AI delivers. For operations-focused teams building repeatable business processes, n8n is the proven choice.

The smartest teams we work with often combine two or even all three of these tools, using each where it has the clearest advantage.

About KumoHQ
KumoHQ is a software development consultancy that helps mid-size companies build, integrate, and scale AI-powered systems. We have hands-on experience deploying OpenClaw, Manus AI, n8n, and dozens of other automation platforms. Whether you need a custom AI agent, a workflow overhaul, or a second opinion on your tech stack, our team can help. Learn more at kumohq.co.