Manus-Powered Browser Use Goes Viral

The Rising Popularity of Browser Use Following Manus's Viral Success

The recent surge in attention surrounding Manus, a novel AI “agent” platform developed by Chinese startup Butterfly Effect, has inadvertently boosted the visibility of a complementary AI tool known as Browser Use.

Explosive Growth in Downloads

Browser Use, designed to enhance website accessibility for agentic applications that automate tasks on behalf of users, has witnessed a remarkable increase in adoption over the past week. Co-creator Gregor Zunic reported to TechCrunch that daily downloads have increased more than fivefold, jumping from approximately 5,000 on March 3rd to 28,000 by March 10th.

“The last several days have been exceptionally dynamic,” Zunic communicated. “We currently hold the position of the most trending repository on GitHub, and the substantial download numbers translate directly into significant usage statistics.”

The Manus Connection

This growth is directly linked to a widely circulated post on X (formerly Twitter) detailing how Manus utilizes Browser Use, which garnered over 2.4 million views and numerous shares. Browser Use functions as a key component within Manus, enabling the execution of tasks such as navigating website menus and completing online forms.

Origins and Development

Zunic, alongside Magnus Müller, founded the company behind Browser Use last year, emerging from the ETH Zurich’s Student Project House accelerator program. They initially anticipated that web agents – autonomous systems capable of navigating websites and web applications – would become a prominent trend in 2025.

“Our project began as informal discussions during lunch breaks, evolving into a challenge: to create a minimal viable product, share it on Hacker News, and observe the response,” Zunic explained. “We developed an MVP within four days, launched it, and immediately achieved the top spot. Since then, its growth has been incredibly rapid.”

How Browser Use Works

Browser Use functions by extracting the essential elements of a website – including buttons and widgets – to facilitate seamless interaction with AI models. The tool supports the management of multiple browser tabs, automation of actions like file saving and database operations, and the simulation of mouse and keyboard inputs.

Pricing and Availability

While Browser Use the company offers paid managed plans, a free, self-hosted version of the software is also available. It is this free version that has experienced the recent surge in popularity following the unveiling of Manus.

A Foundation for Web Agents

Zunic describes their strategy as providing the essential tools – “selling a shovel” – to developers capitalizing on the burgeoning market for web agents.

“Our goal was to establish a foundational layer upon which others can build browser agents,” Zunic stated. “We believe that the number of agents operating on the web will surpass the number of human users before the year concludes.”

Market Projections

Although this prediction may seem ambitious, several industry analysts forecast substantial growth within the AI agent market in the coming months. Research and Markets projects the sector to reach $42 billion by 2029. Deloitte anticipates that by 2027, half of all companies utilizing AI will have deployed AI agents.

Fortuitous Timing

Beyond the impact of Manus, Browser Use’s launch appears to have been exceptionally well-timed.

Updated 12:45 p.m. Pacific: A previous iteration of this article incorrectly identified the tool as “Browser User” in the headline. We apologize for this error.