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Home/Categories/Backend Development/Manifest
icon of Manifest

Manifest

Open source alternative to Xano, Firebase and AWS Amplify

  • 7.6K stars
  • MIT
  • Active this week
  • Last commit 1 day ago

Last verified Oct 20, 2026

Manifest is an open source backend that fits into a single YAML file, providing auth, CRUD, storage, and an admin panel for AI-assisted development workflows. MIT licensed; runs on Node.js.

Visit websiteGitHub7.6K starsDeploy on Hostinger
image of Manifest
TL;DR

Manifest is an MIT-licensed smart model router for AI agents and applications that need to cut LLM cost without hardcoding every provider decision. It routes requests across API keys, subscriptions, local models, and custom OpenAI-compatible providers from a self-hosted Docker service. Best for AI product teams that call several model providers and want routing control before building their own gateway.

Read the full breakdownHide the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ
who it's for

Who Manifest is for#

AI products reducing model spend

Manifest helps teams route simple requests to cheaper models while preserving access to stronger models for complex work.

Skip if:

Use one provider directly if your app has low model volume and does not need routing, fallback, or cost controls.

Agent teams standardizing provider access

Teams can put multiple model backends behind one gateway instead of wiring every agent to every provider separately.

Skip if:

Skip it if vendor-managed observability, enterprise SLAs, and a hosted AI gateway are required.

the problem

The problem it solves#

AI apps often start with one model API, then grow into a mix of premium models, cheaper fallbacks, local models, and subscription-backed providers. Without a routing layer, developers scatter provider logic across application code and lose visibility into cost, fallback behavior, and model selection.

Managed AI gateways can solve routing, but they add another vendor to a sensitive part of the stack. Teams that already manage model keys and local inference may want a self-hosted control point instead.

how Manifest solves it

How it solves it#

Smart model routing

Manifest routes each query to a model based on complexity, specificity, and custom HTTP headers, helping teams reserve expensive models for requests that need them.

Provider mix in one gateway

The README documents API keys, paid subscriptions, local models, and custom OpenAI-compatible providers behind the same routing layer.

Cost tracking and controls

Manifest tracks spend and supports notifications and limits, giving teams a clearer view of LLM usage before bills grow.

Self-hosted Docker deployment

The project ships as a Docker image with a one-command self-hosted installer and a local admin account created on first sign-up.

MIT license

The GitHub repository reports MIT licensing, which is permissive for commercial and internal use.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Fast model-gateway setupManifest gives teams a routing layer without building provider selection, fallback behavior, and spend tracking from scratch.
  • Useful for AI-assisted productsAgents and AI apps can route routine calls to cheaper models while keeping stronger models available for harder prompts.
  • Keeps routing under team controlSelf-hosting lets teams manage keys, provider choices, and model policy closer to their own infrastructure.

Trade-offs

  • -Routing quality needs tuningA model router only helps if its policies match the product's quality bar. Teams should test routing decisions against real prompts before trusting cost savings.
  • -Provider limits still applyManifest can route across providers, but each upstream model API, subscription, or local runtime still has its own reliability, latency, and terms.
versus alternatives

Manifest vs alternatives#

Manifest vs Portkey

Manifest and Portkey both sit between AI applications and model providers, but Manifest emphasizes a self-hosted smart router with local models, paid subscriptions, API keys, and custom providers behind one gateway. Portkey is a managed AI gateway with hosted observability, policy, and enterprise workflow features.

Manifest is the better fit when a team wants a lightweight self-hosted router and direct control over model provider choices. Portkey is still better when the organization wants a managed AI gateway with vendor-operated dashboards, enterprise controls, and less infrastructure ownership.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash
bash <(curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mnfst/manifest/main/docker/install.sh)
tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
JavaScriptTypeScript
Frameworks
NestJSReact
Databases
PostgreSQL
Infrastructure
AWS
frequently asked

FAQ#

What does Manifest do?

Manifest routes AI requests across model providers, local models, and subscription-backed providers while tracking cost and fallback behavior.

Is Manifest self-hosted?

Yes. Manifest ships as a Docker image and includes a self-hosted install script in the official README.

Is Manifest still a backend generator?

No. The current README says the legacy manifest npm package is deprecated and no longer published. The project now focuses on model routing for agents and AI applications.

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Hostinger

Run Manifest on your own server

Self-host Manifest on a Hostinger VPS.

Deploy on Hostinger

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