Workflow vs Agent

Written by

Iris Vance

Updated on:July-08th-2025

There are too many concepts in this industry, such as workflow and intelligent agent. Sometimes it is quite confusing to see the word "Agent" added to the product names of various companies.

What is a Workflow?

Workflow: A fixed process, such as assembly line execution, where each step is carried out according to the rules. Like a factory assembly line, it operates strictly according to the set procedures . It is suitable for structured and predictable tasks.

Going to McDonald's and ordering food is a workflow.

What is an Agent?

Agent: It makes decisions autonomously ( no need to manually design prompt logic and tool calls), has a certain degree of flexibility and adaptability, and adjusts execution methods according to the environment. Like experienced employees, it can flexibly adjust strategies according to the situation . It is suitable for open-ended problems.

Relatively speaking, deliverymen will adjust their behavior according to the actual situation.

One agent = a combination of multiple workflows

The agent can be broken down into multiple subtasks, and each subtask may be a workflow.

When to use workflow and when to use agent?

Solve problems with workflows first and add agent autonomy only when necessary.

If a reasonable execution process can be designed in advance for the task, workflow is preferred because it is more efficient, low-cost and controllable. If the task is complex and changeable, and the LLM needs to plan the steps by itself, the agent can be used, but attention should be paid to cost and error control.

Looking at it this way, some of them are actually not “worthy” of being called intelligent agents. It would be more practical to call them “intelligent workflows” or “automated assistants”. But there is nothing we can do about it. After all, the word “intelligent agent” sounds much more exciting than “workflow”.

What's the use?

Many people may say, what’s the point of understanding it? Isn’t it enough to solve the problem? It doesn’t matter whether it is a workflow or an intelligent agent.

I think it is still somewhat useful, especially for decision makers.

Understanding their essence can help you avoid being fooled by marketing jargon and choose truly useful solutions.

If the task can be performed with a standardized, fixed process, use a workflow, which is simpler, more efficient, more controllable, and more suitable for automated execution.

Intelligent agents should only be considered if the task requires flexible response to complex situations, but the computational cost of intelligent agents is higher and it is more difficult to control the results.

Whether you are making products, optimizing processes, or understanding the actual capabilities of AI, understanding the difference between the two can help you better plan solutions.

For example, the customer service system

99% of common questions (like “How do I get a refund?”) can be handled automatically with workflows.

However, when encountering emotional users, an intelligent agent is needed to judge and adjust the response method.

For example, internal automation in enterprises,

Workflow is suitable for approval processes, financial reimbursement, order processing, etc.

Intelligent agents are suitable for data analysis, intelligent recommendations, personalized customer service, etc.

It also helps to make smarter decisions and avoid detours, right?

other

Is the big model itself an agent? Is the agent the big model?

I don't think so. The current large model looks more like a brain. Do we need to add eyes, hands, and other things to it? After all, the intelligent agent has to do the work at the execution level.

Intelligent agent = brain + eyes (perception) + hands (execution) + memory (long-term knowledge) + feedback mechanism (optimization)

It must be a robot!

When the big model of the future develops to a certain stage, it will most likely be the intelligent agent itself. In that case, the intelligent agent is the big model itself.

So is the big model + MCP considered an intelligent agent?

If the large model fully internalizes MCP (i.e., it can manage multiple tasks, dynamically plan, adjust strategies, and collaborate like a multi-agent system), then it can be called an agent.

In other words, they are all "plug-ins" now. They are just a way to make LLM smarter, so they are not yet intelligent entities.

What is MCP?

To be honest, I am still confused about this thing. I will tell you after I experience more scenes...

Finally, I want to pass on the blame: our confusion is essentially that the word "Agent" has been abused.

PS: The first picture is a cat drawn by Midjourney, and the following pictures are from 4o and Claude3.7.