Comparison
The General vs a workflow automation tool
Should I use an AI agent or a workflow automation tool like a trigger-and-action builder?
Short answer
Use a workflow tool when the steps are known and stable; use an agent when deciding the steps is the work.
Why this comparison is hard to answer honestly
A workflow builder is a deterministic machine you specify. An agent is a non-deterministic one you brief. The choice is really a question about how well you can specify the job in advance.
Of the 6 criteria below, the alternative comes out ahead on 3. We publish that rather than hide it, because a comparison written by one of the two options is only worth reading if it is willing to lose.
Side by side
| Criterion | The General | The alternative | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| When the steps are known | Over-specified. You are paying for judgement you do not need. | Ideal, cheap, and auditable. It does exactly what the graph says, every time. | The alternative |
| When the steps depend on what is found | This is what it is for. It reads, decides, and changes course. | Requires a branch for every case you anticipated, and breaks on the ones you did not. | The General |
| Reproducibility | Not guaranteed. The same brief can produce different work, which is a real cost. | Exact. Same input, same output, forever. | The alternative |
| Systems with no API | Reachable, because it drives a real browser. | Usually out of reach unless a connector already exists. | The General |
| Who has to build it | Nobody. You describe the outcome. | Somebody technical, and then somebody has to maintain it when a connector changes. | The General |
| Cost per run | Metered on model usage, so a heavy job is a real cost. | Usually a flat task price, and much lower. | The alternative |
Choose the alternative if
If you can draw the flowchart, build the flowchart. It will be cheaper, faster, more reliable and easier to debug than any agent, and anyone who tells you to use an LLM for a job a webhook can do is selling something.
Choose the General if
If the honest answer to 'what are the steps' is 'it depends what we find', a workflow tool will need a branch you have not thought of within a week.
Other comparisons
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