> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.utopikai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How agents differ from assistants

> When to use an assistant vs an agent in UtopikAI

In UtopikAI, **assistants** and **agents** are separate entities, not two modes of the same thing.

An **assistant** is for interactive chat — people ask questions and work with it in real time. An **agent** is for work that runs on its own, on a schedule, or inside a workflow. Agents have a chat UI too, but they are built for unattended or automated runs.

Each assistant and each agent has its own models, knowledge, skills, tools, and prompts. Changing one does not affect the other.

|                 | **Assistants**                         | **Agents**                                                  |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **For**         | Interactive chat and Q\&A              | Autonomous or scheduled work                                |
| **Where**       | Chat UI                                | Chat UI, plus workflows and tasks                           |
| **MCP servers** | Not used                               | Can attach MCP servers                                      |
| **Use when**    | People will talk to it in a Q\&A style | Work should run on its own, on a schedule, or in a workflow |

Do not use an assistant as a substitute for unattended runs — create an **agent** instead.

Both use the same style of setup: identity, access, knowledge and tools, Prompt Library, advanced settings, space access, optional tasks, then publish.

You can start with built-in options such as **General**, **Art**, and **Search**, or create your own.

## Related documentation

* [Assistants](/guides/assistants_overview)
* [Creating Assistants](/guides/assistants)
* [Agents](/guides/agents_overview)
* [Creating Agents](/guides/agents)
* [Introduction](/introduction#assistants-and-agents)
* [FAQ](/more/faq#how-agents-differ-from-assistants)