AI Agents vs Chatbots: What are the Real Differences?

Autonomy vs Conversation

Chatbots are designed to respond to prompts, one message at a time. AI agents go further by planning and completing tasks without needing constant human input. That autonomy is what makes agents useful for real workflows, not just conversations.

Tooling and Real Actions

A chatbot can suggest what to do, but it usually can’t do it for you. Agents connect to tools like CRMs, Google Workspace, Slack, and APIs to take real actions. This is where “AI output” becomes real execution inside your stack.

Multi-Step Workflows

Most business tasks aren’t one-step problems. Agents can break a goal into smaller steps, complete them in sequence, and keep track of progress. That ability to run multi-step workflows is what makes them feel like an operator, not a chat window.

Where Each One Fits

Chatbots work well for support, quick answers, and lightweight assistance. Agents are better when you need repeatable automation that saves time and reduces manual work. The best teams often use both—chatbots for communication and agents for execution.