II.
Page reference
Reading · 2 minpage:agent-generate-universal-agentic-stack-comparison-matrix
Comparison Matrix reference
This page compresses the handbook into one comparison surface. Use it when you want to compare product shapes quickly before reading the detail pages.
Comparison Matrix
This page compresses the handbook into one comparison surface. Use it when you want to compare product shapes quickly before reading the detail pages.
Legend:
strongmeans the product shape usually owns that layer directlypartialmeans it often owns part of the layer or exposes it through another hostdelegatedmeans the layer usually exists outside the product
Product-shape matrix
| Product shape | 1-3 Model supply | 4-6 Agent system | 7-9 Operating boundary | 10-11 Surface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bare model API | strong | delegated | delegated | partial |
| Model gateway | strong in 2-3 | delegated | delegated | partial |
| Agent framework library | delegated | strong | delegated | delegated |
| Coding agent CLI | delegated or partial | strong | strong or partial | strong |
| Hosted agent platform | partial | strong | strong or partial | strong |
| IDE extension over an agent | delegated | delegated or partial | partial | strong |
What the matrix is good for
- spotting over-claimed products quickly
- separating visible UI strength from deeper system ownership
- comparing two products that feel similar but own different parts of the stack
What the matrix is not for
- final classification of a specific product
- edge cases where one product bundles another
- situations where deployment mode changes the layer boundary
For those cases, continue with `03-placement-checklist.md` and `layers.md`.