# Choose Your Path

> Decide which Aerostack product fits your use case — bots, agent endpoints, MCP hosting, raw SDK, or full SaaS backend.

Aerostack offers several ways to build AI-powered backends. Here's how to decide which one fits your use case.

## Quick Decision Tree

**"I want to..."**

- **...expose an API endpoint** → [Functions](/functions)
- **...build a chatbot on Discord/Telegram/WhatsApp/Slack** → [Bots](/bots)
- **...give an LLM access to external services** → [Workspaces](/workspaces) + [MCP Servers](/mcp)
- **...deploy a prompt as a REST API with tool-use** → [Agent Endpoints](/agent-endpoints)
- **...orchestrate multi-step logic with conditions and approvals** → [Workflows](/bots/workflows/) (configured inside Bots or Agent Endpoints)
- **...let an AI agent manage my infrastructure** → [Agent Automation](/agent-automation)

## Comparison Table

| Feature | Functions | Bots | Agent Endpoints | Workflows |
|---------|-----------|------|-----------------|-----------|
| **What it is** | Edge-deployed REST APIs | AI chatbots on messaging platforms | Prompts deployed as REST APIs | Visual logic orchestration |
| **Best for** | Custom backend logic, CRUD, webhooks | Customer support, community management | AI-powered API routes with tool-use | Multi-step processes with approvals |
| **LLM required?** | No | Yes | Yes | Optional (LLM nodes available) |
| **Connects to MCP tools?** | Via code | Via workspace | Via workspace | Via MCP tool nodes |
| **Deploys as** | REST endpoint | Bot on 5 platforms | REST endpoint with streaming | Runs inside bot or agent endpoint |
| **Setup time** | 3 min | 5 min | 5 min | 10 min |

## Common Combinations

### Customer Support System
**Bots** (user-facing chat) + **Workflows** (escalation logic) + **Workspace** (Stripe, Zendesk, CRM tools)

### AI-Powered API
**Agent Endpoints** (REST API) + **Workspace** (GitHub, Notion, Slack tools)

### Internal Automation
**Workflows** (scheduled triggers) + **Functions** (custom logic) + **Workspace** (external service tools)

### Developer Platform
**Functions** (backend APIs) + **MCP Servers** (publish tools for other developers)

## Still Unsure?

Start with a **workspace** — it's the foundation. Connect a few MCP servers, then decide whether to expose them via a bot, an agent endpoint, or a custom function.

Or use the [AI Assistant](https://app.aerostack.dev/assistant) — describe what you want to build and it will set everything up for you.