The Analogy:
- AG-UI is the Pipe (The Protocol). It connects the Agent to the User.
- A2UI is the Water (The Payload). It is the actual content flowing through the pipe.
You can send different things through the AG-UI pipe (Text, Images, A2UI JSON), but A2UI is the standard for Generative UI.
The Freedom Spectrum
Where does A2UI fit compared to other approaches?
| Approach | Freedom | Control | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static UI | 🟢 High | 🔴 Low | Chatbot with hardcoded “Product Cards”. |
| A2UI | 🟡 Medium | 🟡 Medium | Agent sending a JSON description of a form. |
| Raw HTML | 🔴 Low | 🟢 High | Agent generating arbitrary <div> tags. |
Why A2UI wins for Enterprise: If you let an Agent generate Raw HTML, it might inject a script tag or break your layout. If you use A2UI, the Agent can only request allowed components. It’s the “Goldilocks Zone” of flexibility and safety.
Ecosystem Comparison
How does A2UI compare to others?
1. A2UI vs Vercel AI SDK
- Vercel AI SDK: Excellent for React-based apps. Focuses on
jsxstreaming. - A2UI: Platform Agnostic. Used when you need the same agent to drive Web (React), iOS (Swift), and Android (Kotlin) simultaneously.
2. A2UI vs OpenAI (Open-JSON-UI)
- OpenAI: Optimized for ChatGPT’s internal rendering.
- A2UI: Optimized for your application. You define the components, you control the styling.
How They Work Together
- The Brain (Agent): Decides to show a “Flight Card”.
- The Format (A2UI): The Agent writes
{ "type": "flight-card" }. - The Truck (AG-UI): Transports this JSON packet to your phone.
- The Factory (Client): Your phone receives the packet and builds a native UI widget.