Single agent or multiple agents: which is better?

The single-agent default

A single agent with a good set of tools is simpler to build, test, and debug. For many tasks it is enough, and it avoids the extra coordination cost that comes with multiple agents passing work between each other.

When multiple agents help

Splitting work across agents can help when a task has distinct roles, such as one agent that researches and another that writes and checks, or when different steps need very different tools. The benefit is separation of concerns; the cost is more moving parts and more ways to fail.

Coordination is the hard part

Multi-agent systems add questions about who decides, how results are passed, and how to avoid agents working at cross purposes. Starting with one agent and splitting only when a clear boundary appears is a common, practical path.

This article is general educational information, not technical, legal or business advice. AI agent capabilities, tools and costs change quickly, so verify current details and check important output before relying on it.