Agents
Two runtimes. One stack.
Magic Sites ships two agent runtimes. Pick the one that matches your workload. Most teams use both: Magic Workshop to build, Magic Agent to ship.
At a glance
Edge or Workspace. Same agent stack.
Magic Agent
Edge runtimeRun an agent in production.
Persistent edge agent. Sub-50ms cold start. Persistent memory. Tools as TypeScript, callable from any AI client.
Pick when
- ✓ You're shipping agent traffic to real users
- ✓ You need sub-50ms response times globally
- ✓ You want minimal ops – the runtime is managed
- ✓ Your workloads are message-shaped (chat, tool calls)
Skip when
- × You need to run a long-lived background process
- × You need full Linux + custom binaries
- × You're still iterating on the agent's shape
Magic Workshop
Workspace runtimeBuild the agent first.
Always-on workspace. Browser IDE. Web terminal. Tool gateway. Promote to Magic Agent when ready.
Pick when
- ✓ You're developing or iterating on an agent
- ✓ You need full Linux, custom runtime, custom binaries
- ✓ You're running long jobs, crawlers, headless browsers
- ✓ You're hosting your own tools or services
Skip when
- × You only need to handle short edge requests
- × You don't need a dev environment, just a runtime
- × You're running pure tool calls without state
Decision flow
Pick the right runtime in four questions.
Are you developing or shipping?
Developing → Magic Workshop. Shipping production traffic → Magic Agent. Doing both → use both.
Do you need full Linux?
Yes (browsers, custom binaries, native deps) → Magic Workshop. No (TypeScript runtime is enough) → Magic Agent.
Are your requests short or long?
Short, message-shaped, edge-cached → Magic Agent. Long-running, batch, persistent → Magic Workshop.
Do you want one or both?
Most teams build in Workshop and ship to Agent. The bundle pricing reflects that – Studio and Agency Magic Sites plans include both.
Side-by-side
Specs, head to head.
| Feature | Magic Agent | Magic Workshop |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime model | Persistent edge agent | Always-on workspace |
| Cold start | Sub-50ms | Always-on |
| Linux access | No (lightweight runtime) | Full |
| Browser IDE | n/a | Yes |
| Web terminal | n/a | Pro + Team + Enterprise |
| Tool integration | Built-in per agent | Self-host via gateway |
| Memory model | Database + semantic memory | Persistent disk + your DB |
| Best for | Production agents, chat surfaces, agent endpoints | Agent dev, long jobs, custom runtime |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $39/mo |
Most teams use both.
Build in Magic Workshop. Ship to Magic Agent. Magic Sites bundles both into Studio and Agency plans, so the question isn't which one – it's where to start.