> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.recursiv.io/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.recursiv.io/_mcp/server.

# Recursiv vs Vercel AI SDK

## How Does Recursiv Compare to the Vercel AI SDK?

The Vercel AI SDK is excellent for streaming LLM responses into a UI inside a Next.js app. It handles the client and the streaming layer well. Recursiv is the whole backend and the agent runtime behind it: data, deploy, memory, orchestration and govern, model agnostic.

The differentiator is scope. The AI SDK lives in your frontend and helps you render model output. Recursiv runs the agents on the platform and provides the backend your app talks to, so you get the runtime and the data layer, not just the streaming.

## Quick Comparison

| Capability        | Recursiv                                     | Vercel AI SDK                  |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| Type              | Backend and agent runtime                    | Frontend and streaming library |
| Streaming UI      | Supported via SDK                            | Core strength                  |
| Model support     | Any model, swap anytime                      | Any model via providers        |
| Agents and swarms | Built in                                     | Build the backend yourself     |
| Memory            | Brain and memory built in                    | Bring your own store           |
| Orchestration     | Dispatcher and jobs                          | Bring your own runtime         |
| Code execution    | Managed sandboxes                            | Bring your own                 |
| Data and storage  | Postgres and object storage                  | Bring your own                 |
| Auth              | Built in                                     | Bring your own                 |
| Deploy            | Deployments built in                         | Vercel hosting                 |
| Govern            | Scoped identity, approvals, audit, self-eval | Build it yourself              |

## When the Vercel AI SDK Is the Better Choice

* Your need is a streaming chat or completion UI in a Next.js app and the backend is already handled
* You want a lightweight client library rather than a backend platform
* You are committed to the Vercel stack for hosting and your data layer
* You are not running autonomous agents and do not need memory, orchestration or govern

## Best Together

Recursiv and the Vercel AI SDK can complement each other. Use the AI SDK for the streaming UI in your Next.js frontend and point it at Recursiv as the backend and agent runtime, model agnostic, with data, deploy and govern.

## Get Started

If you need the whole backend and the agent runtime behind your UI, start with the [quickstart](/guides/start-here/quickstart).