Alternatives
View SourceThis guide explores alternative solutions to building agent and workflow systems in Elixir. Understanding these alternatives helps you make informed decisions about when to use Jido versus other approaches.
Built-in Elixir Solutions
Agent Module
The built-in Agent module provides simple state management without the complexity of full agent systems. Use it when you need basic state management without complex behaviors or signal routing.
{:ok, agent} = Agent.start_link(fn -> %{} end)
Agent.update(agent, fn state -> Map.put(state, :key, "value") end)
GenServer
GenServer offers process management and state machines. Choose it for direct process communication and simple request/response patterns without complex workflows.
Data Processing Frameworks
Broadway
Broadway excels at data ingestion and processing. Ideal for stream processing with back-pressure and rate limiting, without agent-based decision making.
Flow
Flow provides data-flow processing for parallel operations. Best for MapReduce-style operations when you don't need persistent agent state.
Oban
Oban offers PostgreSQL-backed job processing. Choose it for durable background jobs and scheduling without agent behaviors.
Agent Systems
Swarm.ex
Swarm.ex provides a swarm intelligence framework. Suitable for collective behavior simulations and distributed problem-solving without Jido's focus on individual agent reasoning.
When to Choose Jido
Select Jido when you need:
- Complex agent behaviors with multi-step reasoning
- Distributed intelligence with sensor-driven responses
- Extensible architecture with custom skills and pluggable sensors
Want to add or edit this list? Open a pull request.
For a broader list of Elixir packages, visit Awesome Elixir.