The Protocol Landscape: UCP vs ACP vs MCP
This triad of protocols forms the backbone of the agentic economy. Use the diagram below to understand their distinct focus areas and how they intersect.
Strategic Comparison
While all three protocols enable smarter AI, their primary "unit of work" differs significantly:
| Protocol | Primary Focus | Best Starting Point | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | UCP | Action & Commerce | If you are a merchant wanting agents to buy from you. | | ACP | Platform Connection | If you are a payment rail or an interoperability hub. | | MCP | Context & Knowledge | If you are a data provider wanting agents to understand your files. |
Quick Decision Guide
- Choose UCP if your agent needs to execute a Transaction (booking a flight, buying a shirt).
- Choose ACP if your agent needs to communicate across Isolated Systems.
- Choose MCP if your agent needs to read Private Data or enterprise knowledge bases.