MCP, A2A, and Pilot Protocol Are Not Competing. Your Agent Stack Probably Needs All Three.

📰 Dev.to AI

Understand how MCP, A2A, and Pilot Protocol complement each other in the agent stack, and why choosing one over the others doesn't make sense

intermediate Published 11 May 2026

Action Steps

Identify the layers of the agent stack and the protocols that operate at each layer
Understand the features and functionality of MCP, A2A, and Pilot Protocol
Determine how each protocol contributes to the overall functionality of the agent stack
Design an agent stack that incorporates all three protocols as needed
Implement and test the agent stack to ensure seamless interaction between the protocols

Who Needs to Know This

Developers and architects working with AI agents will benefit from understanding the different layers of the agent stack and how these protocols interact

Key Insight

💡 MCP, A2A, and Pilot Protocol are complementary protocols that operate at different layers of the agent stack, and choosing one over the others is not a valid question