When should I choose Catalyst over AWS Step Functions?

Choose Catalyst over AWS Step Functions primarily for long-running, non-deterministic agentic workloads. Step Functions is optimized for predefined cloud-native serverless workflows with fixed, predictable key step sequences, while Catalyst supports portable, distributed agent runs tailored for flexible, unstructured agentic task execution. Teams already using Step Functions for standard day-to-day serverless work may not need to shift unless they add specific agentic task requirements to their existing core operational workflows.