> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gym.scale.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environment Comparison

> Compare Website, Desktop, and MCP environments to choose the right one for your use case

Scale Gymnasium offers three distinct environment types, each designed for different agent capabilities. This page helps you choose the right environment for your evaluation needs.

## At a Glance

| Aspect              | Website           | Desktop                   | MCP               |
| ------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------- | ----------------- |
| **Agent Type**      | GUI agents        | Computer-use agents (CUA) | Tool-use agents   |
| **Interaction**     | Web UI navigation | Screenshots + commands    | Function calls    |
| **State**           | Database          | VM filesystem + apps      | Server databases  |
| **Verifier Access** | API endpoint      | Web UI only               | Web UI only       |
| **Scaling**         | High (containers) | Medium (VMs)              | High (containers) |

***

## Website Environments

<Card title="Best for: GUI-based agents that navigate web interfaces" icon="globe" />

### What's Available

| Application            | Description               |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------- |
| 📅 **Calendr**         | Calendar application      |
| 📁 **Cloudfile**       | Cloud storage application |
| 🛍️ **Shopora**        | E-commerce platform       |
| 📧 **Pandora's Inbox** | Email application         |

### Key Characteristics

| Feature              | Description                               |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Interaction Mode** | Web UI navigation, form filling, clicking |
| **State Management** | SQLite database per session               |
| **Logging**          | Automatic capture of all UI interactions  |
| **Verification**     | State checks, log checks, rubric checks   |
| **Data Packs**       | Multiple pre-configured scenarios         |

### Ideal For

* Testing agents that interact with web applications
* Evaluating form-filling and navigation capabilities
* Multi-step workflow automation
* E-commerce and productivity app testing

[Explore Website Environments →](/environments/website/overview)

***

## Desktop Environments

<Card title="Best for: Computer-use agents that control full operating systems" icon="desktop" />

### What's Available

| Platform       | Description                 |
| -------------- | --------------------------- |
| 🪟 **Windows** | Windows desktop environment |
| 🐧 **Ubuntu**  | Linux desktop environment   |
| 🍎 **macOS**   | Mac desktop environment     |

### Key Characteristics

| Feature              | Description                                 |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Interaction Mode** | Screenshots, mouse/keyboard, shell commands |
| **State Management** | Full VM filesystem and applications         |
| **Observation**      | Screenshot capture, accessibility tree      |
| **Verification**     | Gold standard comparison via Web UI         |
| **Initialization**   | Script-based task setup                     |

### Ideal For

* Testing agents that use native desktop applications
* Evaluating visual understanding and navigation
* Cross-application workflows
* Office productivity automation

[Explore Desktop Environments →](/environments/desktop/overview)

***

## MCP Environment

<Card title="Best for: Tool-use agents that call functions and APIs" icon="wrench" />

### What's Available

* **45+ MCP servers** covering productivity, business, communication, e-commerce, and more
* **300+ tools** for comprehensive capability testing

### Server Categories

| Category      | Examples                    |
| ------------- | --------------------------- |
| Productivity  | Calendar, Reminders, Notes  |
| Business      | CRM, QuickBooks, Invoicing  |
| Communication | Email, Slack, SMS           |
| E-commerce    | Shopping, Orders, Inventory |
| Development   | GitHub, Jira, Documentation |

### Key Characteristics

| Feature              | Description                             |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Interaction Mode** | Tool calls with structured parameters   |
| **State Management** | SQLite database per server              |
| **Observation**      | Show Data endpoint for state inspection |
| **Verification**     | LLM Judge evaluation via Web UI         |
| **Protocol**         | Model Context Protocol (MCP)            |

### Ideal For

* Testing agents that use function calling
* Evaluating multi-tool workflows
* API-based automation
* Business process automation

[Explore MCP Environment →](/environments/mcp/overview)

***

## Decision Guide

### By Agent Capability

| If your agent...                    | Use...                     |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Navigates web pages and fills forms | Website Environments       |
| Uses screenshots and mouse/keyboard | Desktop Environments       |
| Calls tools and functions           | MCP Environment            |
| Does multiple of the above          | Test each environment type |

### By Task Type

| If your task involves...    | Use...                   |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Web application workflows   | Website Environments     |
| Native desktop applications | Desktop Environments     |
| API integrations            | MCP Environment          |
| Document editing            | Desktop Environments     |
| E-commerce flows            | Website (Shopora) or MCP |
| Calendar/scheduling         | Website (Calendr) or MCP |

### By Evaluation Needs

| If you need...            | Use...                      |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| High parallelism          | Website or MCP (containers) |
| Visual testing            | Desktop (screenshots)       |
| Programmatic verification | Website (API verifier)      |
| Real application testing  | Desktop (full apps)         |

***

## Combining Environments

Some evaluations may benefit from multiple environment types:

| Scenario                       | Environments               |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------- |
| Full-stack agent testing       | All three                  |
| Comparing UI vs API approaches | Website + MCP              |
| Cross-platform testing         | Multiple Desktop platforms |

***

## Common Design Principles

All environments share these architectural properties:

| Principle             | Description                                                                 |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Session Isolation** | Sessions cannot access each other's data; `sessionId` scopes all operations |
| **Clean Slate Reset** | Full reset returns to known initial state                                   |
| **Reproducibility**   | Data packs ensure consistent starting conditions                            |
| **Observability**     | Complete audit trail of interactions                                        |
| **Consistent APIs**   | Reset, query, verify, and health patterns across all types                  |

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Website Environments" icon="globe" href="/environments/website/overview">
    Explore web applications
  </Card>

  <Card title="Desktop Environments" icon="desktop" href="/environments/desktop/overview">
    Explore VM platforms
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP Environment" icon="wrench" href="/environments/mcp/overview">
    Explore MCP servers
  </Card>
</CardGroup>