Claude Code provides three ways to extend behavior. Each serves a different purpose.
Skills
- Applied automatically
- Persistent
- Encode standards and rules
Best for:
- Conventions
- Policies
- Default behavior
Commands
- Run manually
- Explicit
- Repeatable actions
Best for:
- Generation
- Refactors
- Audits
- One-off tasks
Subagents
- Delegated specialists
- Focused roles
- Separate context
Best for:
- Complex workflows
- Role-based responsibilities
- Parallel thinking
Simple decision guide
Skill
“I want Claude to always follow rules”
Command
“I want to run something on demand”
Subagent
“I want a specialist assistant”
Most real workflows use all three together.