GUI vs. CLI: Execution Bottlenecks in Screen-Only and Skill-Mediated Computer-Use Agents

A new benchmark study evaluates the performance of graphical user interface (GUI) agents versus command-line interface (CLI) agents in executing software tasks across 440 desktop tasks. The strongest GUI agent achieved a 59.1% full pass rate, while the best original-skill CLI agent reached 48.2%, with skill augmentation improving CLI success to 69.3%. This research highlights that GUI agents struggle with long-horizon workflows due to grounded interaction limitations, whereas CLI agents face challenges related to skill coverage and scalability, providing insights for practitioners developing AI agents in diverse execution environments.