#3737th of 48 in Agent frameworks and SDKs

agent-framework

Microsoft's Python and .NET framework for agents and multi-agent workflows

Documentation ↗ Website ↗ Repository on GitHub ↗

Stars: 14k
License: MIT
Last commit: Oct 2026
Last release: Oct 2026
Language: Python

Missed the latest GitHub check; these facts may be older.

Overview

Microsoft Agent Framework is a code-first library for building agents and graph-based multi-agent workflows in Python and .NET. Workflows support sequential, concurrent, handoff and group patterns, with checkpointing, streaming and human-in-the-loop. It includes middleware, OpenTelemetry tracing, YAML declarative agents, and a DevUI for testing. It is positioned as the successor path for Semantic Kernel and AutoGen users.

Who it is for: .NET and Python teams taking multi-agent systems to production

Strengths

Same agent and workflow APIs in Python and .NET, with a separate Go SDK
Graph workflows with checkpointing, streaming, human-in-the-loop and time-travel
Built-in OpenTelemetry tracing and a middleware pipeline
Migration guides from Semantic Kernel and AutoGen

Weaknesses

Quickstarts target Microsoft Foundry and Azure credentials; other providers need extra setup
Durable Task and Azure Functions hosting live in a separate extension repo
Experimental features sit in a separate lab package
Go SDK is maintained in a different repository

What it needs

no GPU
Needs Microsoft Foundry or Azure OpenAI or OpenAI (LLM provider), Azure CLI (for az login in quickstart)
Models: Microsoft Foundry, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, GitHub Copilot SDK

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#5	copilotkitSDK for adding agent chat, generative UI and shared state to apps38k starsMIT	87 out of 100

How to choose

Pick by language first (Python or TypeScript), then by how much the framework hides.
Check how it handles tool errors and retries; that is where agents break in production.
Look for tracing hooks so you can see each step later.

Health

Releases: Not checked
Top contributor: Not checked
Security advisories: Not checked
Package advisories: Not checked
OpenSSF Scorecard: Not checked

Not read for this project yet: each refresh reads the facts of a few projects. Bots and coding-agent accounts are left out of the commit counts. Not part of the score: how we check.

License in plain words

MIT Permissive

Use it at work: Yes
Change it and rebrand it: Yes
Sell it or host it for others: Yes

Your part: Keep the copyright and license notice in copies you ship.

A plain summary, not legal advice. Read the license on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)

#37 of 48 in Agent frameworks and SDKs on Archestack, as of 15 Oct 2026.

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