--- title: "hive vs agency" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/aden-hive-hive-vs-operand-agency" tools: ["aden-hive-hive", "operand-agency"] --- # hive vs agency *GraphCanon updated Aug 21, 2026* ## Verdict Pick hive if hive is a multi-agent framework designed specifically for production-level AI applications, emphasizing agent automation and self-improvement through a Python-based environment; pick agency if agency is a fast and minimal Python-based framework for developing agentic systems that excels in its streamlined approach to creating autonomous agents. [hive](https://github.com/aden-hive/hive) reports 11k GitHub stars, 5.7k forks, and 1.3k open issues, last pushed Aug 19, 2026. [agency](https://createwith.agency) has 489 stars, 28 forks, and 19 open issues, last pushed Jun 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [hive's repository](https://github.com/aden-hive/hive) and [agency's repository](https://github.com/operand/agency). | | [hive](/tools/aden-hive-hive.md) | [agency](/tools/operand-agency.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Multi-Agent Harness for Production AI | A fast and minimal framework for building agentic systems | | Stars | 10,926 | 489 | | Forks | 5,668 | 28 | | Open issues | 1,338 | 19 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | Hive is a multi-agent framework designed specifically for production-level AI applications, emphasizing agent automation and self-improvement through a Python-based environment. | Agency is a fast and minimal Python-based framework for developing agentic systems that excels in its streamlined approach to creating autonomous agents. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents | AI Agents | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [hive](/tools/aden-hive-hive.md) | [agency](/tools/operand-agency.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Steady (60%) | | Days since push | 0d | 71d | | Open issues (now) | 1.3k | 19 | | Stars delta | +192 (30d) | +2 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +25 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/aden-hive-hive/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/operand-agency/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [hive](/tools/aden-hive-hive.md) - Python runtime; [agency](/tools/operand-agency.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: hive - **Requirements:** Hive cannot be installed using 'pip install'. Instead, users must follow specific setup instructions including the quickstart script provided in the README.; The framework requires use of a `uv` workspace layout for correct functionality. - **Adopt for:** Hive is a multi-agent framework designed specifically for production-level AI applications, emphasizing agent automation and self-improvement through a Python-based environment. ## Decision facts: agency - **Adopt for:** Agency is a fast and minimal Python-based framework for developing agentic systems that excels in its streamlined approach to creating autonomous agents. ## Choose when ### Choose hive if… - License: hive is Apache-2.0, agency is MIT. - Requirements: Hive cannot be installed using 'pip install'. Instead, users must follow specific setup instructions including the quickstart script provided in the README.; The framework requires use of a `uv` workspace layout for correct functionality.. - Tags unique to hive: automation, openai, self-hosted. - Use Hive when you need an advanced multi-agent system designed to support autonomous operation and continuous improvement in production environments. ### Choose agency if… - License: agency is MIT, hive is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to agency: actor-model, autonomous-agents. - When you prefer a lightweight solution for building autonomous agent systems without the need for extensive configuration or complex dependencies. ## When NOT to use hive - Avoid using Hive if you prefer lightweight, easy-to-install tools since it does not support installation via pip and has specific setup requirements. - Do not use if the requirement is for a tool that can be immediately deployed without setting up a uv workspace layout environment as specified by the Hive documentation. ## When NOT to use agency - If your development requires deeply integrated functionalities that would necessitate a heavier, more feature-rich framework. - In scenarios where you need robust tooling for large-scale deployment and management as Agency does not offer extensive LLMOps (LLM Operations) capabilities beyond its minimalistic design. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between hive and agency? hive: Multi-Agent Harness for Production AI. agency: A fast and minimal framework for building agentic systems. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose hive over agency? Choose hive over agency when License: hive is Apache-2.0, agency is MIT; Requirements: Hive cannot be installed using 'pip install'. Instead, users must follow specific setup instructions including the quickstart script provided in the README.; The framework requires use of a `uv` workspace layout for correct functionality.; Tags unique to hive: automation, openai, self-hosted; Use Hive when you need an advanced multi-agent system designed to support autonomous operation and continuous improvement in production environments. ### When should I choose agency over hive? Choose agency over hive when License: agency is MIT, hive is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to agency: actor-model, autonomous-agents; When you prefer a lightweight solution for building autonomous agent systems without the need for extensive configuration or complex dependencies. ### When should I avoid hive? Avoid using Hive if you prefer lightweight, easy-to-install tools since it does not support installation via pip and has specific setup requirements. Do not use if the requirement is for a tool that can be immediately deployed without setting up a uv workspace layout environment as specified by the Hive documentation. ### When should I avoid agency? If your development requires deeply integrated functionalities that would necessitate a heavier, more feature-rich framework. In scenarios where you need robust tooling for large-scale deployment and management as Agency does not offer extensive LLMOps (LLM Operations) capabilities beyond its minimalistic design. ### Is hive or agency more popular on GitHub? hive has more GitHub stars (10,926 vs 489). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are hive and agency open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (hive: Apache-2.0, agency: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to hive or agency? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [hive alternatives](/tools/aden-hive-hive/alternatives) and [agency alternatives](/tools/operand-agency/alternatives) ([hive markdown twin](/tools/aden-hive-hive/alternatives.md), [agency markdown twin](/tools/operand-agency/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/aden-hive-hive-vs-operand-agency.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, hive or agency? hive: Very active. agency: Steady. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for hive and agency? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [hive trust report](/tools/aden-hive-hive/trust); [agency trust report](/tools/operand-agency/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=aden-hive-hive`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=aden-hive-hive) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_