Comparison
agent-control vs agency
Verdict
Pick agent-control if agent-control is a highly configurable and extensible centralized agent control system that governs runtime behavior of agents at scale via UI or SDK/API; 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.
Markdown twin · agent-control alternatives · agency alternatives
GraphCanon updated 1w
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | agent-control | agency |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (2d since push) As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Steady (40d since push) As of 1mo · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of 1mo · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- agent-control
- Centralized agent control plane for governing runtime agent behavior at scale
- agency
- A fast and minimal framework for building agentic systems
Stars
- agent-control
- 289
- agency
- 487
Forks
- agent-control
- 44
- agency
- 28
Open issues
- agent-control
- 36
- agency
- 19
Language
- agent-control
- Python
- agency
- Python
Adopt for
- agent-control
- agent-control is a highly configurable and extensible centralized agent control system that governs runtime behavior of agents at scale via UI or SDK/API.
- agency
- Agency is a fast and minimal Python-based framework for developing agentic systems that excels in its streamlined approach to creating autonomous agents.
Persona
- agent-control
- -
- agency
- -
Runtime
- agent-control
- -
- agency
- -
License
- agent-control
- Apache-2.0
- agency
- MIT
Last pushed
- agent-control
- Aug 6, 2026
- agency
- Jun 10, 2026
Categories
- agent-control
- AI Agents
- agency
- AI Agents
Trust and health
Maintenance
- agent-control
- Very active (96%)
- agency
- Steady (60%)
Days since push
- agent-control
- 2d
- agency
- 40d
Open issues (now)
- agent-control
- 36
- agency
- 19
Owner type
- agent-control
- Organization
- agency
- User
Full report
- agent-control
- Trust report
- agency
- Trust report
Shared compatibility
- Python · agent-control: Python runtime · agency: Python runtime
Choose agent-control if…
- License: agent-control is Apache-2.0, agency is MIT.
- Tags unique to agent-control: agentic-workflow, ai safety, guardrails, llm.
- agent-control ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- Use agent-control if you need to centrally manage the behavior of multiple AI agents in production environments.
When NOT to use agent-control
- Avoid using agent-control when your project does not require centralized control for large-scale AI agent management.
- Not recommended if your setup is simplistic or relies solely on languages other than Python or TypeScript, since the tool primarily supports these two.
Choose agency if…
- License: agency is MIT, agent-control is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to agency: actor-model, agent-framework, 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 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.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (agentcontrol/agent-control) · observed Aug 9, 2026
- GitHub forks (agentcontrol/agent-control) · observed Aug 9, 2026
- Last push (agentcontrol/agent-control) · observed Aug 6, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Aug 9, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (operand/agency) · observed Jul 21, 2026
- GitHub forks (operand/agency) · observed Jul 21, 2026
- Last push (operand/agency) · observed Jun 10, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 21, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 12, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: agent-control 289 · agency 487 (synced Aug 9, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between agent-control and agency?
- agent-control: Centralized agent control plane for governing runtime agent behavior at scale. 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 agent-control over agency?
- Choose agent-control over agency when License: agent-control is Apache-2.0, agency is MIT; Tags unique to agent-control: agentic-workflow, ai safety, guardrails, llm; agent-control ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; Use agent-control if you need to centrally manage the behavior of multiple AI agents in production environments.
- When should I choose agency over agent-control?
- Choose agency over agent-control when License: agency is MIT, agent-control is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to agency: actor-model, agent-framework, 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 agent-control?
- Avoid using agent-control when your project does not require centralized control for large-scale AI agent management. Not recommended if your setup is simplistic or relies solely on languages other than Python or TypeScript, since the tool primarily supports these two.
- 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 agent-control or agency more popular on GitHub?
- agency has more GitHub stars (487 vs 289). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are agent-control and agency open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (agent-control: Apache-2.0, agency: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to agent-control or agency?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at agent-control alternatives and agency alternatives (agent-control markdown twin, agency markdown twin), 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 mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, agent-control or agency?
- agent-control: 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 agent-control and agency?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: agent-control trust report; agency trust report.