--- title: "AstrBot vs agent-framework" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/astrbotdevs-astrbot-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" tools: ["astrbotdevs-astrbot", "microsoft-agent-framework"] --- # AstrBot vs agent-framework *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick AstrBot if astrBot is an AI agent assistant and development framework that integrates multiple instant messaging platforms, LLMs, plugins, and AI features, offering various deployment methods including cloud, Docker, desktop app, a; pick agent-framework if the agent-framework provides tools for developers to build and deploy AI agents and multi-agent workflows in Python and .NET environments. [AstrBot](https://astrbot.app) reports 41k GitHub stars, 2.9k forks, and 1.5k open issues, last pushed Sep 17, 2026. [agent-framework](https://aka.ms/agent-framework) has 14k stars, 2.3k forks, and 605 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [AstrBot's repository](https://github.com/AstrBotDevs/AstrBot) and [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework). | | [AstrBot](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | AI Agent Assistant & development framework | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | | Stars | 40,647 | 13,573 | | Forks | 2,928 | 2,335 | | Open issues | 1,524 | 605 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | AstrBot is an AI agent assistant and development framework that integrates multiple instant messaging platforms, LLMs, plugins, and AI features, offering various deployment methods including cloud, Docker, desktop app, a | The agent-framework provides tools for developers to build and deploy AI agents and multi-agent workflows in Python and .NET environments. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [AstrBot](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Open issues (now) | 1.5k | 605 | | Stars delta | +1.4k (30d) | +855 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +123 (30d) | -80 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [AstrBot](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot.md) - Python runtime; [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: AstrBot - **Adopt for:** AstrBot is an AI agent assistant and development framework that integrates multiple instant messaging platforms, LLMs, plugins, and AI features, offering various deployment methods including cloud, Docker, desktop app, a ## Decision facts: agent-framework - **Requirements:** Python version 3.6 or newer is required for Python installations.; The .NET Core SDK must be installed for utilizing the .NET packages. - **Adopt for:** The agent-framework provides tools for developers to build and deploy AI agents and multi-agent workflows in Python and .NET environments. ## Choose when ### Choose AstrBot if… - License: AstrBot is AGPL-3.0, agent-framework is MIT. - Tags unique to AstrBot: agent, ai, astrbot, chatbot. - AstrBot ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need a development framework that integrates with multiple instant messaging platforms and LLMs, and you prefer a one-click deployment method using uv or Docker. ### Choose agent-framework if… - License: agent-framework is MIT, AstrBot is AGPL-3.0. - Requirements: Python version 3.6 or newer is required for Python installations.; The .NET Core SDK must be installed for utilizing the .NET packages.. - Tags unique to agent-framework: agent-framework, agentic-ai, agents, multi-agent. - Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ## When NOT to use AstrBot - If you require a tool that does not support one-click cloud deployment or uv-based deployment, as AstrBot heavily relies on these methods for quick setup. - Avoid using AstrBot if you need a solution that does not integrate with specific instant messaging platforms like Discord, QQ, or Telegram, as it is designed with these integrations in mind. - Do not use AstrBot if you are looking for a tool that does not offer a desktop application deployment option, as it is specifically designed for desktop usage with ChatUI. ## When NOT to use agent-framework - Avoid using the agent-framework if your team does not have proficiency in either Python or.NET, as this may cause difficulties in leveraging its features effectively. - Do not opt for agent-framework if you only need lightweight support for AI agents without a comprehensive orchestration and deployment framework. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between AstrBot and agent-framework? AstrBot: AI Agent Assistant & development framework. agent-framework: Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose AstrBot over agent-framework? Choose AstrBot over agent-framework when License: AstrBot is AGPL-3.0, agent-framework is MIT; Tags unique to AstrBot: agent, ai, astrbot, chatbot; AstrBot ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need a development framework that integrates with multiple instant messaging platforms and LLMs, and you prefer a one-click deployment method using uv or Docker. ### When should I choose agent-framework over AstrBot? Choose agent-framework over AstrBot when License: agent-framework is MIT, AstrBot is AGPL-3.0; Requirements: Python version 3.6 or newer is required for Python installations.; The .NET Core SDK must be installed for utilizing the .NET packages.; Tags unique to agent-framework: agent-framework, agentic-ai, agents, multi-agent; Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ### When should I avoid AstrBot? If you require a tool that does not support one-click cloud deployment or uv-based deployment, as AstrBot heavily relies on these methods for quick setup. Avoid using AstrBot if you need a solution that does not integrate with specific instant messaging platforms like Discord, QQ, or Telegram, as it is designed with these integrations in mind. Do not use AstrBot if you are looking for a tool that does not offer a desktop application deployment option, as it is specifically designed for desktop usage with ChatUI. ### When should I avoid agent-framework? Avoid using the agent-framework if your team does not have proficiency in either Python or.NET, as this may cause difficulties in leveraging its features effectively. Do not opt for agent-framework if you only need lightweight support for AI agents without a comprehensive orchestration and deployment framework. ### Is AstrBot or agent-framework more popular on GitHub? AstrBot has more GitHub stars (40,647 vs 13,573). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are AstrBot and agent-framework open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (AstrBot: AGPL-3.0, agent-framework: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to AstrBot or agent-framework? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [AstrBot alternatives](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/alternatives) and [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) ([AstrBot markdown twin](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/alternatives.md), [agent-framework markdown twin](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/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/astrbotdevs-astrbot-vs-microsoft-agent-framework.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, AstrBot or agent-framework? AstrBot: Very active. agent-framework: Very active. 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 AstrBot and agent-framework? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [AstrBot trust report](/tools/astrbotdevs-astrbot/trust); [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=astrbotdevs-astrbot`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=astrbotdevs-astrbot) - 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/_