--- title: "core vs agent-framework" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cheshire-cat-ai-core-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" tools: ["cheshire-cat-ai-core", "microsoft-agent-framework"] --- # core vs agent-framework *GraphCanon updated Aug 15, 2026* ## Verdict Pick core if core is a Python-based AI microservice tool for building chatbots and integrating vector search. It supports conversational interfaces through the ag-ui-protocol; 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. [core](https://cheshirecat.ai) reports 3.1k GitHub stars, 409 forks, and 8 open issues, last pushed Jul 29, 2026. [agent-framework](https://aka.ms/agent-framework) has 13k stars, 2.1k forks, and 685 open issues, last pushed Aug 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [core's repository](https://github.com/cheshire-cat-ai/core) and [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework). | | [core](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | AI agent microservice | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | | Stars | 3,081 | 12,718 | | Forks | 409 | 2,143 | | Open issues | 8 | 685 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | core is a Python-based AI microservice tool for building chatbots and integrating vector search. It supports conversational interfaces through the ag-ui-protocol. | 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 | GPL-3.0 licenses the code base of the core repository. | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents, Vector Databases | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [core](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 16d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 8 | 685 | | Stars delta | +7 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | +1 (30d) | Unknown | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: core - **Hosting:** self hosted - core can be self-hosted. - **Requirements:** Requires Python support due to being Python-based. - **Adopt for:** core is a Python-based AI microservice tool for building chatbots and integrating vector search. It supports conversational interfaces through the ag-ui-protocol. - **License detail:** GPL-3.0 licenses the code base of the core repository. ## 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 core if… - License: core is GPL-3.0, agent-framework is MIT. - core can be self-hosted. - Requirements: Requires Python support due to being Python-based.. - Tags unique to core: ag-ui-protocol, agent, ai, assistant. - Also covers Vector Databases. - For projects that require an open-source solution under GPL-3.0, because core's licensing aligns with this requirement ### Choose agent-framework if… - License: agent-framework is MIT, core is GPL-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. - Also covers Developer Tools. - Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ## When NOT to use core - If your project needs proprietary license terms, since core restricts use by GPL-3.0 which might not fit all commercial scenarios - In cases where you require a non-Python environment, as the tool may require significant custom code to adapt to another language ## 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 core and agent-framework? core: AI agent microservice. 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 core over agent-framework? Choose core over agent-framework when License: core is GPL-3.0, agent-framework is MIT; core can be self-hosted; Requirements: Requires Python support due to being Python-based.; Tags unique to core: ag-ui-protocol, agent, ai, assistant; Also covers Vector Databases; For projects that require an open-source solution under GPL-3.0, because core's licensing aligns with this requirement. ### When should I choose agent-framework over core? Choose agent-framework over core when License: agent-framework is MIT, core is GPL-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; Also covers Developer Tools; Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ### When should I avoid core? If your project needs proprietary license terms, since core restricts use by GPL-3.0 which might not fit all commercial scenarios In cases where you require a non-Python environment, as the tool may require significant custom code to adapt to another language ### 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 core or agent-framework more popular on GitHub? agent-framework has more GitHub stars (12,718 vs 3,081). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are core and agent-framework open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (core: GPL-3.0, agent-framework: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to core or agent-framework? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [core alternatives](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/alternatives) and [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) ([core markdown twin](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/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/cheshire-cat-ai-core-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, core or agent-framework? core: 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 core and agent-framework? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [core trust report](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/trust); [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cheshire-cat-ai-core`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cheshire-cat-ai-core) - 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/_