GraphCanon
Home/Compare/core vs agency

Comparison

core vs agency

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 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 · core alternatives · agency alternatives

GraphCanon updated 2d

core logo

core

cheshire-cat-ai/core

★ 3.1kpushed Jul 29, 2026
vs
agency logo

agency

operand/agency

★ 489pushed Jun 10, 2026

Trust & integrity

Signalcoreagency
Maintenance
Active (16d since push)
As of 1w · github_public_v1
Steady (71d since push)
As of 2d · github_public_v1
Provenance
Not a fork · Organization account
As of 1w · github_public_v1
Not a fork · Personal account
As of 2d · 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
core trust reportagency trust reportTrust methodology

Tagline

core
AI agent microservice
agency
A fast and minimal framework for building agentic systems

Stars

core
3.1k
agency
489

Forks

core
409
agency
28

Open issues

core
8
agency
19

Language

core
Python
agency
Python

Adopt for

core
core is a Python-based AI microservice tool for building chatbots and integrating vector search. It supports conversational interfaces through the ag-ui-protocol.
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

core
-
agency
-

Runtime

core
-
agency
-

License

core
GPL-3.0 licenses the code base of the core repository.
agency
MIT

Last pushed

core
Jul 29, 2026
agency
Jun 10, 2026

Categories

core
AI Agents, Vector Databases
agency
AI Agents

Trust and health

Maintenance

core
Active (82%)
agency
Steady (60%)

Days since push

core
16d
agency
71d

Open issues (now)

core
8
agency
19

Stars delta

core
+7 (30d)
agency
+2 (30d)

Open issues delta

core
+1 (30d)
agency
0 (30d)

Owner type

core
Organization
agency
User

Full report

core
Trust report
agency
Trust report

Choose core if…

  • License: core is GPL-3.0, agency 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 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
GitHubDetails

Choose agency if…

  • License: agency is MIT, core is GPL-3.0.
  • 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.
GitHubDetails

Explore

core trust report →agency trust report →AI Agents category →Vector Databases category →All comparisonsStack workflowsTrending tools

Sources

Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.

GitHub stars on cards: core 3.1k · agency 489 (synced Aug 15, 2026).

Common questions

What is the difference between core and agency?
core: AI agent microservice. 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 core over agency?
Choose core over agency when License: core is GPL-3.0, agency 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 agency over core?
Choose agency over core when License: agency is MIT, core is GPL-3.0; 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 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 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 core or agency more popular on GitHub?
core has more GitHub stars (3,081 vs 489). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
Are core and agency open source?
Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (core: GPL-3.0, agency: MIT).
Where can I find alternatives to core or agency?
GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at core alternatives and agency alternatives (core 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, core or agency?
core: 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 core and agency?
GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: core trust report; agency trust report.

Was this helpful?

Anonymous feedback helps us improve pages and translations.