--- title: "cuga-agent vs agent-kernel" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cuga-project-cuga-agent-vs-yaalalabs-agent-kernel" tools: ["cuga-project-cuga-agent", "yaalalabs-agent-kernel"] --- # cuga-agent vs agent-kernel *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick cuga-agent if cUGA is an open-source agent for managing complex enterprise tasks on the web and APIs with strong emphasis on composable architecture and policy-aware features; pick agent-kernel if agent-kernel provides an operating system for scalable enterprise AI agents, supporting deployment and orchestration at scale with native integration support for MCP and A2A. [cuga-agent](https://cuga.dev) reports 877 GitHub stars, 152 forks, and 179 open issues, last pushed Sep 11, 2026. [agent-kernel](https://kernel.yaala.ai/) has 188 stars, 86 forks, and 137 open issues, last pushed Sep 11, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [cuga-agent's repository](https://github.com/cuga-project/cuga-agent) and [agent-kernel's repository](https://github.com/yaalalabs/agent-kernel). | | [cuga-agent](/tools/cuga-project-cuga-agent.md) | [agent-kernel](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | CUGA is an open-source generalist agent for enterprise complex task execution on web and APIs | The Operating System for Scalable Enterprise AI Agents | | Stars | 877 | 188 | | Forks | 152 | 86 | | Open issues | 179 | 137 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | CUGA is an open-source agent for managing complex enterprise tasks on the web and APIs with strong emphasis on composable architecture and policy-aware features. | Agent-kernel provides an operating system for scalable enterprise AI agents, supporting deployment and orchestration at scale with native integration support for MCP and A2A. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents | AI Agents | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [cuga-agent](/tools/cuga-project-cuga-agent.md) | [agent-kernel](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 0d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 179 | 137 | | Stars delta | +11 (30d) | +75 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +21 (30d) | +9 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/cuga-project-cuga-agent/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [cuga-agent](/tools/cuga-project-cuga-agent.md) - Python runtime; [agent-kernel](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: cuga-agent - **Adopt for:** CUGA is an open-source agent for managing complex enterprise tasks on the web and APIs with strong emphasis on composable architecture and policy-aware features. ## Decision facts: agent-kernel - **Requirements:** It requires Python versions between 3.12 and 3.13.x.; Supports deployment to various environments such as AWS Lambda, ECS, Azure Functions, or Container Apps via one Terraform module. - **Adopt for:** Agent-kernel provides an operating system for scalable enterprise AI agents, supporting deployment and orchestration at scale with native integration support for MCP and A2A. ## Choose when ### Choose cuga-agent if… - License: cuga-agent is Other, agent-kernel is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to cuga-agent: coding-agent, computer-use, generalist-agent, guardrails. - cuga-agent ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - You need precise control over agent configuration including tools, API integrations, LLM selection, and policies. ### Choose agent-kernel if… - License: agent-kernel is Apache-2.0, cuga-agent is Other. - Requirements: It requires Python versions between 3.12 and 3.13.x.; Supports deployment to various environments such as AWS Lambda, ECS, Azure Functions, or Container Apps via one Terraform module.. - Tags unique to agent-kernel: a2a, adk, aws, azure. - If you require seamless scalability across different cloud providers like AWS and Azure without lock-in or rewrites. ## When NOT to use cuga-agent - If your enterprise cannot support Python 3.12+ and the uv package manager prerequisites. - In scenarios where a non-customizable, cloud-managed agent service is preferred over a self-hosted solution. ## When NOT to use agent-kernel - If your project is confined to a single, specific AI framework which doesn't require the flexibility Agent-kernel offers. - When you do not have Python version 3.12 - 3.13.x, as it's the required runtime environment. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between cuga-agent and agent-kernel? cuga-agent: CUGA is an open-source generalist agent for enterprise complex task execution on web and APIs. agent-kernel: The Operating System for Scalable Enterprise AI Agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose cuga-agent over agent-kernel? Choose cuga-agent over agent-kernel when License: cuga-agent is Other, agent-kernel is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to cuga-agent: coding-agent, computer-use, generalist-agent, guardrails; cuga-agent ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; You need precise control over agent configuration including tools, API integrations, LLM selection, and policies. ### When should I choose agent-kernel over cuga-agent? Choose agent-kernel over cuga-agent when License: agent-kernel is Apache-2.0, cuga-agent is Other; Requirements: It requires Python versions between 3.12 and 3.13.x.; Supports deployment to various environments such as AWS Lambda, ECS, Azure Functions, or Container Apps via one Terraform module.; Tags unique to agent-kernel: a2a, adk, aws, azure; If you require seamless scalability across different cloud providers like AWS and Azure without lock-in or rewrites. ### When should I avoid cuga-agent? If your enterprise cannot support Python 3.12+ and the uv package manager prerequisites. In scenarios where a non-customizable, cloud-managed agent service is preferred over a self-hosted solution. ### When should I avoid agent-kernel? If your project is confined to a single, specific AI framework which doesn't require the flexibility Agent-kernel offers. When you do not have Python version 3.12 - 3.13.x, as it's the required runtime environment. ### Is cuga-agent or agent-kernel more popular on GitHub? cuga-agent has more GitHub stars (877 vs 188). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are cuga-agent and agent-kernel open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (cuga-agent: Other, agent-kernel: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to cuga-agent or agent-kernel? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [cuga-agent alternatives](/tools/cuga-project-cuga-agent/alternatives) and [agent-kernel alternatives](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/alternatives) ([cuga-agent markdown twin](/tools/cuga-project-cuga-agent/alternatives.md), [agent-kernel markdown twin](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/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/cuga-project-cuga-agent-vs-yaalalabs-agent-kernel.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, cuga-agent or agent-kernel? cuga-agent: Very active. agent-kernel: 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 cuga-agent and agent-kernel? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [cuga-agent trust report](/tools/cuga-project-cuga-agent/trust); [agent-kernel trust report](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cuga-project-cuga-agent`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cuga-project-cuga-agent) - 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/_