--- title: "workflow vs agent-framework" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/durable-workflow-workflow-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" tools: ["durable-workflow-workflow", "microsoft-agent-framework"] --- # workflow vs agent-framework *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick workflow if core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration; 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. [workflow](https://durable-workflow.com) reports 1.2k GitHub stars, 79 forks, and 6 open issues, last pushed Sep 12, 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 [workflow's repository](https://github.com/durable-workflow/workflow) and [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework). | | [workflow](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Core package for defining and running durable workflows including support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration. | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | | Stars | 1,246 | 13,573 | | Forks | 79 | 2,335 | | Open issues | 6 | 605 | | Language | PHP | Python | | Adopt for | Core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration. | 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 | MIT | MIT | | Categories | Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [workflow](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 7d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 6 | 605 | | Stars delta | +15 (30d) | +855 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +6 (30d) | -80 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [workflow](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow.md) - Python runtime; [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: workflow - **Adopt for:** Core package for defining and running durable workflows in PHP with support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration. ## 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 workflow if… - workflow is primarily PHP; agent-framework is Python. - Tags unique to workflow: background-jobs, bpm, bpmn, durable-functions. - When your project requires handling long_running persistent workflows in PHP ### Choose agent-framework if… - agent-framework is primarily Python; workflow is PHP. - 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 AI Agents. - Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ## When NOT to use workflow - If you prefer tools not anchored in PHP for workflow management - When project requirements do not include orchestration capabilities for microservices or sagas - For simpler workflows that do not require advanced retry mechanisms and parallel execution features ## 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 workflow and agent-framework? workflow: Core package for defining and running durable workflows including support for long-running tasks, retries, queue management, parallel execution, workflow monitoring, and orchestration.. 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 workflow over agent-framework? Choose workflow over agent-framework when workflow is primarily PHP; agent-framework is Python; Tags unique to workflow: background-jobs, bpm, bpmn, durable-functions; When your project requires handling long_running persistent workflows in PHP. ### When should I choose agent-framework over workflow? Choose agent-framework over workflow when agent-framework is primarily Python; workflow is PHP; 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 AI Agents; Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ### When should I avoid workflow? If you prefer tools not anchored in PHP for workflow management When project requirements do not include orchestration capabilities for microservices or sagas For simpler workflows that do not require advanced retry mechanisms and parallel execution features ### 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 workflow or agent-framework more popular on GitHub? agent-framework has more GitHub stars (13,573 vs 1,246). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are workflow and agent-framework open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (workflow: MIT, agent-framework: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to workflow or agent-framework? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [workflow alternatives](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/alternatives) and [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) ([workflow markdown twin](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/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/durable-workflow-workflow-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, workflow or agent-framework? workflow: 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 workflow and agent-framework? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [workflow trust report](/tools/durable-workflow-workflow/trust); [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=durable-workflow-workflow`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=durable-workflow-workflow) - 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/_