--- title: "kratos vs agent-framework" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/go-kratos-kratos-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" tools: ["go-kratos-kratos", "microsoft-agent-framework"] --- # kratos vs agent-framework *GraphCanon updated Aug 25, 2026* ## Verdict Pick kratos if kratos is a Go microservices framework designed for cloud-native applications that supports both gRPC and HTTP protocols; 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. [kratos](https://go-kratos.dev) reports 26k GitHub stars, 4.2k forks, and 107 open issues, last pushed Aug 19, 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 [kratos's repository](https://github.com/go-kratos/kratos) and [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework). | | [kratos](/tools/go-kratos-kratos.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Go microservices framework for cloud-native applications | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | | Stars | 25,890 | 12,718 | | Forks | 4,177 | 2,143 | | Open issues | 107 | 685 | | Language | Go | Python | | Adopt for | Kratos is a Go microservices framework designed for cloud-native applications that supports both gRPC and HTTP protocols. | 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._ | | [kratos](/tools/go-kratos-kratos.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 6d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 107 | 685 | | Stars delta | +74 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | +21 (30d) | Unknown | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/go-kratos-kratos/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: kratos - **Adopt for:** Kratos is a Go microservices framework designed for cloud-native applications that supports both gRPC and HTTP protocols. ## 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 kratos if… - kratos is primarily Go; agent-framework is Python. - Tags unique to kratos: ai, architecture, cloud-native, framework. - When you need to develop efficient and scalable microservice architectures specifically in the Go programming language, as Kratos offers dedicated support to optimize go-based services. ### Choose agent-framework if… - agent-framework is primarily Python; kratos is Go. - 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 kratos - If your project does not require Go or you prefer frameworks supporting a wider range of languages, as Kratos is specialized in the Go ecosystem and may introduce language-specific limitations. - In scenarios where lightweight microservices without extensive framework overhead are preferred, given that Kratos includes features like gRPC out of the box which might add unnecessary complexity. ## 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 kratos and agent-framework? kratos: Go microservices framework for cloud-native applications. 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 kratos over agent-framework? Choose kratos over agent-framework when kratos is primarily Go; agent-framework is Python; Tags unique to kratos: ai, architecture, cloud-native, framework; When you need to develop efficient and scalable microservice architectures specifically in the Go programming language, as Kratos offers dedicated support to optimize go-based services. ### When should I choose agent-framework over kratos? Choose agent-framework over kratos when agent-framework is primarily Python; kratos is Go; 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 kratos? If your project does not require Go or you prefer frameworks supporting a wider range of languages, as Kratos is specialized in the Go ecosystem and may introduce language-specific limitations. In scenarios where lightweight microservices without extensive framework overhead are preferred, given that Kratos includes features like gRPC out of the box which might add unnecessary complexity. ### 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 kratos or agent-framework more popular on GitHub? kratos has more GitHub stars (25,890 vs 12,718). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are kratos and agent-framework open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (kratos: MIT, agent-framework: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to kratos or agent-framework? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [kratos alternatives](/tools/go-kratos-kratos/alternatives) and [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) ([kratos markdown twin](/tools/go-kratos-kratos/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/go-kratos-kratos-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, kratos or agent-framework? kratos: 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 kratos and agent-framework? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [kratos trust report](/tools/go-kratos-kratos/trust); [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=go-kratos-kratos`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=go-kratos-kratos) - 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/_