Comparison
google-research vs agents
Verdict
Pick google-research when google-research is primarily Jupyter Notebook; agents is Python; pick agents when agents is primarily Python; google-research is Jupyter Notebook.
Markdown twin · google-research alternatives · agents alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | google-research | agents |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (2d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 |
| Security (OSV) | No lockfile As of today · none | No MCP manifest As of today · mcp_manifest |
Tagline
- google-research
- Google Research
- agents
- Multi-harness agentic plugin marketplace for various AI agents
Stars
- google-research
- 38k
- agents
- 38k
Forks
- google-research
- 8.5k
- agents
- 4.0k
Open issues
- google-research
- 2.0k
- agents
- 1
Language
- google-research
- Jupyter Notebook
- agents
- Python
Adopt for
- google-research
- -
- agents
- The agents tool is a marketplace for plugins that enhances multiple AI agents, offering integration and management capabilities across several platforms, including Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot
Persona
- google-research
- -
- agents
- -
Runtime
- google-research
- -
- agents
- -
License
- google-research
- Apache-2.0
- agents
- MIT
Last pushed
- google-research
- Jul 11, 2026
- agents
- Jul 8, 2026
Categories
- google-research
- Developer Tools
- agents
- AI Agents, Developer Tools
Trust and health
Days since push
- google-research
- 0d
- agents
- 2d
Open issues (now)
- google-research
- 2.0k
- agents
- 1
Owner type
- google-research
- Organization
- agents
- User
Security scan
- google-research
- No lockfile
- agents
- No MCP manifest
Full report
- google-research
- Trust report
- agents
- Trust report
Choose google-research if…
- google-research is primarily Jupyter Notebook; agents is Python.
- License: google-research is Apache-2.0, agents is MIT.
- Tags unique to google-research: research, ai, machine-learning, jupyter notebook.
When NOT to use google-research
- Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model.
Choose agents if…
- agents is primarily Python; google-research is Jupyter Notebook.
- License: agents is MIT, google-research is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to agents: agent-skills, workflows, agentic-ai, prompt-engineering.
- Also covers AI Agents.
- You are working specifically within the ecosystems of Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, or Gemini CLI, as it provides tailored plugins for these environments
When NOT to use agents
- You are working solely within a niche environment that isn't one of the supported platforms (like Claude Code, Codex CLI, etc.) because it may not offer compatible plugins or extensive support
- Your project requirements do not include interoperability between multiple AI agents and you only need to leverage functionalities from a single AI agent with a robust in-built plugin ecosystem
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (google-research/google-research) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (google-research/google-research) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (google-research/google-research) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (wshobson/agents) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (wshobson/agents) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (wshobson/agents) · observed Jul 8, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: google-research 38k · agents 38k (synced Jul 11, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between google-research and agents?
- google-research: Google Research. agents: Multi-harness agentic plugin marketplace for various AI agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose google-research over agents?
- Choose google-research over agents when google-research is primarily Jupyter Notebook; agents is Python; License: google-research is Apache-2.0, agents is MIT; Tags unique to google-research: research, ai, machine-learning, jupyter notebook.
- When should I choose agents over google-research?
- Choose agents over google-research when agents is primarily Python; google-research is Jupyter Notebook; License: agents is MIT, google-research is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to agents: agent-skills, workflows, agentic-ai, prompt-engineering; Also covers AI Agents; You are working specifically within the ecosystems of Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, or Gemini CLI, as it provides tailored plugins for these environments.
- When should I avoid google-research?
- Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model.
- When should I avoid agents?
- You are working solely within a niche environment that isn't one of the supported platforms (like Claude Code, Codex CLI, etc.) because it may not offer compatible plugins or extensive support Your project requirements do not include interoperability between multiple AI agents and you only need to leverage functionalities from a single AI agent with a robust in-built plugin ecosystem
- Is google-research or agents more popular on GitHub?
- google-research has more GitHub stars (38,353 vs 37,779). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are google-research and agents open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (google-research: Apache-2.0, agents: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to google-research or agents?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at google-research alternatives and agents alternatives (google-research markdown twin, agents 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, google-research or agents?
- google-research: Very active. agents: 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 google-research and agents?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: google-research trust report; agents trust report.