--- title: "12-factor-agents vs agent-framework" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/humanlayer-12-factor-agents-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" tools: ["humanlayer-12-factor-agents", "microsoft-agent-framework"] --- # 12-factor-agents vs agent-framework *GraphCanon updated Aug 18, 2026* ## Verdict Pick 12-factor-agents if a TypeScript-based framework focused on applying 12-factor principles to build production-ready software with large language models; 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. [12-factor-agents](https://github.com/humanlayer/12-factor-agents) reports 25k GitHub stars, 1.9k forks, and 26 open issues, last pushed Sep 21, 2025. [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 [12-factor-agents's repository](https://github.com/humanlayer/12-factor-agents) and [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework). | | [12-factor-agents](/tools/humanlayer-12-factor-agents.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Principles for building production-ready LLM-powered software | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | | Stars | 25,353 | 12,718 | | Forks | 1,918 | 2,143 | | Open issues | 26 | 685 | | Language | TypeScript | Python | | Adopt for | A TypeScript-based framework focused on applying 12-factor principles to build production-ready software with large language models. | 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 | The content and images are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, while the code is covered by the Apache 2.0 License. | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [12-factor-agents](/tools/humanlayer-12-factor-agents.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 330d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 26 | 685 | | Stars delta | +966 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | 0 (30d) | Unknown | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/humanlayer-12-factor-agents/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: 12-factor-agents - **Pricing:** freemium - Free to use with open-source licenses - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a solid understanding of TypeScript and familiarity with concepts like prompt engineering and context window management. - **Adopt for:** A TypeScript-based framework focused on applying 12-factor principles to build production-ready software with large language models. - **License detail:** The content and images are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, while the code is covered by the Apache 2.0 License. ## 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 12-factor-agents if… - 12-factor-agents is primarily TypeScript; agent-framework is Python. - License: 12-factor-agents is Other, agent-framework is MIT. - Pricing: Free to use with open-source licenses. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a solid understanding of TypeScript and familiarity with concepts like prompt engineering and context window management.. - Tags unique to 12-factor-agents: 12-factor, ai, context-window, framework. - Also covers LLM Frameworks. - You are specifically developing AI agents or LLM-powered applications in TypeScript and need a structured guideline grounded in the 12-factor app principles. ### Choose agent-framework if… - agent-framework is primarily Python; 12-factor-agents is TypeScript. - License: agent-framework is MIT, 12-factor-agents is Other. - 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, multi-agent, workflows. - Also covers Developer Tools. - Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ## When NOT to use 12-factor-agents - If your project requires languages other than TypeScript or if your application already has a strong foundation not necessarily aligning with the 12-factor app principles. - When you’re looking for comprehensive deployment automation tools rather than guidance on building LLM-powered agents and ensuring their reliability in production environments. ## 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 12-factor-agents and agent-framework? 12-factor-agents: Principles for building production-ready LLM-powered software. 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 12-factor-agents over agent-framework? Choose 12-factor-agents over agent-framework when 12-factor-agents is primarily TypeScript; agent-framework is Python; License: 12-factor-agents is Other, agent-framework is MIT; Pricing: Free to use with open-source licenses; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a solid understanding of TypeScript and familiarity with concepts like prompt engineering and context window management.; Tags unique to 12-factor-agents: 12-factor, ai, context-window, framework; Also covers LLM Frameworks; You are specifically developing AI agents or LLM-powered applications in TypeScript and need a structured guideline grounded in the 12-factor app principles. ### When should I choose agent-framework over 12-factor-agents? Choose agent-framework over 12-factor-agents when agent-framework is primarily Python; 12-factor-agents is TypeScript; License: agent-framework is MIT, 12-factor-agents is Other; 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, multi-agent, workflows; Also covers Developer Tools; Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ### When should I avoid 12-factor-agents? If your project requires languages other than TypeScript or if your application already has a strong foundation not necessarily aligning with the 12-factor app principles. When you’re looking for comprehensive deployment automation tools rather than guidance on building LLM-powered agents and ensuring their reliability in production environments. ### 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 12-factor-agents or agent-framework more popular on GitHub? 12-factor-agents has more GitHub stars (25,353 vs 12,718). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are 12-factor-agents and agent-framework open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (12-factor-agents: Other, agent-framework: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to 12-factor-agents or agent-framework? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [12-factor-agents alternatives](/tools/humanlayer-12-factor-agents/alternatives) and [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) ([12-factor-agents markdown twin](/tools/humanlayer-12-factor-agents/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/humanlayer-12-factor-agents-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, 12-factor-agents or agent-framework? 12-factor-agents: Slowing. 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 12-factor-agents and agent-framework? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [12-factor-agents trust report](/tools/humanlayer-12-factor-agents/trust); [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=humanlayer-12-factor-agents`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=humanlayer-12-factor-agents) - 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/_