--- title: "kong vs agent-framework" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/kong-kong-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" tools: ["kong-kong", "microsoft-agent-framework"] --- # kong vs agent-framework *GraphCanon updated Aug 25, 2026* ## Verdict Pick kong if kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes; 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. [kong](https://konghq.com/install/) reports 44k GitHub stars, 5.2k forks, and 190 open issues, last pushed Aug 16, 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 [kong's repository](https://github.com/Kong/kong) and [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework). | | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | The API and AI Gateway | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | | Stars | 44,035 | 12,718 | | Forks | 5,206 | 2,143 | | Open issues | 190 | 685 | | Language | Lua | Python | | Adopt for | Kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes. | 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 | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 9d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 190 | 685 | | Stars delta | +177 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | +23 (30d) | Unknown | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: kong - **Adopt for:** Kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes. ## 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 kong if… - kong is primarily Lua; agent-framework is Python. - License: kong is Apache-2.0, agent-framework is MIT. - Tags unique to kong: ai-gateway, api-gateway, cloud-native, kubernetes. - requires Lua scripting ### Choose agent-framework if… - agent-framework is primarily Python; kong is Lua. - License: agent-framework is MIT, kong is Apache-2.0. - 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 kong - prefers non-Lua languages - seeks competitor-native AI capabilities ## 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 kong and agent-framework? kong: The API and AI Gateway. 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 kong over agent-framework? Choose kong over agent-framework when kong is primarily Lua; agent-framework is Python; License: kong is Apache-2.0, agent-framework is MIT; Tags unique to kong: ai-gateway, api-gateway, cloud-native, kubernetes; requires Lua scripting. ### When should I choose agent-framework over kong? Choose agent-framework over kong when agent-framework is primarily Python; kong is Lua; License: agent-framework is MIT, kong is Apache-2.0; 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 kong? prefers non-Lua languages seeks competitor-native AI capabilities ### 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 kong or agent-framework more popular on GitHub? kong has more GitHub stars (44,035 vs 12,718). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are kong and agent-framework open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (kong: Apache-2.0, agent-framework: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to kong or agent-framework? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [kong alternatives](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives) and [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) ([kong markdown twin](/tools/kong-kong/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/kong-kong-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, kong or agent-framework? kong: 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 kong and agent-framework? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [kong trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust); [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kong-kong`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kong-kong) - 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/_