Comparison
langchain vs langgraph
Verdict
LangChain and LangGraph both are open-source tools for AI development focusing on building agents and applications powered by large language models.
Markdown twin · langchain alternatives · langgraph alternatives
GraphCanon updated 1w
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | langchain | langgraph |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of 3w · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of 3w · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- langchain
- The agent engineering platform.
- langgraph
- Low-level orchestration framework for building stateful agents.
Stars
- langchain
- 144k
- langgraph
- 38k
Forks
- langchain
- 24k
- langgraph
- 6.5k
Open issues
- langchain
- 463
- langgraph
- 647
Language
- langchain
- Python
- langgraph
- Python
Adopt for
- langchain
- LangChain is an open-source platform designed specifically for building agents and applications that leverage large language models (LLMs). It provides a standard framework to develop interoperable components and connect
- langgraph
- LangGraph is designed as an open-source orchestration framework to build stateful AI agents. It emphasizes durable execution and human-in-the-loop interventions, along with robust memory management capabilities.
Persona
- langchain
- -
- langgraph
- -
Runtime
- langchain
- -
- langgraph
- -
License
- langchain
- MIT License, allowing free use for both personal and commercial purposes under its stipulated terms.
- langgraph
- MIT
Last pushed
- langchain
- Aug 7, 2026
- langgraph
- Jul 28, 2026
Categories
- langchain
- AI Agents, LLM Frameworks
- langgraph
- AI Agents, Developer Tools
Trust and health
Open issues (now)
- langchain
- 463
- langgraph
- 647
Stars delta
- langchain
- +2.3k (30d)
- langgraph
- Unknown
Open issues delta
- langchain
- +57 (30d)
- langgraph
- Unknown
Full report
- langchain
- Trust report
- langgraph
- Trust report
Typed relationship
langchain successor langgraphLangGraph is a newer evolution of LangChain, focusing on low-level orchestration and stateful agents. The status is recommended as it offers enhanced features for building advanced agent systems.Recommended - Offers more advanced orchestration capabilities.
Shared compatibility
- LangChain · langchain: LangChain integration · langgraph: LangChain integration
- LangGraph · langchain: LangGraph integration · langgraph: LangGraph integration
- Python · langchain: Python runtime · langgraph: Python runtime
Choose langchain if…
- Pricing: LangChain itself is open-source and free to use. However, it might rely on paid services or premium models from external platforms like OpenAI..
- LangGraph is a newer evolution of LangChain, focusing on low-level orchestration and stateful agents. The status is recommended as it offers enhanced features for building advanced agent systems.
- Tags unique to langchain: anthropic, chatgpt, deepagents, gemini.
- Also covers LLM Frameworks.
- * When aiming to build complex AI-powered agents or applications requiring high-level capabilities like planning, subagent interaction, and file system operations.
When NOT to use langchain
- * When working on smaller, less complex projects where full-scale integration with sophisticated components is not necessary as LangChain's extensive features might introduce unnecessary complexity.
- * If you are primarily focused on JavaScript or TypeScript development as the primary focus of LangChain is Python. Although there is a JS/TS equivalent (LangChain.js), it may not offer the same depth
- * For projects requiring heavy customization at lower levels, where a more granular control over individual components is required rather than working with an integrated framework.
Choose langgraph if…
- Pricing: LangGraph is available under the MIT license and is free for both personal and commercial use. However, advanced features or services like deployment and debugging might depend on additional paid-for-.
- Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Python environment.
- LangGraph is a newer evolution of LangChain, focusing on low-level orchestration and stateful agents. The status is recommended as it offers enhanced features for building advanced agent systems.
- Tags unique to langgraph: framework, langchain, multiagent, open-source.
- Also covers Developer Tools.
- When you need a low-level framework that supports the development of long-running, stateful AI agents that require complex memory management.
When NOT to use langgraph
- LangGraph is less suitable when you prefer a simpler setup. It demands more initial configuration and lower-level control than other agent-building frameworks such as Deep Agents.
- For projects requiring immediate quick-start capabilities, as LangGraph offers foundational support which involves more manual configuration versus quicker-to-prototype tools.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (langchain-ai/langchain) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- GitHub forks (langchain-ai/langchain) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- Last push (langchain-ai/langchain) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Aug 7, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (langchain-ai/langgraph) · observed Jul 28, 2026
- GitHub forks (langchain-ai/langgraph) · observed Jul 28, 2026
- Last push (langchain-ai/langgraph) · observed Jul 28, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Jul 28, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: langchain 144k · langgraph 38k (synced Aug 7, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the primary difference between LangChain and LangGraph?
- LangChain focuses on providing a comprehensive framework for high-level agent engineering with interoperable components, whereas LangGraph emphasizes low-level orchestration of stateful agents with robust memory management.
- Which tool should I use if my project involves integrating multiple third-party services?
- LangChain is better suited for projects requiring integration of various third-party libraries or services due to its extensive interoperable components and integrations capabilities.
- What if my application needs complex memory management across sessions?
- For applications that need detailed state management over multiple sessions, LangGraph provides better support with its focus on durable execution and robust memory handling.
- What is the difference between langchain and langgraph?
- langchain: The agent engineering platform.. langgraph: Low-level orchestration framework for building stateful agents.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose langchain over langgraph?
- Choose langchain over langgraph when Pricing: LangChain itself is open-source and free to use. However, it might rely on paid services or premium models from external platforms like OpenAI.; LangGraph is a newer evolution of LangChain, focusing on low-level orchestration and stateful agents. The status is recommended as it offers enhanced features for building advanced agent systems; Tags unique to langchain: anthropic, chatgpt, deepagents, gemini; Also covers LLM Frameworks; * When aiming to build complex AI-powered agents or applications requiring high-level capabilities like planning, subagent interaction, and file system operations.
- When should I choose langgraph over langchain?
- Choose langgraph over langchain when Pricing: LangGraph is available under the MIT license and is free for both personal and commercial use. However, advanced features or services like deployment and debugging might depend on additional paid-for-; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Python environment; LangGraph is a newer evolution of LangChain, focusing on low-level orchestration and stateful agents. The status is recommended as it offers enhanced features for building advanced agent systems; Tags unique to langgraph: framework, langchain, multiagent, open-source; Also covers Developer Tools; When you need a low-level framework that supports the development of long-running, stateful AI agents that require complex memory management.
- When should I avoid langchain?
- * When working on smaller, less complex projects where full-scale integration with sophisticated components is not necessary as LangChain's extensive features might introduce unnecessary complexity. * If you are primarily focused on JavaScript or TypeScript development as the primary focus of LangChain is Python. Although there is a JS/TS equivalent (LangChain.js), it may not offer the same depth * For projects requiring heavy customization at lower levels, where a more granular control over individual components is required rather than working with an integrated framework.
- When should I avoid langgraph?
- LangGraph is less suitable when you prefer a simpler setup. It demands more initial configuration and lower-level control than other agent-building frameworks such as Deep Agents. For projects requiring immediate quick-start capabilities, as LangGraph offers foundational support which involves more manual configuration versus quicker-to-prototype tools.
- Is langchain or langgraph more popular on GitHub?
- langchain has more GitHub stars (143,615 vs 38,352). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are langchain and langgraph open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (langchain: MIT, langgraph: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to langchain or langgraph?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at langchain alternatives and langgraph alternatives (langchain markdown twin, langgraph 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, langchain or langgraph?
- langchain: Very active. langgraph: 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 langchain and langgraph?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: langchain trust report; langgraph trust report.