Home/Compare/langchain vs langgraph

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

langchain logo

langchain

langchain-ai/langchain

144kpushed Aug 7, 2026
vs
langgraph logo

langgraph

langchain-ai/langgraph

38kpushed Jul 28, 2026

Trust & integrity

Signallangchainlanggraph
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 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.

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