--- title: "ell vs autogen" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/madcowd-ell-vs-microsoft-autogen" tools: ["madcowd-ell", "microsoft-autogen"] --- # ell vs autogen *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick ell when license: ell is MIT, autogen is CC-BY-4.0; pick autogen when license: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, ell is MIT. [ell](http://docs.ell.so/) reports 5.9k GitHub stars, 344 forks, and 186 open issues, last pushed Jun 5, 2025. [autogen](https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/) has 60k stars, 9.0k forks, and 945 open issues, last pushed Apr 15, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [ell's repository](https://github.com/MadcowD/ell) and [autogen's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/autogen). | | [ell](/tools/madcowd-ell.md) | [autogen](/tools/microsoft-autogen.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A language model programming library. | A programming framework for agentic AI | | Stars | 5,876 | 59,658 | | Forks | 344 | 8,983 | | Open issues | 186 | 945 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | - | AutoGen is a Python-based framework for developing and managing agentic AI systems. It includes the AutoGen Studio for no-code GUI setup, integrating with various models. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | CC-BY-4.0 | | Categories | LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [ell](/tools/madcowd-ell.md) | [autogen](/tools/microsoft-autogen.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Steady (60%) | | Days since push | 400d | 87d | | Open issues (now) | 186 | 945 | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/madcowd-ell/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-autogen/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: autogen - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM; AutoGen requires Python 3.10 or later.; Ensure security when connecting to MCP servers due to the potential for local command execution and sensitive information exposure. - **Adopt for:** AutoGen is a Python-based framework for developing and managing agentic AI systems. It includes the AutoGen Studio for no-code GUI setup, integrating with various models. ## Choose when ### Choose ell if… - License: ell is MIT, autogen is CC-BY-4.0. - Tags unique to ell: prompt-engineering, python. - Leaner open-issue backlog (186). ### Choose autogen if… - License: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, ell is MIT. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; AutoGen requires Python 3.10 or later.; Ensure security when connecting to MCP servers due to the potential for local command execution and sensitive information exposure.. - Tags unique to autogen: agentic-agi, agents, autogen, autogen-ecosystem. - Also covers AI Agents. - You need a framework that supports integration with multiple AI models via OpenAI's chat completion client. ## When NOT to use ell - Last GitHub push was 401 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 5, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on ell. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## When NOT to use autogen - If you require tools supporting multiple programming languages beyond Python, as AutoGen is strictly a Python-based framework. - When deploying in environments where connecting to external servers (like those used by MCP) could pose security risks or is prohibited. - You need solutions which do not involve additional installations for server components such as `playwright/mcp`, as AutoGen requires this setup for certain functionalities. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between ell and autogen? ell: A language model programming library.. autogen: A programming framework for agentic AI. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose ell over autogen? Choose ell over autogen when License: ell is MIT, autogen is CC-BY-4.0; Tags unique to ell: prompt-engineering, python; Leaner open-issue backlog (186). ### When should I choose autogen over ell? Choose autogen over ell when License: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, ell is MIT; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; AutoGen requires Python 3.10 or later.; Ensure security when connecting to MCP servers due to the potential for local command execution and sensitive information exposure.; Tags unique to autogen: agentic-agi, agents, autogen, autogen-ecosystem; Also covers AI Agents; You need a framework that supports integration with multiple AI models via OpenAI's chat completion client. ### When should I avoid ell? Last GitHub push was 401 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 5, 2025). Validate activity before betting a new project on ell. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### When should I avoid autogen? If you require tools supporting multiple programming languages beyond Python, as AutoGen is strictly a Python-based framework. When deploying in environments where connecting to external servers (like those used by MCP) could pose security risks or is prohibited. You need solutions which do not involve additional installations for server components such as `playwright/mcp`, as AutoGen requires this setup for certain functionalities. ### Is ell or autogen more popular on GitHub? autogen has more GitHub stars (59,658 vs 5,876). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are ell and autogen open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (ell: MIT, autogen: CC-BY-4.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to ell or autogen? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [ell alternatives](/tools/madcowd-ell/alternatives) and [autogen alternatives](/tools/microsoft-autogen/alternatives) ([ell markdown twin](/tools/madcowd-ell/alternatives.md), [autogen markdown twin](/tools/microsoft-autogen/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/madcowd-ell-vs-microsoft-autogen.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, ell or autogen? ell: Dormant. autogen: Steady. 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 ell and autogen? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [ell trust report](/tools/madcowd-ell/trust); [autogen trust report](/tools/microsoft-autogen/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=madcowd-ell`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=madcowd-ell) - 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/_