--- title: "agent-framework vs docker-airflow" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/microsoft-agent-framework-vs-puckel-docker-airflow" tools: ["microsoft-agent-framework", "puckel-docker-airflow"] --- # agent-framework vs docker-airflow *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict 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; pick docker-airflow if docker-airflow leverages Docker to provide streamlined management of Apache Airflow environments, making it easy for developers to maintain and deploy workflows. [agent-framework](https://aka.ms/agent-framework) reports 14k GitHub stars, 2.3k forks, and 605 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. [docker-airflow](https://github.com/puckel/docker-airflow) has 3.8k stars, 591 forks, and 261 open issues, last pushed Mar 1, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework) and [docker-airflow's repository](https://github.com/puckel/docker-airflow). | | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | [docker-airflow](/tools/puckel-docker-airflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | Docker Apache Airflow | | Stars | 13,573 | 3,810 | | Forks | 2,335 | 591 | | Open issues | 605 | 261 | | Language | Python | Shell | | Adopt for | The agent-framework provides tools for developers to build and deploy AI agents and multi-agent workflows in Python and .NET environments. | docker-airflow leverages Docker to provide streamlined management of Apache Airflow environments, making it easy for developers to maintain and deploy workflows. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | [docker-airflow](/tools/puckel-docker-airflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 0d | 1294d | | Open issues (now) | 605 | 261 | | Stars delta | +855 (30d) | -1 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -80 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/puckel-docker-airflow/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) - Python runtime; [docker-airflow](/tools/puckel-docker-airflow.md) - Python runtime ## 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. ## Decision facts: docker-airflow - **Pricing:** freemium - Open source under the Apache-2.0 license, it is free of cost, but support and enterprise features might come at a premium. - **Requirements:** Requires Docker - **Adopt for:** docker-airflow leverages Docker to provide streamlined management of Apache Airflow environments, making it easy for developers to maintain and deploy workflows. ## Choose when ### Choose agent-framework if… - agent-framework is primarily Python; docker-airflow is Shell. - License: agent-framework is MIT, docker-airflow 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. ### Choose docker-airflow if… - docker-airflow is primarily Shell; agent-framework is Python. - License: docker-airflow is Apache-2.0, agent-framework is MIT. - Pricing: Open source under the Apache-2.0 license, it is free of cost, but support and enterprise features might come at a premium.. - Requirements: Requires Docker. - Tags unique to docker-airflow: airflow, docker. - docker-airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - Opt for docker-airflow if you are already using Docker in your workflow setup, because it seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure without needing additional configuration steps. ## 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. ## When NOT to use docker-airflow - Avoid docker-airflow if you require a completely customized setup for your workflow management system and have limited experience or resources to understand and manage Docker configurations. - Should be avoided in environments where there is no need for containerization benefits as using docker-airflow may introduce unneeded complexity. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between agent-framework and docker-airflow? agent-framework: Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows. docker-airflow: Docker Apache Airflow. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose agent-framework over docker-airflow? Choose agent-framework over docker-airflow when agent-framework is primarily Python; docker-airflow is Shell; License: agent-framework is MIT, docker-airflow 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 choose docker-airflow over agent-framework? Choose docker-airflow over agent-framework when docker-airflow is primarily Shell; agent-framework is Python; License: docker-airflow is Apache-2.0, agent-framework is MIT; Pricing: Open source under the Apache-2.0 license, it is free of cost, but support and enterprise features might come at a premium.; Requirements: Requires Docker; Tags unique to docker-airflow: airflow, docker; docker-airflow ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; Opt for docker-airflow if you are already using Docker in your workflow setup, because it seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure without needing additional configuration steps. ### 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. ### When should I avoid docker-airflow? Avoid docker-airflow if you require a completely customized setup for your workflow management system and have limited experience or resources to understand and manage Docker configurations. Should be avoided in environments where there is no need for containerization benefits as using docker-airflow may introduce unneeded complexity. ### Is agent-framework or docker-airflow more popular on GitHub? agent-framework has more GitHub stars (13,573 vs 3,810). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are agent-framework and docker-airflow open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (agent-framework: MIT, docker-airflow: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to agent-framework or docker-airflow? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) and [docker-airflow alternatives](/tools/puckel-docker-airflow/alternatives) ([agent-framework markdown twin](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives.md), [docker-airflow markdown twin](/tools/puckel-docker-airflow/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/microsoft-agent-framework-vs-puckel-docker-airflow.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, agent-framework or docker-airflow? agent-framework: Very active. docker-airflow: Dormant. 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 agent-framework and docker-airflow? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust); [docker-airflow trust report](/tools/puckel-docker-airflow/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=microsoft-agent-framework`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=microsoft-agent-framework) - 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/_