--- title: "agent-framework vs agentflow" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/microsoft-agent-framework-vs-simonmesmith-agentflow" tools: ["microsoft-agent-framework", "simonmesmith-agentflow"] --- # agent-framework vs agentflow *GraphCanon updated Aug 16, 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 agentflow if agentflow simplifies the creation of complex workflows for large language models through simple JSON configurations. [agent-framework](https://aka.ms/agent-framework) reports 13k GitHub stars, 2.1k forks, and 685 open issues, last pushed Aug 10, 2026. [agentflow](https://github.com/simonmesmith/agentflow) has 320 stars, 27 forks, and 13 open issues, last pushed Aug 11, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [agent-framework's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework) and [agentflow's repository](https://github.com/simonmesmith/agentflow). | | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | [agentflow](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows | Complex LLM Workflows from Simple JSON | | Stars | 12,718 | 320 | | Forks | 2,143 | 27 | | Open issues | 685 | 13 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | The agent-framework provides tools for developers to build and deploy AI agents and multi-agent workflows in Python and .NET environments. | Agentflow simplifies the creation of complex workflows for large language models through simple JSON configurations. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) | [agentflow](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 0d | 1100d | | Open issues (now) | 685 | 13 | | Stars delta | Unknown | -1 (30d) | | Open issues delta | Unknown | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [agent-framework](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework.md) - Python runtime; [agentflow](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow.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: agentflow - **Adopt for:** Agentflow simplifies the creation of complex workflows for large language models through simple JSON configurations. ## Choose when ### Choose agent-framework if… - 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 Developer Tools. - Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ### Choose agentflow if… - Tags unique to agentflow: json, large language models, python, workflow-management. - Also covers LLM Frameworks. - When you need to rapidly prototype LLM workflows with minimal coding via JSON configs ## 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 agentflow - Avoid if requiring advanced customization that goes beyond basic JSON configurations - Not suitable for scenarios needing real-time dynamic changes in workflow setup during execution ## Common questions ### What is the difference between agent-framework and agentflow? agent-framework: Framework for building and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows. agentflow: Complex LLM Workflows from Simple JSON. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose agent-framework over agentflow? Choose agent-framework over agentflow when 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 Developer Tools; Choose agent-framework if your project requires support for both Python and .NET, allowing you to develop across different ecosystems. ### When should I choose agentflow over agent-framework? Choose agentflow over agent-framework when Tags unique to agentflow: json, large language models, python, workflow-management; Also covers LLM Frameworks; When you need to rapidly prototype LLM workflows with minimal coding via JSON configs. ### 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 agentflow? Avoid if requiring advanced customization that goes beyond basic JSON configurations Not suitable for scenarios needing real-time dynamic changes in workflow setup during execution ### Is agent-framework or agentflow more popular on GitHub? agent-framework has more GitHub stars (12,718 vs 320). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are agent-framework and agentflow open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (agent-framework: MIT, agentflow: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to agent-framework or agentflow? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [agent-framework alternatives](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives) and [agentflow alternatives](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow/alternatives) ([agent-framework markdown twin](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/alternatives.md), [agentflow markdown twin](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow/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-simonmesmith-agentflow.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, agent-framework or agentflow? agent-framework: Very active. agentflow: 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 agentflow? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [agent-framework trust report](/tools/microsoft-agent-framework/trust); [agentflow trust report](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow/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/_