--- title: "autogen vs agentflow" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/microsoft-autogen-vs-simonmesmith-agentflow" tools: ["microsoft-autogen", "simonmesmith-agentflow"] --- # autogen vs agentflow *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick autogen when license: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, agentflow is MIT; pick agentflow when license: agentflow is MIT, autogen is CC-BY-4.0. [autogen](https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/) reports 60k GitHub stars, 9.0k forks, and 945 open issues, last pushed Apr 15, 2026. [agentflow](https://github.com/simonmesmith/agentflow) has 321 stars, 27 forks, and 13 open issues, last pushed Aug 11, 2023. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [autogen's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/autogen) and [agentflow's repository](https://github.com/simonmesmith/agentflow). | | [autogen](/tools/microsoft-autogen.md) | [agentflow](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A programming framework for agentic AI | Complex LLM Workflows from Simple JSON. | | Stars | 59,658 | 321 | | Forks | 8,983 | 27 | | Open issues | 945 | 13 | | 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 | CC-BY-4.0 | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents, LLM Frameworks | LLM Frameworks | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [autogen](/tools/microsoft-autogen.md) | [agentflow](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Steady (60%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 87d | 1064d | | Open issues (now) | 945 | 13 | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-autogen/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow/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 autogen if… - License: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, agentflow 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, ai, autogen. - Also covers AI Agents. - You need a framework that supports integration with multiple AI models via OpenAI's chat completion client. ### Choose agentflow if… - License: agentflow is MIT, autogen is CC-BY-4.0. - Tags unique to agentflow: python. - Leaner open-issue backlog (13). ## 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. ## When NOT to use agentflow - Last GitHub push was 1065 days ago (dormant maintenance, Aug 11, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on agentflow. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between autogen and agentflow? autogen: A programming framework for agentic AI. agentflow: Complex LLM Workflows from Simple JSON.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose autogen over agentflow? Choose autogen over agentflow when License: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, agentflow 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, ai, autogen; Also covers AI Agents; You need a framework that supports integration with multiple AI models via OpenAI's chat completion client. ### When should I choose agentflow over autogen? Choose agentflow over autogen when License: agentflow is MIT, autogen is CC-BY-4.0; Tags unique to agentflow: python; Leaner open-issue backlog (13). ### 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. ### When should I avoid agentflow? Last GitHub push was 1065 days ago (dormant maintenance, Aug 11, 2023). Validate activity before betting a new project on agentflow. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### Is autogen or agentflow more popular on GitHub? autogen has more GitHub stars (59,658 vs 321). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are autogen and agentflow open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (autogen: CC-BY-4.0, agentflow: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to autogen or agentflow? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [autogen alternatives](/tools/microsoft-autogen/alternatives) and [agentflow alternatives](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow/alternatives) ([autogen markdown twin](/tools/microsoft-autogen/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-autogen-vs-simonmesmith-agentflow.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, autogen or agentflow? autogen: Steady. 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 autogen and agentflow? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [autogen trust report](/tools/microsoft-autogen/trust); [agentflow trust report](/tools/simonmesmith-agentflow/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=microsoft-autogen`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=microsoft-autogen) - 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/_