--- title: "neuron-ai vs agent-kernel" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/neuron-core-neuron-ai-vs-yaalalabs-agent-kernel" tools: ["neuron-core-neuron-ai", "yaalalabs-agent-kernel"] --- # neuron-ai vs agent-kernel *GraphCanon updated Aug 21, 2026* ## Verdict Pick neuron-ai if neuron-AI is specifically designed as an Agentic Framework for PHP developers to incorporate AI capabilities into their applications through the seamless integration of LLMs, tools, and vector databases with agents; pick agent-kernel if agent-kernel provides an operating system for scalable enterprise AI agents, supporting deployment and orchestration at scale with native integration support for MCP and A2A. [neuron-ai](https://docs.neuron-ai.dev) reports 2.1k GitHub stars, 235 forks, and 7 open issues, last pushed Aug 20, 2026. [agent-kernel](https://kernel.yaala.ai/) has 113 stars, 60 forks, and 128 open issues, last pushed Aug 7, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [neuron-ai's repository](https://github.com/neuron-core/neuron-ai) and [agent-kernel's repository](https://github.com/yaalalabs/agent-kernel). | | [neuron-ai](/tools/neuron-core-neuron-ai.md) | [agent-kernel](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Agentic Framework for building production-ready AI applications in PHP | The Operating System for Scalable Enterprise AI Agents | | Stars | 2,058 | 113 | | Forks | 235 | 60 | | Open issues | 7 | 128 | | Language | PHP | Python | | Adopt for | Neuron-AI is specifically designed as an Agentic Framework for PHP developers to incorporate AI capabilities into their applications through the seamless integration of LLMs, tools, and vector databases with agents. | Agent-kernel provides an operating system for scalable enterprise AI agents, supporting deployment and orchestration at scale with native integration support for MCP and A2A. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | AI Agents | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [neuron-ai](/tools/neuron-core-neuron-ai.md) | [agent-kernel](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 0d | 2d | | Open issues (now) | 7 | 128 | | Stars delta | +37 (30d) | Unknown | | Open issues delta | -2 (30d) | Unknown | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/neuron-core-neuron-ai/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: neuron-ai - **Adopt for:** Neuron-AI is specifically designed as an Agentic Framework for PHP developers to incorporate AI capabilities into their applications through the seamless integration of LLMs, tools, and vector databases with agents. ## Decision facts: agent-kernel - **Requirements:** It requires Python versions between 3.12 and 3.13.x.; Supports deployment to various environments such as AWS Lambda, ECS, Azure Functions, or Container Apps via one Terraform module. - **Adopt for:** Agent-kernel provides an operating system for scalable enterprise AI agents, supporting deployment and orchestration at scale with native integration support for MCP and A2A. ## Choose when ### Choose neuron-ai if… - neuron-ai is primarily PHP; agent-kernel is Python. - License: neuron-ai is MIT, agent-kernel is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to neuron-ai: agent, agentic-ai, llm-inference, php. - Also covers Inference & Serving. - neuron-ai ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you are a PHP developer looking for an agentic framework that allows integration of AI components directly in your existing stack. ### Choose agent-kernel if… - agent-kernel is primarily Python; neuron-ai is PHP. - License: agent-kernel is Apache-2.0, neuron-ai is MIT. - Requirements: It requires Python versions between 3.12 and 3.13.x.; Supports deployment to various environments such as AWS Lambda, ECS, Azure Functions, or Container Apps via one Terraform module.. - Tags unique to agent-kernel: a2a, adk, aws, azure. - If you require seamless scalability across different cloud providers like AWS and Azure without lock-in or rewrites. ## When NOT to use neuron-ai - If your application does not require integration of AI agents, sophisticated tools, or vector databases within the PHP framework as Neuron-AI doesn't offer standalone value without these integrations. - When a different programming language is heavily favored over PHP in your project environment, Neuron-AI would then be less suitable due to its PHP-centric design. - If immediate access to the latest advancements in AI components like neural networks or machine learning requires rapid iteration and experimentation beyond what PHP allows efficiently. ## When NOT to use agent-kernel - If your project is confined to a single, specific AI framework which doesn't require the flexibility Agent-kernel offers. - When you do not have Python version 3.12 - 3.13.x, as it's the required runtime environment. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between neuron-ai and agent-kernel? neuron-ai: Agentic Framework for building production-ready AI applications in PHP. agent-kernel: The Operating System for Scalable Enterprise AI Agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose neuron-ai over agent-kernel? Choose neuron-ai over agent-kernel when neuron-ai is primarily PHP; agent-kernel is Python; License: neuron-ai is MIT, agent-kernel is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to neuron-ai: agent, agentic-ai, llm-inference, php; Also covers Inference & Serving; neuron-ai ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you are a PHP developer looking for an agentic framework that allows integration of AI components directly in your existing stack. ### When should I choose agent-kernel over neuron-ai? Choose agent-kernel over neuron-ai when agent-kernel is primarily Python; neuron-ai is PHP; License: agent-kernel is Apache-2.0, neuron-ai is MIT; Requirements: It requires Python versions between 3.12 and 3.13.x.; Supports deployment to various environments such as AWS Lambda, ECS, Azure Functions, or Container Apps via one Terraform module.; Tags unique to agent-kernel: a2a, adk, aws, azure; If you require seamless scalability across different cloud providers like AWS and Azure without lock-in or rewrites. ### When should I avoid neuron-ai? If your application does not require integration of AI agents, sophisticated tools, or vector databases within the PHP framework as Neuron-AI doesn't offer standalone value without these integrations. When a different programming language is heavily favored over PHP in your project environment, Neuron-AI would then be less suitable due to its PHP-centric design. If immediate access to the latest advancements in AI components like neural networks or machine learning requires rapid iteration and experimentation beyond what PHP allows efficiently. ### When should I avoid agent-kernel? If your project is confined to a single, specific AI framework which doesn't require the flexibility Agent-kernel offers. When you do not have Python version 3.12 - 3.13.x, as it's the required runtime environment. ### Is neuron-ai or agent-kernel more popular on GitHub? neuron-ai has more GitHub stars (2,058 vs 113). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are neuron-ai and agent-kernel open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (neuron-ai: MIT, agent-kernel: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to neuron-ai or agent-kernel? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [neuron-ai alternatives](/tools/neuron-core-neuron-ai/alternatives) and [agent-kernel alternatives](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/alternatives) ([neuron-ai markdown twin](/tools/neuron-core-neuron-ai/alternatives.md), [agent-kernel markdown twin](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/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/neuron-core-neuron-ai-vs-yaalalabs-agent-kernel.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, neuron-ai or agent-kernel? neuron-ai: Very active. agent-kernel: 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 neuron-ai and agent-kernel? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [neuron-ai trust report](/tools/neuron-core-neuron-ai/trust); [agent-kernel trust report](/tools/yaalalabs-agent-kernel/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=neuron-core-neuron-ai`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=neuron-core-neuron-ai) - 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/_