Agents & frameworks · B-tier

AutoGen

Microsoft’s open-source multi-agent framework. Powerful, and more library than product.

Best for

Engineers who want a free multi-agent library and will write the glue.

What it is

AutoGen is Microsoft’s open-source framework for multi-agent conversations and tool use. It is a library, not a hosted builder. Expect to write Python and follow research-flavored APIs. Use it when you want the pieces, not a UI.

open-sourcemicrosoftmulti-agentAgents & frameworks

Score breakdown

Capability 40%76
Ease 25%60
Value 20%90
Momentum 15%64

Pricing

Free

Starting price: $0

The framework is open source. You pay the model APIs you call from it.

Dates

Released 2023 (year precision).

Added to StackPick 14 Oct 2026.

Alternatives

A-tier · 80

CrewAI

Role-based multi-agent demos and workflows you want to read as a crew.

B-tier · 72

Semantic Kernel

.NET teams adding tool-calling agents inside an existing Microsoft codebase.

A-tier · 84

OpenAI Agents SDK

Agents that should stay close to OpenAI’s tools, handoffs, and tracing.

Questions

What is AutoGen best for?

Engineers who want a free multi-agent library and will write the glue.

How much does AutoGen cost?

Free. Starting price: $0. The framework is open source. You pay the model APIs you call from it.

What are alternatives to AutoGen?

CrewAI, Semantic Kernel, OpenAI Agents SDK are the alternatives we file next to it. Open a comparison when one exists.