---
slug: "microsoft-agent-framework"
name: "Microsoft Agent Framework"
effect: "Builds AI agents and graph-based multi-agent workflows in Python or .NET"
category: "agent-framework"
tier: "standard"
url: "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/"
github: "microsoft/agent-framework"
pricing: "open-source"
license: "MIT"
tags: ["python", "dotnet", "multi-agent", "workflows", "microsoft", "opentelemetry"]
platforms: []
install_kind: "pip"
date_added: "2026-10-15"
rank: null
rising_score: 47
stars: 14132
star_velocity: 26.4
velocity_basis: "since creation"
created_at: "2025-04-28T19:40:42Z"
pushed_at: "2026-10-14T23:54:41Z"
signals_status: "ok"
signals_fetched_at: "2026-10-15T05:02:36.195Z"
page: "https://agenttooldrop.com/tools/microsoft-agent-framework"
---

# Microsoft Agent Framework

Builds AI agents and graph-based multi-agent workflows in Python or .NET

Category: Agent frameworks. Tier: standard (a well-known tool, listed for reference, not ranked). Pricing: Open source. License: MIT.

## Why you would want it

Microsoft Agent Framework provides agents, middleware and graph-based workflows with sequential, concurrent, handoff and group collaboration patterns, plus checkpointing, streaming, human-in-the-loop and time-travel. It has built-in OpenTelemetry tracing, declarative YAML agents and a DevUI for testing. Microsoft's docs describe it as the direct successor to AutoGen and Semantic Kernel, built by the same teams, and the README links migration guides from both.

## Best for

- Teams migrating from AutoGen or Semantic Kernel
- Multi-agent workflows in .NET or Python
- Azure and Microsoft Foundry deployments

## Use it when

You need orchestrated multi-agent workflows with checkpointing and human review, in Python or C#, possibly hosted on Microsoft Foundry.

## Skip it if

You want a minimal single-agent loop with no Azure ties; the README quickstarts use Microsoft Foundry and Azure credentials, and other providers are covered in samples. The Go SDK is a separate repo in public preview.

## Install

Install with pip:

```sh
pip install agent-framework
```

Source: https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework#readme

## Live signals

Fetched 2026-10-15T05:02:36.195Z (status: ok).

- Repository: microsoft/agent-framework
- Repository created: 2025-04-28
- Stars: 14,132 (GitHub's count; it cannot be authenticated)
- Stars per day, since repo creation: 26.4 (an average over the repo's life, not a growth rate)
- Forks: 2,471
- Open issues and PRs: 760
- License (GitHub): MIT
- Last push: 2026-10-14
- Latest release: dotnet-1.25.0 (2026-10-14)

## Links

- Website: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/
- GitHub: https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework
- Install instructions verified at: https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework#readme
- Source for this entry: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/overview/
- AgentToolDrop page: https://agenttooldrop.com/tools/microsoft-agent-framework
- Full catalog (JSON): https://agenttooldrop.com/tools.json