Microsoft Agent Framework logo

Microsoft Agent Framework

Unified framework for building, orchestrating, and deploying AI agents

A multi-language SDK that lets developers create chat agents, graph‑based workflows, and multi‑agent orchestrations in Python or .NET, with built‑in observability, DevUI, and middleware.

Microsoft Agent Framework banner

Overview

Highlights

Graph‑based workflow orchestration with streaming and checkpointing
Cross‑language API parity for Python and .NET
Built‑in OpenTelemetry observability
Interactive DevUI for debugging and testing

Pros

  • Supports both Python and .NET with consistent APIs
  • Rich workflow capabilities including human‑in‑the‑loop
  • Extensible middleware system
  • Comprehensive observability out of the box

Considerations

  • Prerelease packages may be less stable
  • Requires familiarity with Azure or other LLM providers
  • Current provider catalog is growing but not exhaustive
  • Learning curve for graph‑based workflow concepts

Managed products teams compare with

When teams consider Microsoft Agent Framework, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.

CrewAI logo

CrewAI

Multi-agent automation framework & studio to build and run AI crews

LangGraph logo

LangGraph

Open-source framework for building stateful, long-running AI agents

Relevance AI logo

Relevance AI

No-code platform to build a team of AI agents with rich integrations

Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.

Fit guide

Great for

  • Enterprise teams building scalable AI assistants
  • Developers needing multi‑agent orchestration
  • Researchers prototyping novel agent patterns
  • Organizations standardizing on Azure OpenAI

Not ideal when

  • Simple single‑turn bots where a lightweight library suffices
  • Projects that cannot use Python or .NET runtimes
  • Environments with licensing constraints beyond MIT
  • Teams requiring a ready‑made UI without custom development

How teams use it

Customer support chatbot with escalation

Automates routine inquiries and routes complex issues to human agents via workflow orchestration.

Automated report generation pipeline

Chains data retrieval, analysis, and natural‑language summarization into a single end‑to‑end workflow.

Real‑time data analysis with human‑in‑the‑loop

Streams sensor data to an AI agent, allowing operators to intervene or adjust parameters on the fly.

Reinforcement‑learning research using AF Labs

Leverages experimental labs for benchmarking and training agents in simulated environments.

Tech snapshot

C#49%
Python46%
TypeScript5%
HTML1%
PowerShell1%
CSS1%

Tags

aiagentic-aiagentspythonmulti-agentagent-frameworkorchestrationsdkworkflowsdotnet

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the framework?

Use `pip install agent-framework --pre` for Python or `dotnet add package Microsoft.Agents.AI` for .NET.

Which programming languages are supported?

Full support for Python and C#/.NET with matching APIs.

Can I add my own LLM provider?

Yes, the middleware system lets you plug in custom providers or extend existing ones.

Is tracing available out of the box?

The framework includes OpenTelemetry integration for distributed tracing and monitoring.

What license is the framework released under?

The project is released under the MIT license.

Project at a glance

Active
Stars
6,644
Watchers
6,644
Forks
1,043
LicenseMIT
Repo age9 months old
Last commityesterday
Primary languagePython

Last synced yesterday