What is Microsoft Agent Framework?
Latest launch MIT
Summary
Microsoft Agent Framework is an MIT-licensed Python and .NET framework for AI agents and multi-agent workflows, and the successor to Semantic Kernel.
- Category
- Frameworks
- Open source
- Yes
- License
- MIT
- Pricing
- Microsoft Agent Framework is MIT-licensed and free to install from PyPI or NuGet. You pay your model provider, or Azure if you host agents on Microsoft Foundry.
Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF) is Microsoft's framework for agents and graph-based multi-agent workflows, with the same concepts in Python and .NET. Code: microsoft/agent-framework, MIT. Docs: Microsoft Learn.
It replaces two older Microsoft projects. The Semantic Kernel README now points new work to MAF, and Microsoft Learn has migration guides from Semantic Kernel and from AutoGen. If you are starting fresh on Microsoft's stack, this is the package to pick.
What you get, per the README: an Agent class with chat clients for many providers, middleware, sequential, concurrent, handoff and group-chat workflows with checkpointing and human-in-the-loop, OpenTelemetry tracing, YAML declarative agents, agent skills, and a local DevUI for testing. Hosting on Microsoft Foundry is optional.
The Python side ships weekly or close to it: 1.21.0 on October 8, 1.22.0 on October 15, 1.23.0 on October 22 1.24.0 on October 30 and 1.25.0 on November 7, 2026, per GitHub. 1.25.0 marked seven changes as breaking, including bounded MCP discovery with 30-second default timeouts and workflow agents bound to one authorization scope, so read the migration notes before you bump the pin. Coming from Semantic Kernel? See Microsoft Agent Framework vs Semantic Kernel. This hub was created with the dated launch Microsoft Agent Framework 1.24.0 for Python.
Compare it with other Python agent frameworks in the frameworks category: AG2, the AutoGen offshoot; LangGraph for durable graphs; and the OpenAI Agents SDK.
Microsoft Agent Framework alternatives
| Tool | License | Pricing note |
|---|---|---|
Microsoft Agent FrameworkThis pageMicrosoft Agent Framework is an MIT-licensed Python and .NET framework for AI agents and multi-agent workflows, and the successor to Semantic Kernel. | MIT | Microsoft Agent Framework is MIT-licensed and free to install from PyPI or NuGet. You pay your model provider, or Azure if you host agents on Microsoft Foundry. |
Semantic KernelSemantic Kernel is Microsoft's MIT-licensed SDK for AI agents and plugins in Python, .NET and Java, now succeeded by Microsoft Agent Framework. | MIT | Semantic Kernel is MIT-licensed and free to install from PyPI or NuGet (Java builds live in microsoft/semantic-kernel-java). You pay your model provider for tokens. |
AG2AG2 (formerly AutoGen) is an Apache-2.0 Python framework for AI agents and multi-agent networks, installed from PyPI as ag2 and imported as ag2. | Apache-2.0 | AG2 is Apache-2.0 and free to install from PyPI. You pay your model provider for tokens. |
LangGraphLangGraph is an open-source orchestration runtime for building stateful, resilient agents. | MIT | Not stated |
OpenAI AgentsOpenAI's agent harness, shipped as a Python SDK update in April 2026 and as the hosted Agents API in September 2026. | Open source | SDK and Agents API use standard token and tool pricing. The Agents API has no additional fee. |
Launches and updates
Agent Framework 1.25.0 drops Python 3.10, caps MCP
Microsoft Agent FrameworkAgent Framework 1.25.0 for Python (Nov 7, 2026) requires Python 3.11, bounds MCP discovery and timeouts, scopes workflow agents and renames workflow spans.
Category: Frameworks
Pricing: Open source
Microsoft Agent Framework 1.24.0 sets Python 3.11 baseline
Microsoft Agent FrameworkAgent Framework 1.24.0 for Python (Oct 30, 2026) sets a Python 3.11 baseline, breaks the beta Redis context index and adds an MCP approval default.
Category: Frameworks
Pricing: Open source
Guides covering Microsoft Agent Framework
Questions
What is Microsoft Agent Framework?
It is Microsoft's open-source framework for building, orchestrating and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows. The Python package is agent-framework on PyPI and the .NET package is Microsoft.Agents.AI on NuGet. A Go SDK lives in a separate repository, microsoft/agent-framework-go.
Is Microsoft Agent Framework the same as Semantic Kernel?
No, it is the successor. The Semantic Kernel README now says Semantic Kernel is Microsoft Agent Framework and calls MAF its enterprise-ready successor. Microsoft publishes migration guides from both Semantic Kernel and AutoGen on Microsoft Learn.
How do I install Microsoft Agent Framework?
pip install agent-framework installs the standard package set for Python. For .NET, dotnet add package Microsoft.Agents.AI. Experimental modules ship separately as agent-framework-lab.
Which Python version does it need?
Python 3.11 or later. Release 1.24.0 made 3.11 the supported baseline, and 1.25.0 (November 7, 2026) removed Python 3.10 installation eligibility from every package.
Do I have to use Azure?
No. The README lists Microsoft Foundry, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI and the GitHub Copilot SDK, and the 1.24.0 release touches separate client packages for Anthropic, Bedrock, Gemini, Mistral, Ollama and NVIDIA. The Python quickstart happens to use Foundry with an Azure CLI login.