What it is
Microsoft Agent Framework is the direct successor to both AutoGen and Semantic Kernel, built by the same teams. It combines AutoGen's simple single- and multi-agent patterns with Semantic Kernel's enterprise features such as session state, type safety, middleware and telemetry, and adds graph-based workflows with checkpointing and human-in-the-loop.
It was tagged 1.0 for Python and .NET on 2 April 2026 and now ships Python releases roughly weekly; python-1.23.0 came out on 22 October 2026. A Go SDK lives in a separate repository and is in public preview without declarative agents, RAG or functional workflows. It works with Microsoft Foundry, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama and others, and supports MCP and A2A.
AutoGen is in maintenance mode and its README says it is transitioning to archived, with a warning against production use. New Microsoft-stack agent projects should start here.
Our review
Agent Framework is where Microsoft's agent work now lives, and for .NET shops there is no serious rival. It has about 14,300 GitHub stars, far below AutoGen's 61,500, but AutoGen's last Python release was v0.7.5 in September 2025 and its README now warns against production use as it heads for archive.
The combination is the selling point: first-class C# and Python with consistent APIs, graph workflows with checkpointing and time-travel, an opinionated Harness Agent for long multi-step tasks, OpenTelemetry tracing built in, and hosting on Microsoft Foundry with a couple of extra lines. Support for MCP and A2A keeps agents able to reach tools and other agents outside Microsoft's stack.
Youth shows in the details. Python releases arrive roughly weekly and 820 issues and pull requests are open. On 7 October 2026 three advisories were published together, one high-severity: declarative MCP calls could expose protected workflow values to external servers, approved MCP calls could run with different transport headers, and the Foundry hosting toolbox could send the agent's Azure bearer token to an unintended origin. All sit in the newer MCP and hosting layers, which is exactly where enterprises are being encouraged to build.
Outside Azure the argument narrows. LangGraph has more tutorials and a longer production record for Python, and the Go SDK is still a preview missing core features. Microsoft's own docs state that third-party models and servers are used at your own risk and that keeping data inside an Azure compliance boundary is the customer's job.
Where it earns its place
A .NET team at an insurer running on Azure
Build a claims-triage agent inside existing C# services and Azure compliance controls
The .NET SDK plugs into Foundry and Azure OpenAI with Azure credentials, and workflows checkpoint state for human review. The framework is free; cost is Azure OpenAI tokens and Foundry hosting.
A research engineer with AutoGen multi-agent prototypes
Move off AutoGen before it is archived
Microsoft publishes a migration guide from AutoGen, and group-chat and handoff patterns have workflow equivalents. Budget a real port, since AutoGen now receives only bug and security fixes.
A head of platform choosing an agent standard for 15 product teams
Standardise on one framework that security and procurement will accept
Microsoft backing, MIT licence and OpenTelemetry tracing help the case, but the October 2026 MCP advisories mean MCP use needs review and prompt patching. Weekly releases need a pinning policy.
Before you commit
- Setup
- pip install agent-framework on Python 3.10 or newer, or dotnet add package for .NET; the quickstart runs a Foundry-hosted agent in minutes with Azure CLI credentials, and DevUI helps with local testing.
- Integrations
- Microsoft Foundry, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama and the GitHub Copilot SDK; MCP and A2A; OpenTelemetry; Foundry Hosted Agents for deployment.
- Data and privacy
- MIT licence. Data goes to whichever model and MCP servers you configure; Microsoft says third-party systems are used at your own risk. Three GitHub advisories, published 7 October 2026, cover MCP and Foundry hosting token handling.
- Cost at scale
- The framework is free; production cost is model tokens and Azure hosting. Microsoft publishes no separate licence or support fee for the framework itself.
- Limits
- 820 open issues and pull requests; weekly Python releases; Go preview lacks declarative agents, RAG, CodeAct and functional workflows; some .NET packages still install with --prerelease.
What's good
- First-class .NET and Python with consistent APIs
- Stable 1.0 APIs and an official path off AutoGen and Semantic Kernel
- Graph workflows with checkpointing and human-in-the-loop
- OpenTelemetry tracing and MCP and A2A support built in
What's not
- Three MCP and hosting advisories in October 2026, one high
- Weekly releases and 820 open issues and pull requests
- Go SDK is a preview in a separate repo
- Thinner community material than LangGraph
Best for
.NET and Azure teams, and anyone migrating from AutoGen or Semantic Kernel.
Alternatives
Microsoft Agent Framework: common questions
- Is Microsoft Agent Framework worth it?
- The obvious home for .NET and Azure teams building agents, and a capable but less proven choice for Python teams elsewhere. We rate it 4.2 out of 5.
- How much does Microsoft Agent Framework cost?
- Free and open source under the MIT licence. You pay only for the models and Azure services you use.
- What are the downsides of Microsoft Agent Framework?
- Three MCP and hosting advisories in October 2026, one high; weekly releases and 820 open issues and pull requests; go SDK is a preview in a separate repo; thinner community material than LangGraph.
- Who is Microsoft Agent Framework best for?
- .NET and Azure teams, and anyone migrating from AutoGen or Semantic Kernel.
- How much does Microsoft Agent Framework cost for a team or in production?
- The framework is free; production cost is model tokens and Azure hosting. Microsoft publishes no separate licence or support fee for the framework itself.
- Is Microsoft Agent Framework safe for company data?
- MIT licence. Data goes to whichever model and MCP servers you configure; Microsoft says third-party systems are used at your own risk. Three GitHub advisories, published 7 October 2026, cover MCP and Foundry hosting token handling.
- What are the best Microsoft Agent Framework alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are LangGraph, OpenAI Agents SDK, Google Agent Development Kit (ADK) and CrewAI.
Answers checked Oct 23, 2026.
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