Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0

A Tier · 8.4/10

Microsoft's MIT-licensed open-source agent orchestration framework -- GA on 2026-04-03. Merges Semantic Kernel and AutoGen into a single SDK. Python and .NET. Native MCP and A2A protocol support. Connectors for Foundry, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Claude, Bedrock, Gemini, Ollama

Last updated: 2026-04-17Free tier available

Score Breakdown

6.0

Ease of Use

8.5

Output Quality

10.0

Value

9.0

Features

Visit Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0

The Good and the Bad

What we like

+First-class .NET support is the wedge -- CrewAI and LangGraph are Python-only, so Fortune 500 shops with .NET-heavy stacks (finance, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing) can finally pick an agent framework without forking the team into a Python island
+Merges Semantic Kernel's enterprise foundations (service connectors, plugins, telemetry, compliance hooks) with AutoGen's multi-agent patterns (group chat, Magentic-One, handoff) into a single SDK -- no more picking sides between the two former Microsoft frameworks
+Native MCP + A2A protocol support, broad connector support (OpenAI, Claude, Bedrock, Gemini, Ollama alongside Azure-native endpoints), and real memory-backend options (Foundry, Mem0, Redis, Neo4j) mean you can build real multi-agent systems without gluing 4 libraries together
+MIT licensed and GA (not preview) as of 2026-04-03. Semantic Kernel gets a 1+ year support runway, which matters for enterprise migration planning

What could be better

−Most enterprise-flavored of the open agent frameworks -- which means more surface area and more configuration than CrewAI's opinionated role-based approach. Smaller teams or prototypes may prefer CrewAI for faster onboarding
−Newer than LangGraph and CrewAI. Community, third-party skill ecosystem, and Stack Overflow / blog-post coverage are thinner as of mid-April 2026. Expect this to close through Q2/Q3 2026 but not immediately
−Multiple language SDKs (Python + .NET) means feature parity is a moving target -- watch the release notes for which patterns ship to which language first
−Microsoft's incentives favor Azure Foundry deployment paths. You can run it entirely vendor-neutral, but the documentation and examples lean Azure-first in ways CrewAI and LangGraph do not

Pricing

Open Source (MIT)

✓MIT license on the full framework
✓pip install agent-framework (Python) / dotnet add package Microsoft.Agents.AI (.NET)
✓Source available at github.com/microsoft/agent-framework
✓No vendor lock-in

Implied cloud costs (LLM providers + Foundry)

Varies/usage

✓You pay for whatever model and infra you plug in
✓Native connectors: Foundry, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Amazon Bedrock, Google Gemini, Ollama
✓Memory backends: Foundry, Mem0, Redis, Neo4j
✓Typical production cost: model API calls + memory store fees

Known Issues

Migration from Semantic Kernel or AutoGen is not automatic -- the merge into Agent Framework means existing code needs rework, though Microsoft provides migration guides. Semantic Kernel gets at least 1 year of continued support to bridge the transitionSource: Microsoft DevBlogs: Agent Framework v1.0 · 2026-04
Feature-parity gaps between Python and .NET SDKs still exist at GA. Some advanced patterns (specific Magentic-One configurations, certain memory-backend integrations) ship to Python firstSource: GitHub Issues, Microsoft Learn docs · 2026-04

Best for

Enterprise developers on .NET or mixed Python + .NET stacks who want an MIT-licensed agent orchestration framework with real enterprise credibility. Also good for Azure Foundry customers who want first-class native integration. Teams migrating from Semantic Kernel or AutoGen should plan the move to Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0 now rather than later.

Not for

Solo developers or small teams with a Python-only stack where CrewAI's opinionated role-based approach and faster onboarding are better fits. Also not ideal if you are deeply committed to LangChain-native graph-based orchestration -- LangGraph has tighter integration there.

Our Verdict

Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0 (GA 2026-04-03) is the enterprise-credibility answer to CrewAI and LangGraph. By merging Semantic Kernel and AutoGen into a single MIT-licensed SDK with first-class .NET support and broad provider connectors, Microsoft has removed the main blocker to agent orchestration adoption in .NET-heavy enterprises. For Fortune 500 shops that have been waiting for 'Microsoft's answer' before picking an agent framework, the wait is over. For prototypes, startups, and Python-native teams, CrewAI and LangGraph remain viable and often faster to adopt. Over the next two quarters watch how the community + third-party skill ecosystem develops -- if Microsoft invests in the plugin catalog, MAF becomes the new default for enterprise agents.