Agent framework choice quietly determines whether your agent ships or stalls. Here's how the 6 leading options actually compare in 2026.
The 6 frameworks
- LangGraph — graph-based agent orchestration
- CrewAI — role-based multi-agent
- AutoGen — Microsoft's conversational agent framework
- OpenAI Agents SDK — OpenAI's first-party SDK
- Mastra — TypeScript-first agents
- LlamaIndex Workflows — event-driven workflows
Ranked for production
- LangGraph — most flexible, best observability via LangSmith
- OpenAI Agents SDK — best if all-OpenAI
- Mastra — best TypeScript developer experience
- LlamaIndex Workflows — best for event-driven patterns
- CrewAI — best for role-based prototypes
- AutoGen — best for research / multi-agent experimentation
Best by use case
- Production multi-step agent: LangGraph
- TypeScript-only team: Mastra
- OpenAI-only stack: Agents SDK
- Quick role-based prototype: CrewAI
- Event-driven pipelines: LlamaIndex Workflows
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