Microsoft Agent Framework
An open-source Microsoft framework for building agents and multi-agent workflows in Python and .NET (a Go SDK lives in a separate repository). Workflows are graphs: sequential, concurrent, handoff or group collaboration, with checkpoints, human sign-off and OpenTelemetry traces. It is the named successor to AutoGen, stable since version 1.0 with announced long-term support (versions 1.25 in Python and 1.28 in .NET in early November 2026).
Strengths
- Python and .NET with matching APIs: a mixed team shares the same concepts
- Graph workflows with checkpoints, human sign-off and time travel
- Built-in OpenTelemetry traces, readable by your existing observability tool
- Official migration guides from AutoGen and Semantic Kernel
Limitations
- The quickstart in the docs relies on Azure (Foundry, sign-in through az login)
Best for
- .NET teams that want agents without leaving their stack
- AutoGen or Semantic Kernel projects to migrate