# AutoGen vs Semantic Kernel: license, pricing and features compared (October 2026)

Canonical: https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/autogen-vs-semantic-kernel · Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Published: 2026-10-25 · Author: Agentic Weekly (operated independently from Texas, US) · Evidence: Evidence: AutoGen has a Tested entry; Semantic Kernel is Reported (scope on each tool page). The facts in the tables were read from each vendor's own pages and the public GitHub API on 2026-10-25 (America/Chicago) and are Reported. The What we measured section lists what we have actually run, with links to the test logs, and what we have not run yet; anything we could not confirm is marked as not captured.

**Our pick:** Pick AutoGen for existing AutoGen projects that need reference material; pick Semantic Kernel for existing .NET and Azure shops already on Semantic Kernel. No overall winner: we have not benchmarked them against each other. **Updated:** 2026-10-26 (America/Chicago).

> AutoGen and Semantic Kernel are both listed under Agent building. License: AutoGen is MIT (code) and CC-BY-4.0 (docs), per GitHub; Semantic Kernel is MIT. GitHub stars on Oct 25, 2026: AutoGen 61,562 (microsoft/autogen) vs Semantic Kernel 28,695 (microsoft/semantic-kernel). Stars measure attention, not quality. AutoGen is the better fit for: existing AutoGen projects that need reference material. Semantic Kernel is the better fit for: existing .NET and Azure shops already on Semantic Kernel. Facts were read from vendor and GitHub pages on Oct 25, 2026 and are Reported; what we ran ourselves is under What we measured.

## What we measured

We have run AutoGen ourselves but not the other tool, so no head-to-head result exists yet. Everything else on this page is Reported from vendor and GitHub pages.

Table: Our own tests for AutoGen and Semantic Kernel

| Test | AutoGen | Semantic Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-on test log (install and a real task) | Tested: AutoGen 0.7.5, Oct 25, 2026: passed. AutoGen 0.7.5 passed our one-tool task on a local 3B model: 3 of 3 trials; cold uv install 1.9 s. [Full test log](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/autogen) | Tried, not marked Tested (our task did not complete as stated): Semantic Kernel 1.45.0, Oct 25, 2026: partly worked. Semantic Kernel 1.45.0 returned an empty reply with our standard prompt (0 of 3) but worked once the prompt used its plugin-prefixed tool name (3 of 3); a naming trap… [Full test log](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests/semantic-kernel) |

How we test and label results: [methodology](https://theagenticweekly.com/methodology#testing-rig). All test logs: [test hub](https://theagenticweekly.com/tests).

## AutoGen vs Semantic Kernel at a glance

AutoGen and Semantic Kernel are both listed under Agent building. Agentic Weekly's AutoGen page names Semantic Kernel as an alternative. AutoGen: Microsoft's open-source multi-agent framework; its README now says the project is in maintenance mode and points to Microsoft Agent Framework. Semantic Kernel: Microsoft's model-agnostic SDK for building AI agents; its README calls Microsoft Agent Framework the enterprise-ready successor.

Table: AutoGen and Semantic Kernel side by side (vendor pages and GitHub, 2026-10-25)

|  | AutoGen | Semantic Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| Listed under | Agent building | Agent building |
| License | MIT (code) and CC-BY-4.0 (docs), per GitHub | MIT |
| Pricing model | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Free tier | Free to self-host | Free to self-host |
| Paid plans | None listed for the library | None listed for the library |
| Platforms | Python and .NET | .NET, Python and Java |
| Public repository | microsoft/autogen: 61,562 stars, last push Oct 16, 2026 UTC (GitHub API, Oct 25, 2026) | microsoft/semantic-kernel: 28,695 stars, last push Oct 23, 2026 UTC (GitHub API, Oct 25, 2026) |
| Latest release we saw | python-v0.7.5, Sep 30, 2025 | python-1.45.0, Oct 6, 2026 |
| Evidence | Tested (scope on its tool page) | Reported from vendor pages |

## How AutoGen and Semantic Kernel differ

- License: AutoGen is MIT (code) and CC-BY-4.0 (docs), per GitHub; Semantic Kernel is MIT.
- GitHub stars on Oct 25, 2026: AutoGen 61,562 (microsoft/autogen) vs Semantic Kernel 28,695 (microsoft/semantic-kernel). Stars measure attention, not quality.
- Latest release we saw: Semantic Kernel python-1.45.0 on Oct 6, 2026; AutoGen python-v0.7.5 on Sep 30, 2025 (371 days earlier).
- Plans and prices differ and are not like-for-like (credits, seats and usage limits vary), so we do not name a cheaper tool. The Paid plans row above quotes each vendor's plan list as read on Oct 25, 2026.
- Platforms as the vendors list them: AutoGen: Python and .NET. Semantic Kernel: .NET, Python and Java.

Both are listed as "Free and open source", so compare the plan tables rather than the model.

## Which should you pick?

- Pick AutoGen if: existing AutoGen projects that need reference material; researchers studying multi-agent patterns. Skip it if: you are starting a new production project: Microsoft points to Agent Framework instead.
- Pick Semantic Kernel if: existing .NET and Azure shops already on Semantic Kernel. Skip it if: you are starting new agent work and want Microsoft's recommended path (Agent Framework).

## Strengths and limits

Table: Strengths and limits as listed on each tool page

|  | AutoGen | Semantic Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| Strengths | MIT-licensed code; Large community | MIT license; Multi-language |
| Limits | Maintenance mode per its own README; Last release tag we saw is from Sep 2025; Our test was one small task on a local 3B model; it does not show behaviour with hosted models or larger jobs | Successor product exists; Our own run only partly worked: Semantic Kernel 1.45.0 returned an empty reply with our standard prompt (0 of 3) but worked once the prompt used its plugin-prefixed tool name (3 of 3); a naming trap with small models. See /tests/semantic-kernel |

## What we did not verify

- AutoGen: Exact end-of-support dates.
- Semantic Kernel: Migration timeline.
- Output quality, speed and reliability beyond the smoke tests listed under What we measured: not compared.

## FAQ

### Is AutoGen or Semantic Kernel open source?

AutoGen: MIT (code) and CC-BY-4.0 (docs), per GitHub. Semantic Kernel: MIT. Licenses come from each project's GitHub repository or the vendor's own pages, read Oct 25, 2026; read the license text itself before redistributing or building a competing service.

### Does AutoGen or Semantic Kernel have a free plan?

AutoGen: Free: to self-host. Semantic Kernel: Free: to self-host. Checked Oct 25, 2026; prices and limits change, so confirm on each vendor's page.

### Which was updated more recently, AutoGen or Semantic Kernel?

AutoGen's newest release we saw is python-v0.7.5 (Sep 30, 2025); Semantic Kernel's is python-1.45.0 (Oct 6, 2026). Read Oct 25, 2026 from the official release page or repository; a newer date is not a quality ranking.

### What is the main difference between AutoGen and Semantic Kernel?

License: AutoGen is MIT (code) and CC-BY-4.0 (docs), per GitHub; Semantic Kernel is MIT. GitHub stars on Oct 25, 2026: AutoGen 61,562 (microsoft/autogen) vs Semantic Kernel 28,695 (microsoft/semantic-kernel). Stars measure attention, not quality.

## Sources

- [AutoGen README](https://github.com/microsoft/autogen) (fetched 2026-10-25)
- [Semantic Kernel README](https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel) (fetched 2026-10-25)

## Related

- [AutoGen facts and sources](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/autogen)
- [Semantic Kernel facts and sources](https://theagenticweekly.com/tools/semantic-kernel)
- [Alternatives to AutoGen](https://theagenticweekly.com/alternatives/autogen)
- [Alternatives to Semantic Kernel](https://theagenticweekly.com/alternatives/semantic-kernel)
- [Agent building: all tools we track](https://theagenticweekly.com/best/agent-building)
- [LangGraph vs AutoGen](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/langgraph-vs-autogen)
- [CrewAI vs AutoGen](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/crewai-vs-autogen)
- [AutoGen vs OpenAI Agents SDK](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/autogen-vs-openai-agents-sdk)
- [AutoGen vs Agno](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/autogen-vs-agno)
- [Google ADK vs AutoGen](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/google-adk-vs-autogen)
- [Semantic Kernel vs LangChain](https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/semantic-kernel-vs-langchain)

## Changelog

- 2026-10-25: First published. Facts read from vendor pages and the GitHub API on 2026-10-25.

## How to cite

Agentic Weekly, "AutoGen vs Semantic Kernel: license, pricing and features compared (October 2026)", last updated 2026-10-26, https://theagenticweekly.com/compare/autogen-vs-semantic-kernel