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Microsoft Agent Framework

Microsoft

Open Source

Microsoft's new multi-language agent framework for building, orchestrating, and deploying agent workflows.

Curated by Tiberiu ArvaStale

MITVersion 1.21.0Released 2026-10-0813,498
DocsRepository

Strengths

  • Multi-language SDKs
  • Python and .NET support
  • Graph-based workflows and DevUI

Practitioner note

Worth watching for teams standardising on Microsoft agent patterns, but adoption should still be treated as early and architecture-led.

Warning

Microsoft Agent Framework: Microsoft positions Agent Framework as the migration target for Semantic Kernel and AutoGen users. The version field tracks the Python package release line.

Where it sits in the stack

Listed under Agent frameworks in the Build & orchestrate layer.

  1. Build & orchestrate
  2. Control plane
  3. Use

Pairs with, from Microsoft

See the full Microsoft stack

Governance posture

Reviewed 2026-05-26
YesData residency

Self-hosted framework; data residency is operator-determined.

Source
YesDeployment model

Library via package manager (Python/NuGet); no managed hosting. (self-hosted)

Source
PartialAudit logging

DevUI tracing for local dev; production logging operator-configured.

Source
N/ASOC 2

Self-hosted library; SOC 2 applies to the operator's infrastructure, not the package.

N/AISO 27001

Self-hosted library; ISO 27001 applies to the operator's ISMS, not the package.

N/AISO 42001

Self-hosted library; ISO 42001 applies to the deploying organisation.

N/AEU AI Act

Developer component, not an AI system placed on the market; obligations rest with the deployer. (role: not-applicable)

YesLicense risk

MIT — permissive, OSI-approved. (low)

Source

EU AI Act obligations

Risk tier: Not applicable · as of 2026-10-10

Source-backed information mapped from Microsoft Agent Framework's tracked risk tier — not legal advice. Obligations depend on how your organisation deploys the system; see the full obligation reference and timeline.

This record's EU AI Act risk tier is marked not applicable, so no tier-specific obligations attach. Deployers embedding it in an AI system in scope of the Act should assess that system's own tier.

Change history

Source-backed and auto-detected events for this tool, newest first.

  1. Release

    Agent Framework python-1.21.0 adds Purview policy evaluation for streamed responses and an alpha Oracle vector store. python-1.20.0 added hosting of native workflows over Foundry, with breaking changes to Foundry hosting settings.

    Release python-1.21.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  2. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.19.0 added generic vector-store provider protocols with MongoDB and Azure DocumentDB connectors, with breaking changes to cookie persistence and MCP skill archives.

    Release python-1.19.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  3. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.18.0 added shared vector-store abstractions and Azure AI Search, Redis, Qdrant, and pgvector connectors, plus bounded tool-loop duration and several credential, file, and checkpoint hardening changes.

    Release python-1.18.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  4. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.15.0 added optional A2UI support for agent-generated interfaces, first-class middleware failure signaling, and broader runtime and integration updates.

    Release python-1.15.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  5. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.14.0 added Mistral support, opt-in AGENT-HOOKS enforcement middleware, AG-UI checkpoint resume, and Foundry state stores, alongside experimental and beta breaking changes.

    Release python-1.14.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  6. Release

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.11.0 added message injection middleware for enqueuing messages into active runs.

    Release python-1.11.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  7. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework .NET 1.13.0 added Foundry Hosting per-user session isolation, skill approval options, public skill-source APIs, configurable default-approval harness behavior, and new file-editing tools.

    Release dotnet-1.13.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  8. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.10.0 added Foundry conversation-session helpers and adaptive eval support, standalone Durable Task worker hosting, and stricter approval defaults for experimental file-access tools.

    Release python-1.10.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  9. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.9.0 added tool-approval middleware, integrated approvals into Harness agents, denied MCP server-initiated sampling by default, and promoted orchestrations to stable.

    Release python-1.9.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  10. Release

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.8.1 added MCP long-running task support and OpenTelemetry spans aligned to GenAI semantic conventions, while tightening MCP tool-argument filtering.

    Release python-1.8.1 · microsoft/agent-framework
  11. Release

    Microsoft Agent Framework 1.7.0 added harness agents, A2A session support, and new Foundry integration hooks, extending the framework's orchestration and inter-agent workflow surface.

    python-1.7.0 · microsoft/agent-framework
  12. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework 1.4.0 introduced experimental skills API breaking changes, migrated its A2A layer to a2a-sdk v1.0, and tightened default DevUI access controls and CORS posture.

    Release python-1.4.0 · microsoft/agent-framework · GitHub
  13. Release

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.3.0 added class-based skill definitions plus experimental session-mode and todo-list harness context providers, expanding structured agent composition patterns.

    Release python-1.3.0 · microsoft/agent-framework · GitHub
  14. Release

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.2.2 added an Azure AI Content Understanding context provider for documents, images, audio, and video, expanding enterprise attachment analysis paths.

    Release python-1.2.2 · microsoft/agent-framework · GitHub
  15. ReleaseHigh impact

    Microsoft Agent Framework Python 1.2.0 added a functional workflow API, OpenTelemetry support for GitHubCopilotAgent, and an A2A bridge, extending interoperability and observability for production agent deployments.

    Release python-1.2.0 · microsoft/agent-framework · GitHub
  16. Auto-detected
    lastRelease: 2026-09-10 → 2026-10-08

    From snapshot diff 2026-09-13 → 2026-10-10.

  17. Auto-detected
    version: 1.18.0 → 1.21.0

    From snapshot diff 2026-09-13 → 2026-10-10.

  18. Auto-detected
    githubStars: 13058 → 13498

    From snapshot diff 2026-08-22 → 2026-09-13.

  19. Auto-detected
    lastRelease: 2026-08-21 → 2026-09-10

    From snapshot diff 2026-08-22 → 2026-09-13.

  20. Auto-detected
    version: 1.15.0 → 1.18.0

    From snapshot diff 2026-08-22 → 2026-09-13.

  21. Auto-detected
    githubStars: 12588 → 13058

    From snapshot diff 2026-08-04 → 2026-08-22.

  22. Auto-detected
    lastRelease: 2026-07-30 → 2026-08-21

    From snapshot diff 2026-08-04 → 2026-08-22.

  23. Auto-detected
    version: 1.13.0 → 1.15.0

    From snapshot diff 2026-08-04 → 2026-08-22.

  24. Auto-detected
    githubStars: 12023 → 12588

    From snapshot diff 2026-07-17 → 2026-08-04.

  25. Auto-detected
    lastRelease: 2026-07-10 → 2026-07-30

    From snapshot diff 2026-07-17 → 2026-08-04.

  26. Auto-detected
    githubStars: 11098 → 12023

    From snapshot diff 2026-06-07 → 2026-07-17.

  27. Auto-detected
    lastRelease: 2026-05-28 → 2026-07-10

    From snapshot diff 2026-06-07 → 2026-07-17.

  28. Auto-detected
    version: 1.7.0 → 1.13.0

    From snapshot diff 2026-06-07 → 2026-07-17.

Explore the category

Compare this tool against the rest of its category and the cloud platform foundation layer.

AI Agent Frameworks

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Platforms

Review Microsoft Foundry, Amazon Bedrock, and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform as the foundation layer.

Weekly updates

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