Haystack vs Microsoft Agent Framework
Both are free/open-source alternatives to LangChain. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Haystack
The production-pipeline veteran — explicit, modular, Apache-2.0.
Haystack (Apache-2.0, by Germany's deepset) is the framework for teams who want explicit, inspectable pipelines rather than magic: you wire components — retrievers, routers, generators, memory — into a graph you can see and test. It predates the LLM boom (it started in extractive search), and that production heritage shows in its stability and its popularity for serious RAG and semantic-search deployments in enterprises.
Microsoft Agent Framework
Semantic Kernel + AutoGen, unified — the enterprise agent stack.
Microsoft's Agent Framework 1.0 (April 2026) merged Semantic Kernel's enterprise foundations with AutoGen's multi-agent orchestration into one MIT-licensed SDK for .NET and Python — session state, type safety, middleware, telemetry, and graph-based workflows out of the box. It's the natural LangChain alternative for enterprise teams (especially .NET shops and Azure environments) that want long-term-supported APIs and a vendor standing behind the framework.
Side by side
| Haystack | Microsoft Agent Framework | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 89 | 80 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first | Yes | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Pricing | Free (Apache-2.0); deepset offers a commercial platform on top | Free (MIT); integrates naturally (but not exclusively) with Azure services |
Haystack edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Haystack
Strengths
- +Explicit pipeline graphs — no hidden control flow
- +Production-grade stability; strong enterprise track record
- +EU-rooted project with a clean open-source license
Trade-offs
- −More upfront wiring than the batteries-included frameworks
- −Smaller ecosystem than LangChain's
Microsoft Agent Framework
Strengths
- +Enterprise plumbing included: sessions, telemetry, middleware
- +First-class .NET as well as Python
- +Stable 1.0 APIs with Microsoft LTS backing
Trade-offs
- −Microsoft-governed direction; strong Azure gravity
- −Heavier than needed for small apps
More LangChain head-to-heads
Facts verified 2026-07-16. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.