Is autogen or crewAI better?

Neither is universally better. autogen is the stronger fit for Research-grade multi-agent conversation patterns backed by Microsoft; crewAI for Orchestrating role-based multi-agent crews in Python with an approachable API. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

Is autogen or crewAI free?

autogen is free to run and self-host; crewAI is free to run and self-host. Both are free to self-host — you only pay for the infrastructure and any model or API usage.

Which is more popular, autogen or crewAI?

By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — autogen is ahead (61k vs 59k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

Agent Frameworks · Head-to-head

autogen vs crewAI

autogen and crewAI are both agent frameworks. autogen is A programming framework for agentic AI; upstream is in maintenance mode, while crewAI is framework for orchestrating role-playing, autonomous AI agents. By fostering collaborative intelligence, CrewAI empowers agents to work together seamlessly, tackling complex tasks. Here's an independent, side-by-side look at how they compare — and which fits.

autogen

Framework· Open source

A programming framework for agentic AI; upstream is in maintenance mode.

Visit autogen →

crewAI

Framework· Open source

Framework for orchestrating role-playing, autonomous AI agents. By fostering collaborative intelligence, CrewAI empowers agents to work together seamlessly, tackling complex tasks.

Visit crewAI →

Bottom line

autogen and crewAI are both open-source agent frameworks you can self-host for free. Licensing differs: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, crewAI is MIT. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

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Side by side

Spec	autogen	crewAI
Type	Framework	Framework
Model	Open source	Open source
Pricing	Open source	Open source
GitHub stars	61,203	59,135
Language	Python	Python
License	CC-BY-4.0	MIT
Last activity	Apr 2026	Sep 2026

Key differences

Licensing differs: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, crewAI is MIT.

Choose autogen if

Research-grade multi-agent conversation patterns backed by Microsoft.

Choose crewAI if

Orchestrating role-based multi-agent crews in Python with an approachable API.

About autogen

AutoGen is a framework for building multi-agent applications. Its README carries a maintenance notice: the project is in maintenance mode, will not receive new features or enhancements, and is community managed going forward, with new users directed to Microsoft Agent Framework and a published migration guide. The repository is not archived and its last commit was 2026-04-15.

Full autogen profile →

About crewAI

Framework for orchestrating role-playing, autonomous AI agents. By fostering collaborative intelligence, CrewAI empowers agents to work together seamlessly, tackling complex tasks.

Full crewAI profile →

Frequently asked

What's the main difference between autogen and crewAI?: Licensing differs: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, crewAI is MIT.
Is autogen or crewAI better?: Neither is universally better. autogen is the stronger fit for Research-grade multi-agent conversation patterns backed by Microsoft; crewAI for Orchestrating role-based multi-agent crews in Python with an approachable API. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.
Is autogen or crewAI free?: autogen is free to run and self-host; crewAI is free to run and self-host. Both are free to self-host — you only pay for the infrastructure and any model or API usage.
Which is more popular, autogen or crewAI?: By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — autogen is ahead (61k vs 59k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

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