# autogen vs crewAI
_Agent Frameworks · independent comparison_

> 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.

## Side by side

**autogen**
- Open source · Framework · 60k★ · Python · CC-BY-4.0 · active 3 months ago
- Best for: Research-grade multi-agent conversation patterns backed by Microsoft.
- Avoid if: You need a stable, minimal API for simple single-agent tasks.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/autogen) · [official](https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/)

**crewAI**
- Open source · Framework · 57k★ · Python · MIT · active today
- Best for: Orchestrating role-based multi-agent crews in Python with an approachable API.
- Avoid if: You need fine-grained low-level control of agent state machines.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/crewai) · [official](https://crewai.com)

## Key differences

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

## Which to choose

**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.

## FAQ

**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 (60k vs 57k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

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Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — https://agentsearchengine.app/compare/autogen-vs-crewai