Agent Frameworks · Head-to-head
langchain vs LangGraph
langchain and LangGraph are both agent frameworks. langchain is The agent engineering platform, while LangGraph is langChain's low-level orchestration framework for stateful, controllable agents. Here's an independent, side-by-side look at how they compare — and which fits.
LangChain's low-level orchestration framework for stateful, controllable agents.
Visit LangGraph →langchain and LangGraph are both open-source agent frameworks you can self-host for free. langchain has wider GitHub adoption — 147k stars vs 42k. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.
Side by side
| Spec | langchain | LangGraph |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Model | Open source | Open source |
| Pricing | Open source | Open source |
| GitHub stars | 147,201 | 42,413 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Last activity | Sep 2026 | Sep 2026 |
Key differences
- langchain has wider GitHub adoption — 147k stars vs 42k.
Builders who want composable primitives and the broadest ecosystem of integrations for LLM applications.
Production agents that need controllable, stateful, graph-based orchestration.
About LangGraph
LangGraph is LangChain's open-source, low-level orchestration framework for long-running, stateful agents. It provides durable execution that resumes where it left off after failures, human-in-the-loop inspection and editing of agent state, short-term and long-term memory, and deployment infrastructure, with LangSmith for tracing. Deep Agents is a higher-level package built on it, and LangGraph.js covers JavaScript and TypeScript.
Full LangGraph profile →Frequently asked
- What's the main difference between langchain and LangGraph?
- langchain has wider GitHub adoption — 147k stars vs 42k.
- Is langchain or LangGraph better?
- Neither is universally better. langchain is the stronger fit for Builders who want composable primitives and the broadest ecosystem of integrations for LLM applications; LangGraph for Production agents that need controllable, stateful, graph-based orchestration. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.
- Is langchain or LangGraph free?
- langchain is free to run and self-host; LangGraph 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, langchain or LangGraph?
- By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — langchain is ahead (147k vs 42k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.
More agent frameworks comparisons
- CrewAI Platform vs langchain
- CrewAI Platform vs LangGraph
- langchain vs ruflo
- langchain vs MetaGPT
- autogen vs langchain
- crewAI vs langchain