Microsoft AutoGen
Maintain existing multi-agent applications and migrate them to Microsoft Agent Framework.
Deprecated Officially in maintenance mode with no new features. Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0 is the recommended successor.
At a Glance
Microsoft AutoGen is an AI tool for Agent & RAG frameworks (category: Development & Code). Free access: Free plan. Documented: 2 plans with prices and limits.
- Category
- Agent & RAG frameworks
- Paid from
- free / active successors (Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0)
- Free Option
- Free plan
- Plans
- 2
- Sources
- 3 verified sources
Category: Development & Code · Agent & RAG frameworks
Features
Microsoft AutoGen is an open-source framework for conversational single- and multi-agent systems in Python and .NET. Core components include AgentChat, Core, Extensions, and Studio.
Since April 2026 AutoGen has been in maintenance mode and receives no new features. Microsoft recommends Agent Framework 1.0 for new projects. The library itself is free; costs arise from models, sandboxes, and infrastructure.
- Stable APIs and long-term community support following GA release on April 2, 2026
- Multi-agent orchestration with Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication
- Python and .NET library with no token or run quotas
- AgentChat, Core, Extensions, and Studio available as maintenance modules
- Official migration guide to Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0
- No library cost; model, sandbox, and hosting charges paid to the respective provider
Prices and plans
| Tier | Price | Period | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| AutoGen open source | free | Service mode | AgentChat, Core, Extensions, and Studio remain available No new features or enhancements Community managed Own model, tool, and infrastructure costs Existing applications can continue running |
| Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0 | free | active successors | GA since April 2, 2026 Stable APIs and long-term support Python and .NET Multi-agent orchestration, MCP, and A2A Official AutoGen migration guide |
Prices per vendor, excl. taxes/VAT where applicable.
Limits
AutoGen has no token or run allowance because it is a library. Cost comes from connected models, code sandboxes, hosting, and observability. The decisive fact is status: the official repository marks AutoGen as maintenance mode without new features and directs new users to Microsoft Agent Framework. AutoGen Studio is also a prototype and explicitly not production-ready. Existing projects have official migration samples to Agent Framework.
Alternatives and similar tools to Microsoft AutoGen
FAQ
Is Microsoft AutoGen available for free?
Yes. A permanently free plan is published, not a time-limited trial. Software free but in maintenance mode. Model and infrastructure costs separate.
Where is the vendor of Microsoft AutoGen based?
Microsoft Corporation is based in the USA. Regardless of that location, data processing and privacy terms are governed by the vendor's own contract.
How is Microsoft AutoGen billed?
AutoGen no longer receives new features. For new projects, Microsoft recommends the production-ready Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0. AutoGen and its successor Microsoft Agent Framework are free open-source SDKs with no pricing model of their own. Any costs arise solely through separately billed Azure or model APIs.
What plans does Microsoft AutoGen offer?
The catalog documents 2 plans with price, billing period, and included features.
Is Microsoft AutoGen currently available?
No, the product is being phased out and is no longer actively developed: Officially in maintenance mode with no new features. Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0 is the recommended successor.
How we compare
We compare free access, paid entry, plan limits, features and the listed official sources. Unsourced figures stay marked as not published.
Only confirmed entries appear in the catalog. Prices, plans and limits come from listed official vendor pages. Missing figures stay marked as not published. Search results are ordered by Task match by default; category and task lists are alphabetical. Both can be switched to Free access first; neither is a quality ranking. The vendor page always wins.
Edited and checked by the AI Compare Ninja team
Sources
All details regarding plans, limits, and features are based on official vendor documentation and the primary sources verified below.
- https://github.com/microsoft/autogen/blob/main/README.md
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/migration-guide/from-autogen/
- https://devblogs.microsoft.com/agent-framework/microsoft-agent-framework-at-build-2026-announce/
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