Semantic Kernel vs LangChain
Compare Semantic Kernel and LangChain on deployment, pricing, model support, and more.
Semantic Kernel
- Tagline
- Microsoft's open-source SDK for AI orchestration — plugins, agents, and LLM integration for C#, Python, and Java
- Description
- Semantic Kernel is Microsoft's open-source SDK for building AI-powered applications with LLM orchestration. It provides an abstraction layer for integrating multiple LLMs (OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Hugging Face), defining semantic functions (prompt templates), native functions (C#/Python code), and composing them into pipelines and agents. Available in C#, Python, and Java, it's the SDK powering Microsoft Copilot and used by enterprises building production AI applications.
- Category
- LLM Frameworks
- Pricing
- Free
- Metric
- 28,552 GitHub stars (source)
- Link
- Visit
LangChain
- Tagline
- Open-source LLM application framework — chains, agents, RAG, and 700+ integrations with 127K GitHub stars
- Description
- LangChain is the most widely used open-source framework for building LLM-powered applications. It provides composable abstractions for chains (sequencing LLM calls), agents (tool-using AI that can browse, run code, and call APIs), and RAG (retrieval-augmented generation with 700+ data and tool integrations). Available in Python and JavaScript, with LangSmith for observability and LangGraph for complex multi-agent workflows.
- Category
- LLM Frameworks
- Pricing
- Free
- Metric
- 146,114 GitHub stars (source)
- Link
- Visit
| Attribute | Semantic Kernel | LangChain |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Microsoft's open-source SDK for AI orchestration — plugins, agents, and LLM integration for C#, Python, and Java | Open-source LLM application framework — chains, agents, RAG, and 700+ integrations with 127K GitHub stars |
| Category | LLM Frameworks | LLM Frameworks |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Description | Semantic Kernel is Microsoft's open-source SDK for building AI-powered applications with LLM orchestration. It provides an abstraction layer for integrating multiple LLMs (OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Hugging Face), defining semantic functions (prompt templates), native functions (C#/Python code), and composing them into pipelines and agents. Available in C#, Python, and Java, it's the SDK powering Microsoft Copilot and used by enterprises building production AI applications. | LangChain is the most widely used open-source framework for building LLM-powered applications. It provides composable abstractions for chains (sequencing LLM calls), agents (tool-using AI that can browse, run code, and call APIs), and RAG (retrieval-augmented generation with 700+ data and tool integrations). Available in Python and JavaScript, with LangSmith for observability and LangGraph for complex multi-agent workflows. |
| Metric | 28,552 GitHub stars (source) | 146,114 GitHub stars (source) |
| Link | Visit | Visit |