Product / UX / Orchestration & agents

Semantic Kernel

Microsoft's lightweight open source SDK for building AI agents and integrating LLMs into C#, Python, or Java code. It exposes your code as model-callable 'plugins' (often via OpenAPI), with connectors to AI services and vector stores, telemetry, and responsible-AI hooks. Its differentiator vs the Python-first frameworks is genuine, first-class multi-language support (.NET and Java, not Python-only).

MIT. ~28k stars. Microsoft has converged Semantic Kernel + AutoGen into the Microsoft Agent Framework (the successor); SK is now in maintenance mode (bug/security fixes only), supported ~1 year past MAF GA.

Openness

5 high confidence

5.0

license: MIT(OSI)
source: public(C#/Python/Java)
core-gated: ungated

MIT multi-language SDK; first-class Azure connectors but model-agnostic and self-hostable.

https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel recorded 2026-06-18
MIT, ~28.2k stars, multi-language agent SDK

Adoption

3 medium confidence

3.0

~28k stars; PyPI volume not surfaced. Entering maintenance as Microsoft Agent Framework becomes the successor - stars_fallback (capped at 3).

https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel recorded 2026-06-18
~28.2k stars; MAF-successor banner

Capability

4 medium confidence

4.0

Enterprise multi-language orchestration with uniquely strong .NET/Java coverage; now superseded by Microsoft Agent Framework.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/overview/ recorded 2026-06-18
MAF is the successor to SK + AutoGen

Unchanged since 2026-07-30 (last edited, not re-checked)