Begin with the work, not the agent count
Write down the steps your application must perform, what data each step needs, and where a person must approve an action. Many tasks benefit from a simple explicit workflow before they benefit from multiple collaborating agents.
Look for the control your task requires
LangGraph emphasizes stateful agent orchestration. CrewAI emphasizes coordinating agents and workflows. AutoGen offers programming components for agentic applications. These descriptions are starting points for evaluation, not evidence that one is universally better.
Test failure and recovery
Build a small realistic task. Interrupt execution, simulate an unavailable tool, and check what happens when the model returns an unexpected result. Record what the application did and how a person could resume or correct it.
Check maintenance before committing
Read release notes, repository status, and migration guidance. AutoGen’s repository includes guidance about the broader Microsoft agent framework direction, which is particularly relevant when choosing a foundation for a new project. Confirm licenses and ongoing infrastructure costs separately.
Sources & editorial note
This introduction draws on the official resources below. It is not a hands-on benchmark. Product capabilities can change; check the linked documentation before implementation.
