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AutoGen review

Microsoft's multi-agent framework

4.5
Open Source— users
Open Source
67
ToolHund Score
Solid
Verified
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Our verdict

AutoGen from Microsoft Research is an open-source framework for orchestrating multiple LLM agents that talk to each other and use tools.

ToolHund Score: 67/100 · Best for: Researchers and developers experimenting with cooperating multi-agent systems.

Skip it if: Non-developers.

Independently reviewed by ToolHund editors · Last verified 2026-07-26. How we score →

Strengths
  • Open source
  • Self-hostable
  • Developer control
Weaknesses
  • Requires setup
  • Can be complex for beginners
  • Needs careful permissions

Who should choose AutoGen?

Researchers and developers experimenting with cooperating multi-agent systems. The strongest fit is a buyer who will use AutoGen regularly for agents work rather than as an occasional experiment.

AutoGen earns its place in a workflow when Multi-agent orchestration, Human-in-the-loop, Tool use remove a repeated manual step. Its free access makes a real-workflow test possible before committing to a paid plan.

A practical three-step test

  1. STEP 1Run one real agents task from your current workflow in AutoGen.
  2. STEP 2Check whether Multi-agent orchestration produces an output you can use without substantial rework.
  3. STEP 3Compare the result and time saved with at least one alternative before choosing a paid plan.

Pricing

Open source · Free
Strong for technical teams — no license fees, you pay for infra and model usage

Buying checklist

  • Use-case fit: Researchers and developers experimenting with cooperating multi-agent systems.
  • Core capabilities: Multi-agent orchestration, Human-in-the-loop, Tool use
  • Current listed pricing: Open source · Free
  • Reason to skip: Non-developers.

AutoGen is most compelling for researchers and developers experimenting with cooperating multi-agent systems. Start with the free option and upgrade only after it proves useful on a real task.

Features

  • Multi-agent orchestration
  • Human-in-the-loop
  • Tool use
  • Studio UI

AutoGen vs top alternatives

ToolToolHund ScorePricingFree tierRating
AutoGen67/100Open source · FreeYes4.5/5
OpenHands81/100Open source · Cloud from $20/moNo4.7/5
Devin63/100Paid · From $500/moNo4.6/5
OpenAI Codex64/100Included with ChatGPT paid plansNo4.7/5
OpenHands
Open-source platform for autonomous software development agents
Devin
Autonomous AI software engineer from Cognition
OpenAI Codex
AI coding agents for software engineering teams
Claude Code
Agentic coding assistant for terminal and IDE workflows

See all AutoGen alternatives →

AutoGen FAQ

What is AutoGen?

Microsoft's multi-agent framework AutoGen from Microsoft Research is an open-source framework for orchestrating multiple LLM agents that talk to each other and use tools.

Is AutoGen free?

Yes — AutoGen offers a free tier or free trial. Current pricing: Open source · Free.

How much does AutoGen cost?

AutoGen pricing: Open source · Free. See the ToolHund review for plan details and value analysis.

What is AutoGen best for?

Researchers and developers experimenting with cooperating multi-agent systems..

What are the best AutoGen alternatives?

The closest alternatives in the Agents category are OpenHands, Devin, OpenAI Codex.

How does ToolHund score AutoGen?

AutoGen scores 67/100 on the ToolHund rubric, which weighs capability, pricing honesty, traction and ecosystem.

Read the ToolHund scoring methodology →