Agent Framework

Agent frameworks provide the scaffolding for building agentic systems: defining tools, managing state, structuring multi-step plans, handling errors, supporting multi-agent collaboration. Examples include LangGraph, CrewAI, OpenAI Agents SDK, Mastra, and the Anthropic Agent SDK.

For most teams, the framework decision is less important than the agent design itself. A well-designed agent in any framework outperforms a poorly-designed one in the "best" framework. That said, framework choice influences operational ergonomics: how easy debugging is, how well state persists across runs, how complex multi-agent workflows are to build.

The pragmatic 2026 answer: pick the framework closest to your stack. Python team → LangGraph or CrewAI. TypeScript team → Mastra or Vercel AI SDK. Anthropic-first stack → the Anthropic SDK. Don't switch frameworks mid-project unless something is genuinely broken.