LangChain vs Semantic Kernel

LangChain and Semantic Kernel are both agent frameworks for Python. LangChain is published by LangChain and Semantic Kernel by Microsoft. On GitHub, LangChain has 148,371 stars and Semantic Kernel has 28,694. Both were last active in Oct 2026. The table lines up where they differ (publisher, weekly downloads, category and languages) and has the install commands for both. Everything here comes from the listings' public sources and is refreshed daily. LangChain describes itself as: Python framework of interoperable components and integrations for building agents and LLM apps, with LangGraph and Deep Agents layered above it. Semantic Kernel: Model-agnostic SDK for building agents and multi-agent systems in Python, .NET and Java; Microsoft names Agent Framework as its successor. Licenses: LangChain MIT, Semantic Kernel MIT.