Comparison

OpenAI Agents SDK vs smolagents

On the evidence we track, smolagents leads this comparison with a composite score of 55/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
OpenAI Agents SDK33
smolagents55
Score
Vioscale score
OpenAI Agents SDK33 / 100low · 26%
smolagents55 / 100low · 35%
Pricing
Free tier
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Model
OpenAI Agents SDKopen_source
smolagentscommercial
Price level
OpenAI Agents SDKfree
smolagentsfree
Transparent
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Integrations
Count
OpenAI Agents SDK2
smolagents33
Adoption
Dependent repos
OpenAI Agents SDK0
smolagents0
Github stars
OpenAI Agents SDK21,924
smolagents29,002
Activity
Commits last 30d
OpenAI Agents SDK0
smolagents2
Release
Cadence days
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents14
History
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents20 items
License
Spdx
OpenAI Agents SDKMIT
smolagentsApache-2.0
Language
Primary
OpenAI Agents SDKPython
smolagentsPython

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for ai agent frameworks. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capabilities
Orchestration model
OpenAI Agents SDKMulti agent hierarchical
smolagentsMulti agent hierarchical
Model provider agnostic
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Tool function calling
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Code execution sandbox
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Memory architecture
OpenAI Agents SDKPersistent
smolagentsSession
Mcp support
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents-
A2a support
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents-
Human in the loop
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents-
Streaming output
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents-
Structured output
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents-
Multi language SDK
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents-
Deployment model
OpenAI Agents SDKLibrary self hosted
smolagentsLibrary self hosted
Open source
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Pricing model
OpenAI Agents SDKOpen source self host
smolagentsOpen source self host

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

OpenAI Agents SDK

A Python library for constructing multi-agent applications that supports various language model providers. It offers core components for defining agent behavior, integrating tools, enforcing safety constraints, coordinating between agents, and enabling human oversight during execution.

Independently observed

smolagents

Leader

An open-source framework that enables you to create AI agents in just a few lines of code. It provides two agent types: CodeAgents that write actions as Python code, and ToolCallingAgents for JSON/text-based tool invocation. Supports any LLM provider and sandboxed code execution.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

OpenAI Agents SDK

Open sourceFree tier
as of verify ↗

smolagents

Leader
Open sourceFree tier

Open source and free. Optional paid services (Hugging Face Spaces, Inference Endpoints) for hosting agents start from $0.

as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
macOS
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Windows
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Linux
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
CLI
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Self-hosted
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents
Hybrid
OpenAI Agents SDK
smolagents

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

In common (1)
  • OpenAI

OpenAI Agents SDK

3 total - 2 not shared
  • OpenAI API
  • Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Independently observed

smolagents

Leader
10 total - 9 not shared
  • Anthropic
  • LiteLLM
  • Ollama
  • Transformers
  • DuckDuckGoSearchTool
  • Hugging Face Inference API
  • Together AI
  • Groq
  • PyCharm
Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.