Semantic Kernel

Microsoft's enterprise agent framework

LLM / RAG frameworkLLM orchestration SDKMITPartialC#/PythonIntermediate

OSAI Pulse ⓘ ★★★★★★★★★★ /100 signals tracked

🐳 Docker pulls 📦 PyPI downloads / month 📦 npm downloads / month 🚀 Latest release ·

Visit website →View on GitHub

What is Semantic Kernel?

Semantic Kernel is Microsoft's open SDK for building AI agents and orchestrating models in .NET, Python and Java, with plugins, planners and enterprise-grade patterns.

Why people choose Semantic Kernel

First-class .NET, Python and Java support
Enterprise patterns: planners, plugins, filters
Backed and used by Microsoft at scale

Semantic Kernel at a glance

Category	LLM / RAG framework
Type	LLM orchestration SDK
License	MIT
Runs locally	Partial
Built with	C#/Python
Skill level	Intermediate
Best for	enterprise teams on the Microsoft stack

Open-source alternatives to Semantic Kernel

Other open-source llm / rag framework tools worth comparing:

LangChainCompose chains, tools and agents

LlamaIndexThe data framework for RAG

HaystackProduction pipelines for search and RAG

DSPyProgram — not prompt — language models

txtaiAll-in-one embeddings database

RAGFlowDeep-document-understanding RAG

GraphRAGRAG that builds a knowledge graph first

LiteLLMOne API for 100+ LLM providers

InstructorReliable structured outputs from LLMs

OutlinesGuarantee valid JSON and grammars

GuidanceInterleave control and generation

LLMWareEnterprise RAG with small specialised models

FlashRankUltra-light reranking for better RAG

Sentence TransformersThe standard way to make embeddings

RagasMeasure whether your RAG is any good

PromptfooUnit tests for your prompts

LangfuseSee what your LLM app actually did

PhoenixTrace, evaluate and debug LLM apps

Semantic Kernel head-to-head

Semantic Kernel vs LangChain Semantic Kernel vs LlamaIndex Semantic Kernel vs Haystack Semantic Kernel vs DSPy Semantic Kernel vs txtai Semantic Kernel vs RAGFlow Semantic Kernel vs GraphRAG Semantic Kernel vs LiteLLM Semantic Kernel vs Instructor Semantic Kernel vs Outlines Semantic Kernel vs Guidance Semantic Kernel vs LLMWare Semantic Kernel vs FlashRank Semantic Kernel vs Sentence Transformers Semantic Kernel vs Ragas Semantic Kernel vs Promptfoo Semantic Kernel vs Langfuse Semantic Kernel vs Phoenix

FAQ

Is Semantic Kernel free?

Semantic Kernel is free and open-source (MIT license), so you can use, self-host and modify it at no cost.

Can I run Semantic Kernel locally?

Semantic Kernel can be used locally or in the cloud depending on your setup.

What is the best alternative to Semantic Kernel?

Popular open-source alternatives include LangChain, LlamaIndex, Haystack. See the comparisons above to choose.

Explore more open-source AI

Browse the full directory of open-source AI tools, models and projects — updated daily.

Browse all tools →