Ranking
The best agent framework in 2026
Rankings as of
Last updated
Vercel AI SDK (8.5) is the pick for this job: Streaming AI features in a TypeScript web app. Open source and free. The React hooks match how the rest of the app is built. If that isn’t the job, Mastra (8.0) is next: TypeScript agents you keep in your repo.
Use this when you are putting an agent inside your own product. Libraries and SDKs for tools, workflows, and multi-step runs — not a finished coding assistant. See the full Agent frameworks ranking.
Scroll sideways for the full breakdown.
| # | Tool | Score | Ease | Power | Price | Fit | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Vercel AI SDKAlso known as AI SDK | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Streaming AI features in a TypeScript web app | Free |
| 02 | Mastra | 8.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | TypeScript agents you keep in your repo | Free |
| 03 | CrewAI | 7.7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Role-based multi-agent prototypes in Python | Free |
| 04 | Pydantic AI | 7.6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Typed Python agents | Free |
| 05 | LangGraph | 7.3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Agents that are workflows, not a single loop | Free |
| 06 | LlamaIndexAlso known as GPT Index | 7.0 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | Retrieval over your own documents | Free |
| 07 | LangChain | 6.7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | A general LLM app framework with a huge ecosystem | Free |
Which to pick if…
If the job is “Streaming AI features in a TypeScript web app”
Pick Vercel AI SDK (8.5). Open source and free. Trade-off: Long-running multi-agent systems will want a thicker framework.
Listed alternatives: Mastra, LangChain, Pydantic AI.
If the job is “TypeScript agents you keep in your repo”
Pick Mastra (8.0). TypeScript-native, which matches most indie web stacks. Trade-off: Another framework to learn if the AI SDK already covers the feature.
Listed alternatives: Vercel AI SDK, LangGraph, Pydantic AI.
If the job is “Role-based multi-agent prototypes in Python”
Pick CrewAI (7.7). The role-and-task model is easy to explain. Trade-off: Multi-agent setups multiply cost and failure modes.
If the job is “Typed Python agents”
Pick Pydantic AI (7.6). Open source. Trade-off: Python-only, so it is the wrong pick for a Next.js UI.
If the job is “Agents that are workflows, not a single loop”
Pick LangGraph (7.3). Open source. Trade-off: More machinery than a weekend chat endpoint needs.
Listed alternatives: LangChain, Mastra, Pydantic AI.
If the job is “Retrieval over your own documents”
Pick LlamaIndex (7.0). Open source. Trade-off: Easy to overbuild a vector index for a problem search would solve.
Listed alternatives: LangChain, Mastra, Vercel AI SDK.
If the job is “A general LLM app framework with a huge ecosystem”
Pick LangChain (6.7). The library is open source. Trade-off: The abstraction surface is large for a weekend agent.
Listed alternatives: LangGraph, LlamaIndex, Mastra.
What shipped recently
Ling 3.1 Flash 1019 on AI Gateway
On October 30, 2026, Ling 3.1 Flash 1019 from InclusionAI became available on Vercel AI Gateway, free until November 3, 2026. Vercel says the model is designed for coding, multi-step reasoning, and agents that use tools, with a 1M-token context window. The model ID is inclusionai/ling-3.1-flash-1019. Free requests still appear in the spend dashboard with a request trace. On November 3, requests begin charging at the published rate. It can be selected in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and other coding agents after npx vercel ai-gateway setup.
Source for Ling 3.1 Flash 1019 on AI Gateway (opens in a new tab)Strix on Vercel AI Gateway
On October 29, 2026, Strix, the open-source AI penetration testing tool, could run on Vercel AI Gateway. Vercel says that covers any of the 400+ models on the Gateway, including models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Kimi, GLM, and Deepseek, through one API with no markup, and that usage and cost are tracked in AI Gateway. Set STRIX_LLM to vercel_ai_gateway/ followed by the standard provider/model ID, and set LLM_API_KEY to an AI Gateway API key.
Source for Strix on Vercel AI Gateway (opens in a new tab)Mistral Large 4 updated weights on AI Gateway
On October 29, 2026, Mistral Large 4 on Vercel AI Gateway started using updated weights, with lower pricing for input, cached input, and output tokens. Vercel says Mistral's announcement reports improvements in agentic coding and defensive cybersecurity, greater token efficiency on coding tasks, spreadsheet creation and editing, web research, and resistance to prompt injection. The model ID stays mistral/mistral-large-4.
Source for Mistral Large 4 updated weights on AI Gateway (opens in a new tab)Virtual models on AI Gateway
On October 28, 2026, virtual models became available on Vercel AI Gateway. A virtual model is a saved model and settings configuration, called with a custom ID such as vmc/coding-agent. Changing the underlying model or settings in AI Gateway does not require redeploying apps or reconfiguring agents. It can set reasoning effort, fast mode, and prompt caching, choose providers and fallback models, require Zero Data Retention, and attach custom reporting tags. Create one on the Virtual Models page or with vercel ai-gateway virtual-models create. Replace the provider model ID with vmc/ and the slug in the AI SDK or a compatible API. For a coding agent, connect with vercel ai-gateway setup and select the virtual model. Virtual models work with every model type on AI Gateway.
Source for Virtual models on AI Gateway (opens in a new tab)Particle-1 on AI Gateway
On October 28, 2026, Particle-1 from Particle AI became available on Vercel AI Gateway as particle/particle-1. Vercel says it is post-trained on DeepSeek V4.1 Flash to complete software engineering tasks with fewer tokens. Particle describes the gains as shorter reasoning, fewer rounds of trial and repair, and more focused exploration. It has a 1M-token context window. Call it through the AI SDK, fx, the OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API, or a coding agent after npx vercel ai-gateway setup. AI Gateway reflects provider pricing with no markup and does not charge a platform fee on inference, including Bring Your Own Key requests.
Source for Particle-1 on AI Gateway (opens in a new tab)fx in T3 Code
On October 28, 2026, fx, Vercel's open-source coding agent harness, became available in T3 Code on web, desktop, and mobile. T3 Code can add agents as providers for coding sessions. The built-in fx provider supports Supervised and Auto modes, along with the models and skills already used with fx. Install fx, set up a model provider, then add fx in T3 Code from Settings, Providers, Add provider.
Source for fx in T3 Code (opens in a new tab)HarnessAgent accepts image inputs
On October 27, 2026, the AI SDK HarnessAgent layer started accepting image inputs on every harness adapter. Images go with text in the standard message format, a content array of text and file parts, and the harness's vision model processes them. The adapters are Claude Code, Cline, Codex, Cursor, Deep Agents, fx, GitHub Copilot, Grok Build, OpenCode, and Pi.
Source for HarnessAgent accepts image inputs (opens in a new tab)fx harness adapter runs on the host
On October 27, 2026, the fx adapter for the AI SDK's HarnessAgent started running the harness and model requests in the same process as the application. Built-in filesystem and shell operations stay in the sandbox. The adapter uses libfx and no longer installs fx inside the sandbox, runs a sandbox bridge, or exposes a sandbox port, so model credentials stay on the host. It adds built-in tool filtering, mid-turn steering, structured output that matches a schema, and image tool results through toModelOutput(). Sessions can be saved and resumed in a new host process. Update @ai-sdk/harness-fx to use it.
Source for fx harness adapter runs on the host (opens in a new tab)GPT-6.1 Terra on AI Gateway
On October 26, 2026, OpenAI's GPT-6.1 Terra became available on Vercel AI Gateway. Vercel describes it as a fast model for visual reasoning, computer use, and writing, and says it improves on the previous Terra model in visual reasoning, factual accuracy, and coding. It accepts text and images and returns text, with a context window of more than 1M tokens, and supports configurable reasoning effort, structured outputs, tool calling, and implicit and explicit prompt caching. Fast mode is available as openai/gpt-6.1-terra-fast. Use openai/gpt-6.1-terra through the AI SDK, the OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API, the Responses API, or a coding agent connected to AI Gateway. Vercel says OpenAI still recommends its larger GPT-6 models for the most complex coding tasks. AI Gateway reflects provider pricing with no markup.
Source for GPT-6.1 Terra on AI Gateway (opens in a new tab)
How we rank
Weighted: Ease 22%, Power 33%, Price (indie value) 15%, Vibe-coder fit 30%. These are editorial estimates, not benchmarks. Method.
Initial editorial estimate. Not a measured benchmark. Weights sum to 100%.
FAQ
- Which tool leads the Agent frameworks ranking?
- Vercel AI SDK leads with an editorial score of 8.5. Best for: Streaming AI features in a TypeScript web app.
- Who should pick Vercel AI SDK?
- Pick Vercel AI SDK for this job: Streaming AI features in a TypeScript web app. Open source and free. Long-running multi-agent systems will want a thicker framework.
- When should I pick Mastra instead?
- Mastra is #2 with an editorial score of 8.0. Best for: TypeScript agents you keep in your repo. TypeScript-native, which matches most indie web stacks.
- Which listing in Agent frameworks has the best price-value score?
- Vercel AI SDK (9) and Pydantic AI (9) have the highest price score in Agent frameworks. Price means value for an indie budget, not the sticker. Vercel AI SDK: Open source and free. Model provider fees are separate. Rates: check site. Pydantic AI: Open source and free. Model fees are separate. Rates: check site.
- Do affiliate links change this ranking?
- Affiliate links may be used to monetize, but they never affect scores or rankings, and rankings are never sponsored.
Initial editorial estimate. Not a measured benchmark. Prices: check each vendor’s site. How scores work.
Some links may earn us a commission. It never changes scores or order.
Newsletter
Get this ranking when it changes
The best agent framework in 2026. One email when rankings change or a tool on this list ships something that matters. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.