Multi-Agent (2026)

Multi-agent tools coordinate several AI agents, each with its own role, tools or context, to complete work that is too large or varied for a single agent. The category includes code-first frameworks (CrewAI, Microsoft Agent Framework), ready-made runtimes that run long tasks with sandboxes and memory (DeerFlow), and opinionated systems with fixed workflows (MetaGPT).

Decide first whether you need a framework to build on or a runtime that does the work for you. Then check project health: Microsoft AutoGen, for example, is now in maintenance mode with an official successor. Budget for model calls, since every extra agent multiplies requests, and make sure the framework supports tracing. Our multi-agent framework guide includes a decision table.