Step 01: Analogy
Agent Kernel is a unified, capable runtime for the AI agents. Its pluggable architecture allows you to attach capabilities to your effortlessly.
Domain-Specific Agent CodeBusiness RulesPrompts & Tools
Agent ModuleAgent WrapperFramework-Specific RunnerSession ManagerRuntimePre / Post Hooks
LangGraphOpenAI AgentsCrewAIGoogle ADKSmolagentsLiveKitBring your own [advanced]
In-MemoryRedisDynamoDBCosmosDBFirestore
ChromaDBNeo4jStarburstSQLDB
LangFuseOpenLLMetry
AWS LambdaECSAzure FunctionsContainer AppsGCP Cloud RunGCP Cloud Run Functions
CLIMCPA2AREST API
SlackTeamsWhatsAppTelegramMessengerInstagramGmailRedisDynamoDB
Step 02: Stand Out
| Bedrock AgentCore / Azure AI Foundry / Google Vertex AIBedrock / Azure / Google | LangGraph · CrewAI · OpenAI Agents etcLangGraph · CrewAI · OpenAI | Agent Kernel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switch cloud platform later? | Rewrite | You build it | One config change |
| Multi-framework agent execution? | Not possible | Not possible | Run in one runtime |
| Out of Box integrations?(i.e. Slack / Teams / REST / A2A / MCP) | Partial | DIY | Built-in |
| Sessions, memory, observability? | Proprietary | DIY | Built-in and Pluggable |
| Open-source / no licensing? | Apache 2.0 | ||
| Knowledge bases? | Proprietary | DIY | Built-in and Pluggable |
| Lift-and-shift an existing agent? | Rewrite | Rewrite | Wrap & ship |
Step 03: Features
All Enterprise Features Available Free And Open-Source
Easy interfacing your agents on your laptop via Agent Kernel's command line interface.
FastAPI-based server out of the box. No boilerplate. Just run your agent.
Expose agents as tools (MCP) and enable agent-to-agent collaboration (A2A). Makes integration with external AI systems straightforward.
Run OpenAI Agents, LangGraph, CrewAI, Google ADK, Smolagents, LiveKit side-by-side. Keep one runtime across teams while using the best framework per use case.
Start local in-memory, scale to Redis, DynamoDB, or Cosmos DB in production. Switch via config, not code rewrites.
Pre/post hooks for RAG injection, input validation, response moderation, analytics.
In-built framework-neutral multimodal support across all integration channels. Handle files/images cleanly and keep sessions lightweight. Additional voice and video support via LiveKit.
Input and output protection in the same runtime pipeline. Supports policy checks for safety, PII handling, and jailbreak defense.
Pre-built Terraform modules for AWS Lambda, ECS, Azure Functions, Container Apps, GCP Cloud Run, GCP Cloud Run Functions.
Built for resilient cloud deployments with health checks and failover patterns.
Slack, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Gmail, Teams, Messenger plug and play.
pytest-integrated test runner. Write deterministic automated test scenarios for your AI agents like any other code.
Langfuse and OpenLLMetry tracing with one config line. No manual instrumentation. Trace requests, latency, tool calls, and token behavior.
Step 04: Frameworks
Choose a supported framework that fits your team, while Agent Kernel gives you a consistent production-ready layer for deployment, APIs, sessions, and integrations.
| 1 | # 1. Install the CLI |
| 2 | pip install agentkernel[openai] |
| 1 | from agents import Agent as OpenAIAgent |
| 2 | from agentkernel.cli import CLI |
| 3 | from agentkernel.openai import OpenAIModule |
| 4 | |
| 5 | agent = OpenAIAgent( |
| 6 | name="assistant", |
| 7 | instructions="You are a helpful assistant.", |
| 8 | ) |
| 9 | |
| 10 | OpenAIModule([agent]) |
| 11 | |
| 12 | if __name__ == "__main__": |
| 13 | CLI.main() |
Step 05: Build Agents
Multi-Agent System
Step 06: Complete Picture
You write your AI agent's logic. Agent Kernel handles everything else: the infrastructure, the cloud deployment, memory, knowledge bases, hooks, observability & traceability, LLM cost tracking, and the integrations so your agent is live and talking to real users in days.
Step 07: Operating System Depth
Three Memory Layers, Zero Context Chaos
Keep conversations coherent, enrich each request, and carry useful session data forward without bloating the model context window.
Control Every Request Without Rewriting Agent Logic
Use hooks before and after agent execution to enforce safety, enrich inputs, and polish outputs.
Explore the platform capabilities and real-world workflows behind secure, production-ready AI agents.
Free, open-source, Apache 2.0. No licensing costs, no vendor lock-in. Join hundreds of developers building production AI agents with Agent Kernel.
