OpenAI Agents SDK vs Agent Development Kit
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. OpenAI Agents SDK starts at Free and Agent Development Kit starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Agent handoffs
- Function and hosted tools
- Guardrails
- Sessions
- Built-in tracing
- Multi-agent composition
- Workflow agents
- Local dev UI
- Built-in evaluation
- Multi-language SDKs
| Feature | OpenAI Agents SDK | Agent Development Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | OpenAI's lightweight framework for multi-agent workflows | Google's open-source toolkit for building and deploying agents |
| Category | Agents & automation | Agents & automation |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | OpenAI | |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
OpenAI Agents SDK starts at Free and Agent Development Kit starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
OpenAI Agents SDK
- Small, easy-to-learn API
- Good tracing
- Official OpenAI support
- Model usage billed separately
- Fewer integrations than larger frameworks
Agent Development Kit
- Backed by Google
- Several programming languages
- Easy path to Google Cloud
- Best experience is on Google Cloud
- Code-first only
Which one should you choose?
Choose OpenAI Agents SDK if you want:
- Small, easy-to-learn API
- Good tracing
- Official OpenAI support
Watch out: model usage billed separately.
Choose Agent Development Kit if you want:
- Backed by Google
- Several programming languages
- Easy path to Google Cloud
Watch out: best experience is on google cloud.
OpenAI Agents SDK vs Agent Development Kit FAQ
What is the difference between OpenAI Agents SDK and Agent Development Kit?
OpenAI Agents SDK: OpenAI's lightweight framework for multi-agent workflows. Agent Development Kit: Google's open-source toolkit for building and deploying agents. Both are agents & automation tools.
Is OpenAI Agents SDK or Agent Development Kit cheaper?
OpenAI Agents SDK starts at Free and Agent Development Kit starts at Free. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do OpenAI Agents SDK and Agent Development Kit have free plans?
OpenAI Agents SDK: Yes, fully free. Agent Development Kit: Yes, fully free.
Who makes OpenAI Agents SDK?
OpenAI Agents SDK is made by OpenAI, based in United States.
Who makes Agent Development Kit?
Agent Development Kit is made by Google, based in United States.
Which should I choose, OpenAI Agents SDK or Agent Development Kit?
Choose OpenAI Agents SDK if you value small, easy-to-learn api and good tracing. Choose Agent Development Kit if you value backed by google and several programming languages.