Hugging Face's minimalist (~1,000-line core, Apache 2.0) 'agents that think in code' harness where the model writes executable Python as its action format instead of JSON tool calls, model-agnostic via transformers/Ollama/LiteLLM, with optional sandboxed execution (E2B, Docker, WebAssembly), managed sub-agents, and Hub sharing of tools and agents.
Runtimes & SDKsopen-sourcebyok✓ mcp✓ local models⛨ optional
LangChain's self-described 'batteries-included agent harness' (GA March 2026, ~26k stars) for long-running tasks, layering planning via write_todos, a virtual filesystem for context offloading, SKILL.md-compatible skills with progressive disclosure, subagent spawning, and LangGraph-store-backed long-term memory on top of the LangGraph runtime.
Runtimes & SDKsopen-sourcebyok✓ mcp✓ skills✓ local models⛨ optional
MIT-licensed, type-safe Python agent framework from the Pydantic team with a FastAPI-like developer experience: schema-validated structured outputs, first-class MCP support, built-in OpenTelemetry observability (pairs with Logfire), and durable execution via native Temporal/DBOS integrations that offload model requests, tool calls, and MCP communication to fault-tolerant activities.
Runtimes & SDKsopen-sourcebyok✓ mcp✓ local models⛨ optional
The AutoGen + Semantic Kernel convergence (1.0 GA April 2026) for .NET and Python, whose BUILD 2026 'Agent Harness' made production patterns first-class — shell/filesystem access, human-in-the-loop approvals, context compaction, todo tracking, plan/execute modes, AgentSkillsProvider skill discovery, and BackgroundAgentsProvider subagents — with hosted execution via Microsoft Foundry.
Runtimes & SDKsopen-sourcebyok✓ mcp✓ skills✓ local models⛨ optional
A research-grade 'harness foundry' (MIT, v0.1.0 beta, arXiv paper 2606.14249) that composes agent harnesses from typed reusable processors across seven categories (context, control, evaluation, memory, multi-model, observability, tools) and evolves them via the AEGIS trace-driven engine, reporting an average +14.5% gain across ALFWorld, GAIA, WebShop, tau^3-Bench, and SWE-bench Verified without touching model weights.
Runtimes & SDKsopen-sourcebyok⛨ optional