Semantic Kernel
Microsoft's open-source SDK for building AI agents and integrating LLMs into C#, Python, and Java apps; being succeeded by Microsoft Agent Framework.
Last verified:
Semantic Kernel is Microsoft's open-source, MIT-licensed development kit for embedding LLM-powered agents and plugins into C#, Python, and Java applications, with built-in planners, memory connectors, and enterprise observability hooks. It is a free SDK with no separate paid tier - developers self-host it inside their own apps and infrastructure (commonly Azure OpenAI, though model-provider-agnostic), and it can consume external MCP servers as a client via MCPStdioPlugin/MCPSsePlugin. As of 2026, Microsoft's GitHub README positions Semantic Kernel's "enterprise-ready successor," Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF) 1.0, as the forward path, though Semantic Kernel continues to ship regular Python and .NET releases.
Pricing
| Tier | Price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source SDK | $0 | Multi-language SDK (C#, Python, Java), Agents, plugins, planners, memory connectors, MCP client support (consume external MCP servers), v1.0+ stable API with LTS commitment |
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/semantic-kernel/overview/
Agent-readiness
- Discoverability
- 55/100
- Machine-readable content
- 70/100
- Programmatic access
- 80/100
- MCP / agent support
- 40/100
- Self-serve transactability
- 95/100
- Transparency
- 50/100
Security & compliance
- SSO / SAML
- Not publicly documented
- Encryption at rest
- Not publicly documented
- Encryption in transit
- Yes
- Audit log
- Not publicly documented
- Pentest report
- Not publicly documented
"Not publicly documented" means Crail found no public evidence either way — not a confirmed absence. See our methodology.
FAQ
Does Semantic Kernel have a free tier?
Yes, Semantic Kernel offers a free tier or free trial.
Can you buy Semantic Kernel without talking to sales?
Yes, Semantic Kernel can be purchased self-serve without a sales call.
Does Semantic Kernel have an official MCP (Model Context Protocol) server?
Not as of 2026-07-27 — no official MCP server was found.
Reviews
No reviews yet for Semantic Kernel. Be the first to submit a verified review.
Methodology & disclosure
Data verified via agent crawled, last checked 2026-07-27. Agent-readiness methodology version crail-ar-v0.1. No vendor payment influences these scores — see our methodology page.