LangGraph vs Pipecat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LangGraph grades higher than Pipecat: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
LangGraph grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LangGraph
Open-source framework for building controllable AI agents
Pipecat
Open source framework for building voice and multimodal AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick LangGraph if
- Fits if you write Python or JavaScript and want control over each agent step
- Works for teams that already use LangChain or LangSmith
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a visual builder, because the framework itself has none
- Pricey if you deploy on LangChain's servers, which needs Plus at $39 a seat a month
- Watch out: traces, Agent Server compute and sandboxes are metered in LSUs at $1 each past the allowances
- Tight if you need history, since base traces are kept 14 days and 180-day traces cost extra
Pick Pipecat if
- Fits if you write Python and want to own the voice agent pipeline
- Works for teams that want any model and any transport without lock-in
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want no-code: it is a developer framework
- Watch out: providers for speech, language and voice are billed separately
- Watch out: the site says the Pipecat team is joining Deepgram, though it stays open source
- Pricey if you use phone calls on Cloud: dial-in or out is $0.018 a minute on top
How we grade them
| 2.6GPALangGraphGood | 2.2GPAPipecatFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe library is free, but deploying on LangChain's infrastructure needs LangSmith Plus at $39 a seat, above the category's middle of $25, with usage billed in LSUs. | CFree to download, but it only runs if you host it yourself on a server, which is a C. Pipecat Cloud costs $0.01 to $0.03 an active minute. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright: the MIT library has no cap, and LangSmith Developer is $0 for one seat with 5k traces a month. | BOpen source with no limits of its own. You still pay the model and phone providers you plug in, and hosting. |
| Features | BSingle and multi-agent control, human approval, persistent memory, streaming and an Agent Server for deployment. The framework has no visual builder. | CPipelines of frames, any model and transport, flows, a cloud host and a CLI. It does the orchestration job but needs speech, language and voice services from elsewhere to be useful. |
| Ease of use | DYou write code and run it yourself, or deploy an Agent Server. We found no store rating. | DYou write Python and run it yourself. No store rating exists. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA code library with LangChain, LangSmith and MCP connections, plus hosted, hybrid or self-hosted deployment. No desktop or phone app. | BRuns wherever Python runs, with seven integrations listed. No ready-made apps. |
| Best for | building controllable AI agents in code | developers building voice agents in Python |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: LangGraph and Pipecat. How we grade
Where they differ
- LangGraph also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| LangGraph | Pipecat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $39 per seat / month, billed monthly | Not published |
| Free plan | The LangGraph library is MIT-licensed and free. LangSmith Developer is $0 for 1 seat with 5k base traces a month. | Pipecat is open source and runs wherever Python runs; hosting on your own servers costs nothing beyond what you pay providers. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | LangChain | Daily |
| Price read from | langchain.com | daily.co |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
LangGraph
- The library is code only; there is no visual builder in the framework itself.
- Deploying on LangChain's infrastructure needs LangSmith Plus ($39 per seat / month) or Enterprise; the Developer plan has no Agent Server.
- Beyond the included allowances, traces, Agent Server compute and sandboxes are metered in LangSmith units (1 LSU = $1).
- Base traces are kept 14 days; 180-day extended traces cost extra.
Pipecat
- Pipecat Cloud is billed per active minute: agent-1x costs $0.01 a minute, agent-2x $0.02 and agent-3x $0.03.
- Daily WebRTC voice transport is free for 1:1 sessions on Pipecat Cloud; PSTN dial-in or out is $0.018 a minute.
- The site says the Pipecat team is joining Deepgram, and that Pipecat stays open source and vendor neutral.
- It is a developer framework, not a no-code builder.
Key features
LangGraph
- Graph-based agent control
- Low-level primitives for single-agent, multi-agent and hierarchical control flows in one framework.
- Human-in-the-loop
- Approval and moderation checks can be added so a person can steer or approve agent actions.
- Persistent memory
- Built-in memory stores conversation history and keeps context across sessions.
- Streaming
- Native token-by-token streaming exposes the agent's reasoning and actions as they happen.
- Agent Server deployment
- LangSmith Agent Server hosts agents in the cloud, in a hybrid setup, or fully self-hosted, with cron scheduling, an Assistants API and Studio.
Pipecat
- Pipeline of frames
- Frames stream through the pipeline as they are produced, so the agent can start responding while the user is still talking.
- Any model, any transport
- Swap services from 200+ providers and connect over WebRTC, SIP or PSTN.
- Pipecat Flows
- Structured conversation paths for cases where a dialog must follow a defined route.
- Pipecat Cloud
- Managed hosting for agents, with unlimited concurrency and per-minute billing.
- CLI and observability
- A pipecat init command scaffolds a project; metrics, traces and OpenTelemetry are supported.
Plans
LangGraph
LangGraph (open source)$0
MIT-licensed library you run yourself; the vendor says it is free to use.
LangSmith Developer$0
per seat / month, then pay as you go
1 seat, 5k base traces a month, community support. No Agent Server.
LangSmith Plus$39
per seat / month, billed monthly, then pay as you go
Unlimited seats, 10k base traces a month and 1 small serverless Agent Server included; extra servers and usage are billed in LSUs.
LangSmith EnterpriseCustom
Cloud, hybrid or self-hosted deployment, custom SSO, RBAC, support SLA and custom seats.
Pipecat
Open source$0
Self-host the framework on your own infrastructure; you pay your model and transport providers.
Ways to pay less
LangGraph
- Startups
LangSmith for Startups
Discounted rates and credits of up to $10,000 for VC-backed startups, by application.
Pipecat
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LangGraph or Pipecat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LangGraph starts at $39 per seat / month, billed monthly, and Pipecat publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, LangGraph or Pipecat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LangGraph and Pipecat have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.