LangGraph vs Pydantic AI (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pydantic AI grades higher than LangGraph: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pydantic AI grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, 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
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 Pydantic AI if
- Fits if you write Python and want agent inputs and outputs type-checked
- Works for teams already using Pydantic that want to switch model providers without a rewrite
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a visual builder, because it is a code library only
- Not for you if you do not write Python, as there is no other language or no-code route
- Watch out: Logfire observability is separate, with Team at $49 and Growth at $249 a month
- Watch out: the AI Gateway adds a 5% markup on Personal and Team, 3% on Growth, unless you bring your own keys
- Tight if you need a paid support contract, since the SDK has no paid support tier
How we grade them
| 2.6GPALangGraphGood | 3.0GPAPydantic AIVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AThe SDK is free under the MIT licence, so it sits well under the category's $19.99 cheapest-quarter start. Your model provider bills you directly. |
| 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. | ANo paid plan exists for the SDK itself and nothing is capped, so everything it does is free. Only your model usage costs money. |
| Features | BSingle and multi-agent control, human approval, persistent memory, streaming and an Agent Server for deployment. The framework has no visual builder. | BTyped agents, many model providers, evals, graphs, memory, guardrails and durable execution via Temporal, DBOS and Prefect. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job of building agents in code. |
| Ease of use | DYou write code and run it yourself, or deploy an Agent Server. We found no store rating. | DNo rating on record, and it is a Python library: you write code, manage dependencies and wire up your own tools. No visual editor. |
| 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 MCP, AG-UI and a CLI, and works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, AWS Bedrock and Ollama. It is not an app, so there is no phone or desktop client. |
| Best for | building controllable AI agents in code | typed Python agents on any model |
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 Pydantic AI. How we grade
Price against what you get
LangGraph starts at $39 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pydantic AI has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Pydantic AI starts $39 a month lower. Of the other AI agents on the chart, 29 score higher than LangGraph for less, and none scores higher than Pydantic AI for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- LangGraph also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| LangGraph | Pydantic AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $39 per seat / month, billed monthly | Free |
| Free plan | The LangGraph library is MIT-licensed and free. LangSmith Developer is $0 for 1 seat with 5k base traces a month. | The SDK is free and MIT-licensed; you pay your model providers directly. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | LangChain | Pydantic |
| Price read from | langchain.com | pydantic.dev |
| 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.
Pydantic AI
- It is a code library for Python; there is no hosted builder or visual editor.
- Observability through Logfire is a separate product: the free Personal plan covers 10M records a month, with Team at $49 and Growth at $249 a month.
- The AI Gateway charges a markup on built-in providers (5% on Personal and Team, 3% on Growth) unless you bring your own keys.
- Model usage is billed by whichever provider you connect.
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.
Pydantic AI
- Typed agent loop
- Agents with typed dependencies and structured output, where any supported model is a string swap and another can be set as a fallback.
- Many model providers
- The docs list providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, AWS Bedrock, Mistral, Groq, Ollama and OpenRouter.
- Harness capabilities
- Add-ons for memory, guardrails, sub-agents, planning, context management and persistence, up to a complete coding agent.
- Evals and graphs
- Pydantic Evals grades outputs and tool-call trajectories, and Pydantic Graph gives typed control flow, as separate open-source packages.
- Durable execution and interfaces
- Integrations with Temporal, DBOS, Prefect and others for long-running work, plus MCP, AG-UI, Vercel AI and a CLI.
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.
Pydantic AI
Open source$0
Install the Python package and run agents in your own code; no paid plan exists for the SDK itself.
Ways to pay less
LangGraph
- Startups
LangSmith for Startups
Discounted rates and credits of up to $10,000 for VC-backed startups, by application.
Pydantic AI
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LangGraph or Pydantic AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pydantic AI is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $39 a month for each person for LangGraph. LangGraph starts at $39 per seat / month, billed monthly, and Pydantic AI is free.
Which has a free plan, LangGraph or Pydantic AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LangGraph and Pydantic AI 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.