LangGraph vs Swarms (2026): which should you pick?

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 Swarms if

• Fits if you want to run several coordinating agents from Python or a REST call
• Works for developers who would rather rent the hosting than run it

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a no-code builder, as agents are built in code or the API
• Tight if you stay free: batch, reasoning agents and graph workflows are paid
• Watch out: tokens cost the provider price plus 15%, and each agent in a swarm adds $0.01
• Watch out: calls fail when the credit balance falls under $1.00

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.

Swarms

• Tokens are billed at each model's provider price plus a 15% service fee, with $0.01 per agent in swarm workflows and $0.25 per image.
• Premium endpoints (batch, reasoning agents, graph workflows) are not available on the Free plan.
• Billable calls need a credit balance above $1.00 and return an error below it.
• It is a developer product: agents are built in code or through the API, not through a no-code builder.

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.

Swarms

Multi-agent architectures

Build hierarchical, sequential and parallel agent collaborations, with agent-to-agent communication and shared memory systems.

Python and Rust frameworks

Agents are written in Swarms Python or Swarms Rust, and the vendor describes the Python framework as open source.

Hosted Swarms API

Send agent configurations and a task over REST from any language and get the result back, without running the orchestration yourself.

Run monitoring in Swarms Cloud

A dashboard shows each run's logs, token use, cost and context use.

Marketplace for agents

Agents, prompts, tools, MCP servers and skills can be bought and sold; sellers keep 90% of each sale.

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.

Swarms

• Free$0

  Pay-per-use credits, 100 requests a minute, 1,200 requests a day, 200K tokens per agent, marketplace access.

• Pro$19.99

  per month

  Adds global availability zones, extra multi-agent architectures, API telemetry, priority queue, Pro models and premium endpoints.

• Premium$100

  per month ($1,020 per year)

  2,000 requests a minute, 100,000 a day, 2M tokens per agent, 500 agents per batch, SOC 2 compliance and 24/7 support.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Custom rate limits, dedicated infrastructure, on-premise or VPC deployment, custom SLAs and white-label options.

LangGraph

• Startups

  LangSmith for Startups

  Discounted rates and credits of up to $10,000 for VC-backed startups, by application.

Swarms

• Annual discount

  Premium billed yearly saves 15%

  Premium is $100 a month, or $1,020 a year, which the pricing page describes as a 15% saving.

• Other savings

  Half-price tokens overnight

  Swarm completions get 50% off token costs between 8 PM and 6 AM Pacific Time; agent fees are unchanged.