Agno vs DSPy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosted ai options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Agno | DSPy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Self-Hosted AI | Self-Hosted AI |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 42,325 | ★ 38,243 |
| First released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Replaces | LangChain | LangChain |
What are Agno and DSPy?
Agno
Agno is a Python framework for building autonomous AI agents with memory, knowledge, and tools. It is designed to be fast and model-agnostic, supporting reasoning and multi-agent teams.
- Multi-agent teams
- Built-in memory and knowledge
- Model agnostic
- Fast agent instantiation
DSPy
DSPy is a framework for building language model pipelines by writing modular Python code instead of brittle prompt strings. It can compile and optimize prompts automatically against metrics for self-hosted LLM applications.
- Declarative LLM modules
- Automatic prompt optimization
- Metric-driven compilation
- Works with local models
Agno vs DSPy: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Agno versus MIT for DSPy.
Why pick each one
Choose Agno if…
- Fast agent startup
- Model-agnostic design
- Built-in memory support
Watch out for
- Rapidly changing APIs
- Python only
Choose DSPy if…
- Programmatic prompt optimization
- Modular composable pipelines
- Strong research pedigree
Watch out for
- Conceptual learning curve
- Optimization runs cost tokens
Frequently asked questions
Is Agno or DSPy better?
Neither is universally better. Agno has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Agno and DSPy free and open-source?
Yes. Agno is licensed under MPL-2.0 and DSPy under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Agno and DSPy with Docker?
Agno: check the project docs for container support. DSPy: check the project docs for container support.