SDK
Free
- Open-source framework
- Four core primitives
- Production-ready
- Full documentation
The OpenAI Agents SDK is a production-ready framework launched in March 2025 as an evolution of OpenAI experimental Swarm project, which was widely adopted by the developer community. The SDK is completely free and open-source, though users pay for actual API usage when utilizing OpenAI hosted models. Built with a lightweight architecture featuring just four core primitives, the SDK makes it immediately accessible to developers familiar with OpenAI ecosystem. The framework requires only a few lines of code to get started and handles 80 percent of agent use cases with minimal overhead. Major companies like Coinbase used the Agents SDK to quickly prototype and deploy AgentKit for crypto wallet interactions. The SDK supports various real-world applications including customer support automation, multi-step research, content generation, code review, and sales prospecting. While the SDK itself is free, costs depend on token usage of the underlying models, with prices varying from USD 2.50 per million tokens for GPT-5.4 and higher. The OpenAI SDK is ideal for rapid development, while alternatives like LangGraph suit complex workflows requiring deep customization.
What this tool does well, and the limitations to keep in mind.
Pros
Cons
What's included in each plan, and how the tiers compare.
Free
Pay-as-you-go
Per token
OpenAI Agents SDK and Respan enable agent development with cost tracking. Build agents with OpenAI SDK while monitoring usage and costs with Respan.
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Side-by-side comparisons with other tools in this category.
Companies from adjacent layers in the AI stack that work well with OpenAI Agents SDK.
Last verified: March 9, 2026