Google ADK vs Semantic Kernel

Pick two tools from the same category to compare side-by-side.

	Google ADK Open-source, code-first toolkit from Google for building, evaluating, and deploying AI agents.	Semantic Kernel Microsoft's open-source SDK for embedding LLM agents and plugins into .NET, Python, and Java apps.
Category	framework	framework
Vendor type	hybrid	open source
Pricing	freemium	free
Strengths	+ Code-first design with explicit control over orchestration and tools + Native multi-agent composition and delegation + Built-in evaluation and local dev CLI (adk run, adk web) + Backed by Google with paths to managed Vertex AI deployment	+ Strong enterprise and multi-language support (.NET, Python, Java) + Plugin/connector model and Azure ecosystem integration + Backed by Microsoft with extensive documentation + Established memory and planner/agent primitives
Tradeoffs	− Newer framework with a smaller community than longer-established options − Strongest ergonomics within the Google/Gemini and Cloud ecosystem	− Most new investment has shifted to Microsoft Agent Framework − API churn and migration overhead for long-lived projects − Heavier, enterprise-oriented abstractions
Used in stacks	0	0