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Xpander supplies your agent’s identity (instructions, tools, knowledge bases, memory, deployment target) and routes tasks to your handler. The framework you choose is the library that runs the LLM loop in your process: the thing with an Agent class, a tool-calling interface, and an arun() method. xpander does not replace your framework. It plugs into it. Selection lives in xpander_config.json, written by xpander agent new. The SDK reads framework from that file and wires up accordingly:
xpander_config.json
{
  "agent_id": "agt_01H...",
  "organization_id": "org_01H...",
  "api_key": "xpd_...",
  "framework": "agno"  // or: "open-ai-agents", "langchain", "strands-agents"
}
Right now, the SDK supports 4 frameworks:
Agno

Agno

OpenAI Agents SDK

OpenAI Agents SDK

LangChain + LangGraph

LangChain

AWS Strands

AWS Strands

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Comparison

CapabilityAgnoOpenAI Agents SDKLangChainAWS Strands
Pre-built connectors (2,000+)Auto-includedagent.openai_agents_sdk_toolsagent.tools.functionsagent.strands_tools
Custom @register_tool functionsAuto-includedAuto-includedAuto-includedAuto-included
Instructions (role, goal, general)Auto-attachedagent.instructions.fullagent.instructions.fullagent.instructions.full
Model + provider credentialsAuto-attachedagent.model_name (you build the client)agent.model_name (you build the client)agent.model_name (you build the client)
Knowledge-base retrieverAuto-attachedManual via agent.knowledge_bases_retriever()ManualManual
Session storage (Postgres)Auto-wiredManualManualManual
User and agent memoryAuto-wiredManualManualManual
Context optimization (toon encoding, compaction)Auto-wiredNot availableNot availableNot available
Guardrails (PII, prompt injection, moderation)Auto-wiredManualManualManual
Multi-agent teamsAuto-wired (AgnoTeam)ManualManualManual
Session helpers (agent.get_user_sessions, etc.)YesRaises NotImplementedErrorRaises NotImplementedErrorRaises NotImplementedError
A few takeaways worth calling out:
  • Agno is the only path with automatic wiring. Backend.aget_args() dispatches on agent.framework. On the other three, you load the agent through Agents().aget(...) and read fields off it yourself.
  • Pre-built connectors and custom @register_tool functions reach every framework. What changes is the property name you read them from: agent.tools.functions for LangChain, agent.openai_agents_sdk_tools for the OpenAI Agents SDK, agent.strands_tools for AWS Strands.
  • Memory, knowledge retrieval, and guardrails are Agno-only auto-wired. On other frameworks, xpander gives you the data (agent.knowledge_bases_retriever(), session metadata, the agent’s memory config) but your code is responsible for plugging it into the framework.
  • Agno-exclusive features: context optimization (toon encoding, runtime compaction), AgnoTeam-based multi-agent coordination, and the session helpers (agent.get_user_sessions, agent.get_session, agent.delete_session, which raise NotImplementedError outside Agno).
See the framework’s dedicated page for the full guide.

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How to choose

Default to Agno unless you have a reason not to. Pick a non-Agno framework when:
  • Existing investment. Your team already builds on it and switching cost is real. Example: a LangGraph workflow that’s been in production for six months.
  • Framework-specific feature. You need something Agno doesn’t have. Example: LangGraph’s stateful multi-step workflows, the OpenAI Agents SDK’s Runner ergonomics, Strands’ AWS-native primitives.
  • Embedded in an existing app. You’re adding xpander tools to a service that already runs one of these frameworks. Example: a FastAPI worker that already imports agents.Runner.
You’re not locked in. The agent’s identity lives in xpander’s control plane, so you can swap frameworks later by editing framework in xpander_config.json and rewriting your handler.

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Next steps

Agno

The recommended path. What Backend.aget_args() actually wires up.

OpenAI Agents SDK

Manual wiring with agent.openai_agents_sdk_tools.

LangChain + LangGraph

Manual wiring with agent.tools.functions and create_react_agent.

AWS Strands

Manual wiring with agent.strands_tools on AWS-native orchestration.

Core Concepts

The SDK class names mapped onto agents, tasks, threads, tools, and memory.

Quickstart

10-minute scaffold-to-deploy walkthrough on the default Agno path.