Semantic Kernel vs LlamaIndex

Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.

Data last refreshed October 2026

Semantic Kernel

Microsoft

Microsoft's SDK to build AI agents and orchestrate models

Open Source

66% verification coverage

LlamaIndex

LlamaIndex Inc.

AI Agents for Document OCR + Workflows

Freemium

82% verification coverage

Trust & Reliability

Semantic Kernel

Customers (per vendor):J.M. Family Enterprises

LlamaIndex

Uptime:99.99%Status page

Users:100K-1M

Customers (per vendor):Jeppesen (a Boeing Company), NTT Data, Carlyle

GDPR

SOC 2

HIPAA

Overall Winner: LlamaIndex

6.8/10 vs Semantic Kernel at 4.2/10

Leads in:

Customization

Support

Compliance & Data Protection

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

AI Comparison Summary

Semantic Kernel

4.2

avg score

LlamaIndex

6.8

avg score

LlamaIndex leads overall — particularly in Ease of Use and Customization and 3 more.

Based on 6 dimensions

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

Overall Winner

LlamaIndex

6.8 / 10

Semantic Kernel

Best For

Developers building AI-powered applications

Organizations looking to integrate AI with existing systems

Students learning AI development with Microsoft technologies

LlamaIndex

Best For

Engineering and R&D teams accelerating product development

Administrative operations streamlining business processes

Financial analysts building AI-powered financial models

Insurance companies automating claims and underwriting

* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology

Semantic Kernel is best for

🤖Automation & Agents5.8📊Data & Analytics4.0🎧Customer Support3.5

LlamaIndex is best for

✍️Writing & Content7.0🤖Automation & Agents6.2🔍Research5.8

Filter by your use case:

Limitations

Semantic Kernel

Cons

No cons listed yet.

LlamaIndex

Cons

LlamaParse is a commercial platform and not open source, though LlamaIndex and Workflows are open source projects.
Bonus credits on the Pro plan expire immediately upon downgrade and require a business email domain.

Weighted Score — Adjust What Matters to You

Pick a profile or drag sliders — scores and radar update instantly on the right.

Quick profiles:

Ease of Use5

Customization5

Support5

Integration5

Compliance & Data Protection5

Performance5

Planning Quality5

Dimension Comparison

Semantic Kernel

4.2

/ 10

LlamaIndex

6.8

/ 10

Clear winner

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How intuitive is onboarding, UI navigation, and day-to-day usage for the target audience?

Semantic Kernel

1.0

LlamaIndex

3.0▲ +2.0

Customization

Calculated

How much can users tailor workflows, settings, prompts, or outputs to their needs?

Semantic Kernel

8.0

LlamaIndex

10.0▲ +2.0

Support

How strong is the documentation, customer support, community, and learning resources?

Semantic Kernel

7.0

LlamaIndex

10.0▲ +3.0

Integration

Calculated

How well does it connect with other tools, APIs, and workflows?

Semantic Kernel

3.0

LlamaIndex

5.0▲ +2.0

Compliance & Data Protection

Calculated

Compliance certifications and data-protection posture, counted from ten verified signals: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR compliance, HIPAA, WCAG AA/AAA, PII redaction, licensed-only training, a published sub-processor list, a downloadable DPA, not training on user data, and a documented deletion path

Semantic Kernel

1.0

LlamaIndex

8.0▲ +7.0

Performance

Calculated

Latency + throughput speed

Semantic Kernel

5.0

LlamaIndex

5.0

Planning Quality

Calculated

Multi-step planning depth + replanning capability

Semantic Kernel

—

LlamaIndex

—

Calculated = derived from structured signals (integration count, API/open-source config, compliance certs, response-time). AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

Semantic Kernel

Task

LlamaIndex

7.0

Role Definition

6.0

Task Decomposition

6.0

7.0

Agent Coordination

6.0

Inter Agent Communication

5.0

8.0

Workflow Orchestration

8.0

Tool Use Delegation

7.0

6.0

State Management

7.0

6.0

Error Recovery

6.0

8.0

Observability

7.0

6.0

Scalability Throughput

7.0

6.0

Task Delegation

6.0

5.0

Parallel Execution

6.0

* Task scores (1–10) are algorithmically generated from publicly available data.

Data is sourced from public information and vendor websites. It may not always be up-to-date — verify pricing and features directly with the vendor before purchasing.Report inaccuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main differences between Semantic Kernel and LlamaIndex?

Semantic Kernel — "Microsoft's SDK to build AI agents and orchestrate models". LlamaIndex — "AI Agents for Document OCR + Workflows". The Features section on this page compares them side by side.

Who is Semantic Kernel best for compared with LlamaIndex?

Semantic Kernel is best for Developers building AI-powered applications; and for Organizations looking to integrate AI with existing systems. LlamaIndex is best for Engineering and R&D teams accelerating product development; and for Administrative operations streamlining business processes.

How does the pricing of Semantic Kernel compare with LlamaIndex?

Semantic Kernel is open source, includes a free plan. LlamaIndex is freemium, includes a free plan, paid plans start at $50/month. Always verify current pricing with the vendor.

Does Semantic Kernel or LlamaIndex have a free plan?

Semantic Kernel is open source. LlamaIndex has a free plan. Always verify current pricing with the vendor.

Do Semantic Kernel and LlamaIndex offer an API?

Semantic Kernel offers a public API. LlamaIndex offers a public API.

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