OpenAI Assistants API vs OpenAI Agents SDK
A side-by-side look at scores, pricing and features — with RECATOOLS' ASEAN-aware verdict for each.
OpenAI Assistants API
OpenAI's stateful agent API — shut down 26 Aug 2026
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OpenAI Agents SDK
OpenAI's minimal Python framework for agent handoffs, not graphs.
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| RECATOOLS Score | 5 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Capability | ||
| Value for money | ||
| Ease of use | ||
| ASEAN readiness | ||
| API quality | ||
| Pricing | Paid | Open Source |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Paid from | — | — |
| Has API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free to use | ✗ | ✓ |
| Users | — | — |
| Founded | 2023 | — |
| Maker | — | — |
| Verdict | The Assistants API gave developers managed conversation threads, built-in code interpreter, file retrieval and tool calling without hand-rolling orchestration, and a lot of production assistants from non-AI-native compan... |
OpenAI's Agents SDK is the deliberately small option in a field of increasingly elaborate agent frameworks: a handoff pattern with guardrails and tracing gets you a working multi-agent setup in well under 100 lines, whic... |
| Full review → | Full review → |
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Comparisons cover up to 4 tools. Scores are RECATOOLS editorial assessments; verify current pricing on each vendor's site.