LlamaIndex vs Semantic Kernel

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Pricing, plan by plan

Which should you pick?

Questions people ask

Is LlamaIndex or Semantic Kernel better?

Neither clearly leads. LlamaIndex starts at Free and Semantic Kernel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, LlamaIndex or Semantic Kernel?

LlamaIndex starts at Free and Semantic Kernel at Free.

Does LlamaIndex or Semantic Kernel run on more platforms?

LlamaIndex runs on Linux, Mac, Windows. Semantic Kernel runs on Python, .NET, Java.

Can I use LlamaIndex for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is LlamaIndex best used for?

LlamaIndex is most often used for parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag, building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data, indexing and querying enterprise documents from an llm application. Of those, parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag and building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data are not what Semantic Kernel is typically brought in for.

What can LlamaIndex do that Semantic Kernel cannot?

LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Indexing, Query engine, RAG pipelines. Semantic Kernel covers Multi-model support, Agent framework, Multi-agent systems, Plugin ecosystem.