Mastra vs Vercel AI SDK: which TypeScript agent framework should you use?
updated · #1 vs #2 in agent frameworks & automation · prices checked
$ which one should you use?
building agents with workflows, memory, evals and a human approving steps? Mastra. want a streaming chat UI and a tool loop in your Next.js app by lunchtime? Vercel AI SDK.
#1 vs #2 of 9 agent frameworks, both 8.5/10. same score, Mastra edges it on rank.
#1 of 9 in agent frameworks
Mastra
numptr says8.5/10
the most complete TypeScript agent kit. workflows, memory, evals, sorted.
- best for
- production TypeScript agents
- why 8.5
- Apache 2.0 core and free. Cloud Teams at $250 is a jump.
#2 of 9 in agent frameworks
Vercel AI SDK
numptr says8.5/10
easiest way to get a streaming chat UI going. free, too.
- best for
- chat UIs, simple tool-calling
- why 8.5
- open source. you only pay your model provider.
who wins for which job
production agents with workflows, memory and evals
Mastra
best for: production TypeScript agents.
streaming chat UIs and simple tool calling
Vercel AI SDK
best for: chat UIs, simple tool-calling.
overall, on our scores
Mastra
#1 of 9 agent frameworks, 8.5/10. Vercel AI SDK: #2, 8.5/10.
the differences, side by side
rank
Mastra#1 of 9 in agent frameworks
Vercel AI SDK#2 of 9 in agent frameworks
numptr score
Mastra8.5/10
Vercel AI SDK8.5/10
best for
Mastraproduction TypeScript agents
Vercel AI SDKchat UIs, simple tool-calling
free tier
Mastraframework free (Apache 2.0 core; ee/ enterprise code has its own licence); Cloud Starter $0/mo
Vercel AI SDKopen source, free
paid plans
Mastraopen-source framework free to self-host (Apache 2.0 core); Cloud Teams $250/mo; Enterprise custom
Vercel AI SDKfree (you pay your model provider)
affiliate
Mastrano affiliate programme found. doesn't touch the rank.
Vercel AI SDKno affiliate programme found. doesn't touch the rank.
# straight from our rankings data. prices from each vendor's own page.
pick neither if
go deeper
quick answer: Mastra vs Vercel AI SDK is "the full kit" vs "the sharp toolkit", and it's close: both score 8.5/10 on our agent frameworks board. Mastra edges it at #1 of 9 because it's the most complete TypeScript agent kit we rank: agents, a graph-based workflow engine, memory, human-in-the-loop, evals and observability in one box. Vercel AI SDK is #2: the quickest way to a streaming chat UI and a tool-calling loop. and you don't always have to choose, because Mastra plugs into the AI SDK's UI hooks.
the short version
| Mastra | Vercel AI SDK | |
|---|---|---|
| our rank | #1, 8.5/10 | #2, 8.5/10 |
| what it is | a TypeScript framework for ai apps and agents, from prototype to production | a provider-agnostic TypeScript toolkit for ai apps and agents, from the makers of Next.js |
| licence | Apache 2.0 core; code in ee/ folders is under the Mastra Enterprise license |
Apache 2.0 |
| the good bits | agents, workflows (.then(), .branch(), .parallel()), suspend and resume, memory, RAG, MCP servers, evals, observability, Mastra Studio |
one API across providers, structured output, ToolLoopAgent, UI hooks for React, Svelte, Vue and Angular |
| models | 40+ providers through its model router | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and more, by default via Vercel AI Gateway or direct provider packages |
| free | framework free (Apache 2.0 core; ee/ enterprise code has its own licence); Cloud Starter $0/mo | open source, free |
| paid bit | Mastra platform: Starter $0, Teams $250/mo, Enterprise custom | none for the SDK; you pay your model provider |
ranks and scores come straight from our agent frameworks board, and nobody pays to move up it.
why Mastra edges it
it's the whole kitchen, not just the knives. agents that pick tools and iterate, plus a graph-based workflow engine for when you need explicit control. you write steps with .then(), .branch() and .parallel() and it reads like normal TypeScript.
humans can step in. suspend an agent or workflow, wait for someone to approve, and resume where it left off, even much later, because Mastra stores the execution state. that's the bit you want before an agent sends emails or touches money.
production bits come in the box. conversation history, retrieval, observational memory, built-in evals and observability, and Mastra Studio (a local UI at localhost:4111) for building, testing and poking at agents. npm create mastra@latest scaffolds a project and even installs Mastra skills for the coding agents it finds.
the catch is the hosted bill and the fine print. the framework is free to self-host, and Mastra platform has a $0 Starter tier. Teams is $250 a month, which is a leap for an indie project. and while the core is Apache 2.0, anything in an ee/ folder needs an enterprise licence for production use (it's free for development and testing).
where the Vercel AI SDK wins
fastest route to a chat UI. the AI SDK UI hooks (useChat and friends) give you streaming chat and generative UI in Next.js, React, Svelte or Vue with very little code. if the job is "put an assistant in my app", this is the one.
one API, any model. pass a model string like anthropic/... or openai/... and it routes through Vercel AI Gateway by default, or install a provider package and go direct. swapping models is a one-line change.
it stays out of your way. generateText, structured output with a Zod schema, and a ToolLoopAgent for tool-calling loops. it's a library, not a platform, so there's no hosted tier to outgrow. you pay your model provider and that's it.
the honest bit: it gives you the building blocks, not the workflow engine, memory store, evals or studio. once your agent needs to pause for a human, resume after a crash, or be measured, you're building that yourself or reaching for Mastra.
which should you pick?
- a chat assistant or generative UI in your web app: Vercel AI SDK
- simple tool calling, any provider, minimal ceremony: Vercel AI SDK
- multi-step agents with workflows, memory and evals: Mastra
- an agent that waits for a human, then carries on: Mastra
- both: build the agent in Mastra and the front end with the AI SDK's UI hooks. Mastra's own README suggests it
- an agent that works on files and runs commands, on Claude: Claude Agent SDK is #3 (8.5/10)
- you write Python: LangGraph (#4) or OpenAI Agents SDK (#5). see LangGraph vs CrewAI
the rest of the field
| rank | tool | best for | free tier | paid from | numptr score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mastra | production TypeScript agents | framework free (Apache 2.0 core; ee/ enterprise code has its own licence); Cloud Starter $0/mo | open-source framework free to self-host | 8.5/10 |
| #2 | Vercel AI SDK | chat UIs, simple tool-calling | open source, free | free | 8.5/10 |
| #3 | Claude Agent SDK | shipping Claude-powered agents that work on files and run commands | SDK free to use; Claude API usage billed per token (no free API tier confirmed) | free SDK | 8.5/10 |
| #4 | LangGraph | complex stateful agents | framework open source; LangSmith Developer $0 (1 seat) | open-source framework free | 8.0/10 |
| #5 | OpenAI Agents SDK | Python multi-agent apps on OpenAI models (others supported) | open source (MIT), free | free | 8.0/10 |
faq
is Mastra better than the Vercel AI SDK?
on our board they're level on score (8.5/10 each), and Mastra ranks #1 to the AI SDK's #2. Mastra wins for full agents with workflows, memory and evals; the AI SDK wins for chat UIs and light tool calling.
can i use Mastra with the Vercel AI SDK?
yes. Mastra's README says you can bundle agents into React, Next.js or Node apps and use Vercel's AI SDK UI for the front end.
are Mastra and the Vercel AI SDK free?
both are open source and free to use; you pay your model provider. the AI SDK is Apache 2.0. Mastra's core is Apache 2.0, its ee/ code needs an enterprise licence in production, and the optional Mastra platform runs from $0 (Starter) to $250 a month (Teams).
does the Vercel AI SDK only work on Vercel?
no. it's a TypeScript library for Node.js and the usual UI frameworks, and you can call providers directly with their packages. Vercel AI Gateway is the default route for plain model strings, not a requirement.
sources
checked 2026-10-25
- Mastra README (TypeScript framework, 40+ providers, agents, workflows, suspend and resume, memory, MCP servers, evals, observability, AI SDK UI integration, npm create mastra, Studio on localhost:4111): https://github.com/mastra-ai/mastra
- Mastra licence (Apache 2.0 core, ee/ under Mastra Enterprise license): https://github.com/mastra-ai/mastra/blob/main/LICENSE.md
- Mastra pricing (platform Starter $0, Teams $250/mo, Enterprise custom): https://mastra.ai/pricing
- AI SDK README (provider-agnostic TypeScript toolkit, Node.js 22+, Vercel AI Gateway default, provider packages, generateText, structured output, ToolLoopAgent, AI SDK UI hooks): https://github.com/vercel/ai/tree/main/packages/ai
- AI SDK licence (Apache 2.0): https://github.com/vercel/ai/blob/main/LICENSE
- ranks, scores, verdicts and free tiers: numptr data/tools.json (agent frameworks board)