Mastra is a TypeScript framework for building and shipping AI agents, focusing on rapid prototyping and production readiness. It provides a structured approach for defining agents, tools, and integrating with various LLM providers through a unified model router. The framework includes a Studio UI for managing development workflows and supports integration into existing web frameworks.

The OpenAI Agents SDK provides a lightweight Python package for building agentic AI applications. It offers primitives like agents, handoffs, and guardrails with a built-in loop, tracing, and state management. It is designed for multi-step, complex agent workflows and offers customization over default behaviors.

• +Provides a structured TypeScript framework for building AI agents, enabling fast prototyping and reliable deployment.
• +Offers an integrated model router that abstracts LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI) using a `provider/model` string format and environment variables.
• +Enforces a clear structure for defining tools via `createTool()` including Zod schemas for input/output, preventing silent execution failures.
• +Includes Mastra Studio, an interactive UI for building, testing, and managing agents, workflows, and tools.
• +Supports integration with popular web frameworks like Next.js, React, Astro, Express, SvelteKit, and Hono.
• +Enables a wide range of use cases, including customer-facing assistants, internal copilots, data analysis, content automation, and DevOps.
• +Provides access to a large selection of models through its model router, beyond a short list of known IDs.

• +Lightweight, easy-to-use package with few abstractions.
• +Production-ready, upgrading previous experimentation for agents.
• +Python-first design, leveraging built-in language features for orchestration.
• +Built-in agent loop handles tool invocation and task completion automatically.
• +Supports agent delegation and coordination via 'Agents as tools' (Handoffs).
• +Provides isolated workspaces for specialist agents using Sandbox agents.
• +Includes guardrails for parallel input/output validation and safety checks.
• +Automatic schema generation and Pydantic validation for Python function tools.
• +Persistent memory layer for maintaining working context across agent turns via Sessions.
• +Built-in tracing for visualizing, debugging, evaluating, and fine-tuning agent workflows.
• +Supports building low-latency voice agents with `gpt-realtime-2.1`.

• −Plain object tool definitions silently fail to execute; tools must be strictly defined via `createTool()` with specific properties.
• −Requires a `package.json` file with `"type": "module"` for project setup.
• −Requires Node.js 22.18.0 or later for direct TypeScript file execution.

• −Adds a runtime layer that may be unnecessary overhead for short-lived workflows or simple model responses.
• −Limits direct developer control over the agent loop, tool dispatch, and state handling for those who prefer full manual management.

Mastra manages state through explicitly defined Agent and Tool objects, configured within a central Mastra instance, which then handles model routing and execution context via environment variables.

The framework manages state through persistent memory sessions that maintain working context across agent turns.