Comparisons / Google ADK vs Mastra
Google ADK vs Mastra: Which Agent Framework to Use?
Google's Agent Development Kit (ADK) is an open-source framework for building multi-agent systems. Mastra is a TypeScript-first framework for building AI agents, from the team behind Gatsby. Here is how they compare — paradigm, ecosystem, and the use cases each one is actually built for.
By the numbers
Google ADK
18.7k
3.2k
Python
Apache-2.0
2025-04-01
Google/Alphabet
Vertex AI
Yes
Mastra
22.7k
1.8k
TypeScript
MIT
2024-08-06
Mastra AI
244.0k
GitHub stats as of April 2026. Stars indicate community interest, not necessarily quality or fit for your use case.
| Concept | Google ADK | Mastra |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | `LlmAgent` class with model, instructions, and `sub_agents` list | `new Agent({ model, instructions, tools })` with automatic tool dispatch |
| Tools | `FunctionTool`, built-in tools (Search, Code Exec), third-party integrations | `createTool({ name, schema, execute })` with Zod validation |
| Agent Loop | `Runner.run()` with automatic tool dispatch and sub-agent delegation | — |
| Multi-Agent | Hierarchical agent tree with root agent delegating to specialized sub-agents | — |
| Workflows | `SequentialAgent`, `ParallelAgent`, `LoopAgent` workflow primitives | `Workflow` class with `.step()`, `.then()`, `.branch()` for orchestration |
| Session | Session and State service with typed channels and persistence | — |
| RAG | — | Built-in document syncing, chunking, embedding, and vector search |
| Memory | — | Short-term thread memory + long-term vector memory across sessions |
| Studio | — | Mastra Studio: local GUI for testing agents, viewing traces, debugging |
Google ADK vs Mastra, head to head
Google ADK Google's Agent Development Kit (ADK) is an open-source framework for building multi-agent systems.
Mastra Mastra is a TypeScript-first framework for building AI agents, from the team behind Gatsby.
Both wrap the same underlying agent pattern — an LLM call, a tool dispatch, a loop — in different abstractions. The choice between them is mostly about which mental model and ecosystem fits the team you have, not which one is technically more capable.
Pick Google ADK if
Pick Google ADK if aDK earns its complexity when you need multi-agent orchestration on Google Cloud with Vertex AI deployment. If you're using Gemini and need production-grade agent infrastructure, it's well-designed. For single-agent use cases or non-Google stacks, plain Python keeps things simpler. Google ADK is the right fit when the tradeoffs in its intro line up with how your team actually wants to work day-to-day; Mastra would force you to translate.
Pick Mastra if
Pick Mastra if mastra is the best option for TypeScript teams that want a batteries-included agent framework without leaving the Node.js ecosystem. The workflow engine and Studio are genuinely productive. For simple agents or Python teams, the plain approach avoids an unnecessary dependency. Mastra is the right fit when the tradeoffs in its intro line up with how your team actually wants to work day-to-day; Google ADK would force you to translate.
What both add
Both Google ADK and Mastra pull in a class hierarchy and a dependency tree to wrap what is, at the core, an HTTP POST in a while loop. If your use case is straightforward — one provider, a handful of tools, a single agent — the framework cost may exceed the framework benefit. The lesson below shows the same pattern in ~60 lines without either dependency.
Or build your own in 60 lines
Both Google ADK and Mastra implement the same 8 patterns. An agent is a function. Tools are a dict. The loop is a while loop. The whole thing composes in ~60 lines of Python.
No framework. No dependencies. No opinions. Just the code.
Build it from scratch →