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Open-source agent framework · checked 28 Sept 2026

DeskFerry vs CrewAI

CrewAI is a framework for developers: you define Agents, Tasks and Crews in Python, run them anywhere, and the core is MIT-licensed. DeskFerry is an app for the people who do the work. The real question is who will maintain the thing.

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Start freeSee the side-by-side

Choose CrewAI when

  • engineers will build and own the agents in code
  • you need hierarchical crews, checkpointing or agent-to-agent protocols
  • everything must run inside your own VPC or on your own hardware

Choose DeskFerry when

  • nobody on the team writes Python
  • you want it running today, with scheduling and retries included
  • you'd rather not open an enterprise sales process to go past 50 runs a month

01 · Who builds

CrewAI: developers, in Python or config files

DeskFerry: whoever owns the task

02 · Licence

CrewAI: MIT framework; enterprise platform

DeskFerry: proprietary SaaS

03 · Runs where

CrewAI: anywhere: your infra, VPC or CrewAI cloud

DeskFerry: our cloud

04 · Price

CrewAI: free framework; hosted free 50 runs, then Enterprise

DeskFerry: $49 / $99 / $299 a month

Code vs a brief

The same research crew, as a Python file and as a paragraph

A weekly competitor scan with two roles: someone to research and someone to summarise. Here it is both ways.

crew.pyPython, MIT-licensed
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task, Process

researcher = Agent(
    role="Market researcher",
    goal="Find five competitors and their current pricing",
    backstory="Thorough, and always cites sources.",
    tools=[search_tool],
)
analyst = Agent(
    role="Analyst",
    goal="Summarise the findings for the strategy team",
    backstory="Writes short, plain summaries.",
)

research = Task(
    description="Collect pricing for five competitors in {market}.",
    expected_output="A table of competitor, plan, price, source URL.",
    agent=researcher,
)
summary = Task(
    description="Write a five-bullet summary of what changed.",
    expected_output="Five bullets, under 120 words.",
    agent=analyst,
)

crew = Crew(agents=[researcher, analyst],
            tasks=[research, summary],
            process=Process.sequential)
crew.kickoff(inputs={"market": "AI agents"})

Full control and runs anywhere. Scheduling, secrets, retries, and posting the result to Slack are yours to add and host.

In DeskFerry: one agent, one briefagent

Brief

Every Monday at 9, find five competitors in the AI agent market, note their current pricing with links, and post a five-bullet summary of what changed in #strategy.

Allowed apps

Web searchGoogle SheetsSlackMondays 9:00

Last run

  1. Checked pricing pages for five competitors
  2. Two changed since last week: logged both in the sheet
  3. Wrote a five-bullet summary with source links
  4. Posted to #strategy

No code, no hosting. You give up fine-grained control over each role, which is CrewAI's strength.

Feature by feature

Where each one wins

FeatureCrewAIDeskFerryEdge
Who can buildDevelopers; the visual Studio exports to PythonAnyone who can describe the jobDeskFerry
Orchestration depthSequential and hierarchical crews, Flows, checkpoints, A2AOne agent per jobCrewAI
Open sourceMIT-licensed frameworkNoCrewAI
DeploymentAnywhere, including your VPCCloud onlyCrewAI
Scheduling and retriesBuild them, or use the Enterprise platformBuilt inDeskFerry
App connectionsPython tools and MCP servers1,500+ apps with sign-inDeskFerry
Hosted pricingFree for 50 runs a month, then EnterpriseSelf-serve plans from $49DeskFerry

Sources: crewai.com/pricing · CrewAI docs: crews · CrewAI licence (MIT) · checked 28 Sept 2026

Straight talk

When to stay on CrewAI

01

Engineers own it

If developers will build and maintain the agents, a Python framework fits their tools, reviews and deploys.

02

Regulated infrastructure

When data can't leave your VPC, CrewAI runs inside it. DeskFerry is cloud-only.

03

Unusual orchestration

Hierarchical managers, event-driven Flows and replayable checkpoints go well beyond what a brief can express.

FAQ

CrewAI questions

Is CrewAI free?

The crewai Python framework is MIT-licensed and free to self-host with your own model keys. The hosted platform has a free Basic plan with 50 workflow executions a month; beyond that it's Enterprise, priced through sales.

What happened to CrewAI's $25 plan?

In late 2025 CrewAI listed a Professional tier at $25 a month. The current pricing page shows only Basic (free) and Enterprise.

Can non-developers use CrewAI?

CrewAI has a no-code visual editor with an AI copilot that exports to Python, but it's designed around developers owning the result. DeskFerry is built for non-developers from the start.

Can I self-host DeskFerry like CrewAI?

No. DeskFerry runs in our cloud. If self-hosting is required, CrewAI is the better fit.

Get the crew without the codebase

Write what the crew should do in a paragraph, schedule it, and have the summary in Slack on Monday.