Microsoft Bot Framework
Microsoft Bot Framework and Azure AI Bot Service provide tools to build, test, deploy, and manage intelligent bots.
What Microsoft Bot Framework is
Microsoft Bot Framework and Azure AI Bot Service provide tools to build, test, deploy, and manage intelligent bots. The modular SDK includes tools and templates for bots that can use speech, understand natural language, and handle questions and answers. Development tools work with a Connector service for exchanging messages and events, alongside Azure deployment and channel configuration. Client libraries are available for C#, JavaScript, Python, and Java. Bots can connect to channels such as Microsoft Teams, Facebook, and Slack through Azure AI Bot Service channels or channel adapters. They can also use Azure AI services and Azure Storage. Hosting may be on a developer’s own servers, in Azure, or in another data center if the agent exposes a publicly accessible HTTPS endpoint. Bot Service channels require HTTPS and TLS 1.2, and the SDK automates basic bot-to-channel authentication. The Free plan costs nothing and includes unlimited standard-channel messages and 10,000 premium-channel messages per month. Microsoft says the SDK is no longer maintained, recommends the Microsoft 365 Agents SDK for new agent development, and says Bot Framework SDK support tickets will no longer be serviced as of December 31, 2025.
Good
- Client libraries cover four programming languages.
- Bots can connect to Teams, Facebook, and Slack.
- Hosting can use own servers or Azure.
- Free plan includes unlimited standard-channel messages.
- Basic bot-to-channel authentication is automated.
Watch out
- The SDK is no longer updated or maintained.
- Support tickets stopped being serviced after December 31, 2025.
- Channel adapters may be needed for some channels.
- Free plan limits premium-channel messages to 10,000 monthly.
Who it suits
The framework may suit developers building bots for multiple channels who need tools for conversation flows, knowledge-based answers, and human handoff. It is less suitable for new development if ongoing SDK maintenance is required.
Verdict
Microsoft Bot Framework includes bot development tools, language libraries, channel options, and authentication support. Microsoft says the SDK is no longer maintained and recommends the Microsoft 365 Agents SDK for new agent development.
Plans and prices
From Microsoft Bot Framework's own pricing page, checked 21 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Standard channels unlimited messages · Premium channels 10,000 messages/month · Azure resources billed separately |
| S1 | — | Unlimited standard-channel messages · Premium-channel messages charged per 1,000 · Azure resources billed separately · $- per 1,000 messages |
The facts
Each one read from Microsoft Bot Framework's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Archive news
- GitHub marks the main Bot Framework SDK repository as archived by its owner on January 5, 2026.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- Azure AI Bot Service supports user authentication with identity providers including Microsoft Entra ID, GitHub, and custom OAuth2 providers.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Azure integrations
- Bots may use Azure AI services and Azure Storage, and can be configured for Microsoft Teams.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Botkit
- Botkit supplies JavaScript bot tooling with hear, ask and say dialog methods plus adapters for Slack, Webex Teams, Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Twilio and Web Chat.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Cards
- Channel support for Adaptive, hero, receipt, sign-in, thumbnail, video, audio and animation cards varies substantially; Direct Line technically supports all cards but clients must implement them.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Channel connectivity
- Azure Bot Service connects bots to channels including Teams, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, LINE, Alexa, Twilio SMS, email, Web Chat and Direct Line.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Channel limits
- Kik and Skype no longer accept new bot development, while telephony is preview-only and not accepting additional customers.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Channels
- Bots can connect to channels such as Microsoft Teams, Facebook, and Slack, using Azure AI Bot Service channels or channel adapters.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Channel translation
- The Bot Connector translates the Bot Framework Activity schema into channel-specific formats when a channel lacks support for some activity features.checked 21 Oct 2026
- CLI
- Bot Framework CLI Tools are open-source, cross-platform command-line tools intended to support end-to-end bot development workflows.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Composer
- Bot Framework Composer is an integrated visual development tool for creating bots and conversational experiences.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Conversation modeling
- The SDK lets developers model sophisticated conversations in C#, JavaScript and Python, with Java support also documented in the ecosystem.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Deployment channels
- multichannelchecked 21 Sep 2026
- Documentation
- Microsoft Learn organizes Bot Service documentation around building, testing, deploying and managing chatbots, with language-specific developer options.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Features
- The modular SDK includes tools and templates for creating bots that can use speech, understand natural language, and handle questions and answers.checked 12 Oct 2026
- Hosting
- Azure Marketplace says bots can be hosted in any environment while using Bot Framework Composer or an SDK.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Human handoff
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2026
- Identity support
- User-assigned managed identity and single-tenant apps are supported with the C#, JavaScript and Python SDKs; Composer, Emulator and other SDK languages do not support those app types.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Knowledge-base answers
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Browser support
- Web Chat supports the latest two versions of Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox; Internet Explorer 11 requires an ES5 bundle and has limited customization support.checked 21 Oct 2026
The company
- Company founded
- Microsoft states that it was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- Microsoft Corporation is identified as the company behind the product and is a public company headquartered in Redmond, Washington.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company size
- Microsoft reports approximately 228,000 full-time employees as of June 30, 2025.checked 21 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2026
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