AWS is transitioning from Bedrock Agents (Classic) to Bedrock AgentCore, with Classic entering maintenance mode and closing to new customers after July 30, 2026. Classic is a fully managed, opinionated service where AWS controls the ReAct-style orchestration loop, supports only Bedrock models, and offers session-scoped memory. AgentCore, which reached GA in June 2026, is a modular infrastructure platform with 12 components — including Runtime, Memory, Gateway, Identity, Browser, Observability, Payments, and Evaluations — where developers bring their own agent code and framework (LangGraph, CrewAI, Strands, etc.) and control the orchestration loop. AgentCore supports any model provider, persistent cross-session memory, multi-agent orchestration, and per-user OAuth2/OIDC tool authentication, making it suited for production enterprise workloads requiring fine-grained control.
Questions this post answers
What is the difference between AWS Bedrock Agents Classic and Bedrock AgentCore?
Bedrock Agents Classic is a fully managed, opinionated service where AWS controls the ReAct-style orchestration loop, supports only Bedrock models, and provides session-scoped memory. Bedrock AgentCore is a modular infrastructure platform with 12 components where you bring your own agent code and framework, control orchestration yourself, use any model provider, and get persistent cross-session memory. Classic is entering maintenance mode; AgentCore reached GA in June 2026. Teams choosing between the two for new agent projects track AWS platform shifts like this on daily.dev.
When did AWS Bedrock AgentCore become generally available and what frameworks does it support?
Bedrock AgentCore launched in preview in May 2026 and reached general availability in June 2026. It supports any agent framework the developer chooses, including Strands Agents, LangGraph, CrewAI, LlamaIndex, or a fully custom build. It also supports any model provider, not just Bedrock models, and supplies surrounding infrastructure through 12 modular components. Developers evaluating AgentCore for production workloads find framework and platform news like this on daily.dev.
Is AWS Bedrock Agents Classic being deprecated and when does it close to new customers?
Bedrock Agents Classic is entering maintenance mode and is closed to new customers after July 30, 2026. It was originally launched in November 2023 and has since been rebranded 'Classic' as AWS shifts its forward direction to Bedrock AgentCore. Existing customers can continue using it, but active development is focused on AgentCore. Engineers maintaining Classic-based agents and planning migrations keep up with AWS deprecation timelines on daily.dev.