# When to Drop the Framework — LangChain / LlamaIndex

Source: https://www.geekswithgeeks.com/en/langchain-llamaindex/p-direct

> Recognise when direct SDK calls are the better engineering choice.

## Simplicity is a feature

Frameworks help most when you need their breadth. If your app is one prompt and one model call, or you need precise control over every request detail, a direct **provider SDK** plus a little of your own code can be shorter, faster to debug and easier to maintain. A middle path is to use frameworks for the parts that save real effort (document loaders, splitters, vector store adapters, tracing) and write the core prompt-and-call logic yourself. Whatever you choose, keep framework imports behind a thin layer of your own functions so you can replace a component without rewriting the application.

**Quiz:** When is a direct provider SDK often enough?

- [ ] A complex multi-agent workflow
- [x] A single prompt and one model call with no retrieval or tools
- [ ] Indexing millions of documents
- [ ] Never

*Answer:* A single prompt and one model call with no retrieval or tools. Simple apps do not need extra abstractions.