Argo CD vs Argo Workflows
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ci/cd & build options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Argo CD
Declarative GitOps continuous delivery for Kubernetes
VS
Argo Workflows
Container-native workflow engine for Kubernetes
| Feature | Argo CD | Argo Workflows |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,867 | ★ 16,885 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Spinnaker | Airflow |
Why pick each one
Choose Argo CD if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 23.9k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Choose Argo Workflows if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 16.9k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Argo CD or Argo Workflows better?
Neither is universally better. Argo CD has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Argo CD and Argo Workflows free and open-source?
Yes. Argo CD is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Argo Workflows under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Argo CD and Argo Workflows with Docker?
Argo CD: check the project docs for container support. Argo Workflows: check the project docs for container support.