What is the difference between Argo Workflows, Argo CD, Argo Rollouts, and Argo Events?

Updated

Argo is a set of open source, Kubernetes-native tools, and each one solves a different part of the delivery lifecycle. Argo Workflows runs workflows, Argo CD handles declarative continuous delivery, Argo Rollouts manages advanced deployment strategies like Canary and Blue-Green, and Argo Events provides event-based dependency management. If you only need one of those jobs done, you can adopt that single tool; they are separate projects rather than a single bundled product.

The four tools at a glance

Tool What it does Core mechanism Typical use
Argo Workflows Kubernetes-native workflow engine Supports DAG and step-based workflows Running multi-step jobs and pipelines on Kubernetes
Argo CD Declarative continuous delivery Declarative delivery with a fully-loaded UI Keeping cluster state in sync with a declared desired state
Argo Rollouts Advanced Kubernetes deployment strategies Canary and Blue-Green made easy Releasing new versions gradually or with controlled cutover
Argo Events Event-based dependency management for Kubernetes Event-based dependency management Triggering work when events occur

How to choose

The decision follows from the job you need done, not from a ranking of the tools:

  • You need to run a sequence of tasks or a pipeline on Kubernetes → Argo Workflows, because it is the workflow engine supporting DAG and step-based workflows.
  • You need continuous delivery driven by a declared state, with a UI → Argo CD, described as declarative continuous delivery with a fully-loaded UI.
  • You need to control how a new version reaches users → Argo Rollouts, which covers Canary and Blue-Green strategies.
  • You need Kubernetes work to react to events → Argo Events, which handles event-based dependency management.

These are not mutually exclusive. A setup can use more than one, since each tool addresses a distinct concern: workflow execution, delivery, rollout strategy, and event dependency.

What they have in common

All four are listed as open source tools for Kubernetes, intended to run workflows, manage clusters, and do GitOps. They are created by the Argo project and maintained with contributions from organizations including Akuity, BlackRock, Intuit, Octopus Deploy, Pipekit, and Red Hat, according to the site. The project also states it is trusted by a large set of companies and lists 199 community members, with a "See all" link to view them.

Where to go next

Each tool has its own "Learn More" entry on the Argo site, and the source code is available via "View on GitHub." Start from the tool whose description matches your immediate task, then add others only when a second concern actually appears in your workflow.