Argo vs Fleet: What are the differences?

Introduction

In the world of Kubernetes, both Argo and Fleet are popular tools for managing applications and clusters. While both serve similar purposes, there are some key differences between them. In this article, we will explore these differences and understand when to use each tool.

1. Installation and Architecture: Argo follows a client-server architecture where it requires installation and configuration of a central server component. On the other hand, Fleet uses a more decentralized approach and can be installed as a lightweight client component on each cluster.

2. GitOps vs ClusterOps: Argo primarily focuses on GitOps workflows, enabling teams to manage their applications and configuration files using Git repositories. Fleet, on the other hand, is more focused on managing clusters and infrastructure, allowing you to maintain multiple clusters simultaneously.

3. Flexibility vs Standardization: Argo provides a higher degree of flexibility, allowing you to define custom workflows and specify fine-grained details of your application deployments. Fleet, on the other hand, follows a more standardized approach, providing a set of predefined workflows and configuration options for managing clusters.

4. UI vs CLI: Argo has a web-based user interface that allows users to interact with the tool visually. It provides a rich set of features like application visualization and on-demand job execution. Fleet, on the other hand, is primarily driven through a command-line interface (CLI) and does not have a dedicated web interface.

5. Community and Ecosystem: Argo has a larger and more active community, which has resulted in a broader range of integrations and plugins. It is well-documented and has a vibrant ecosystem of contributors. Fleet, being a newer tool, has a smaller community and ecosystem in comparison.

6. Maturity and Stability: Argo has been around for a longer time and has gained maturity with each release. It has been extensively tested and is considered to be a stable tool for managing applications in Kubernetes. Fleet, being a relatively new tool, may have fewer features and stability concerns due to its evolving nature.

In summary, while Argo and Fleet both offer solutions for managing applications and clusters in Kubernetes, Argo provides more flexibility, focuses on GitOps workflows, and has a larger community and ecosystem. On the other hand, Fleet follows a more standardized approach, is focused on cluster management, and is still evolving with a smaller but growing community.