What it does
Argo Workflows is an open-source workflow engine implemented as a Kubernetes custom resource. A workflow definition arranges containerized jobs as steps or a directed acyclic graph (DAG), and the cluster runs those jobs. Teams use it to coordinate batch processing, CI tasks, or other parallel work while keeping execution in their own Kubernetes environment.
Submit work to the cluster
The official quick start requires a Kubernetes cluster and a configured kubectl context. It installs Argo Workflows into an argo namespace, adds the Argo CLI, and then submits an example workflow. A useful first project is a short workflow with two independent container steps followed by a step that consumes their outputs; the DAG form makes those dependencies explicit. The installation commands and manifest URLs in the guide are examples only. Workflows are Kubernetes resources, so the team supplies the cluster capacity, permissions, container images, and artifact or data handling needed by its jobs. The product is useful when a team wants workflow execution on Kubernetes, but it is not a managed CI service that supplies the cluster. Argo Workflows is licensed under Apache 2.0. It is related to Argo CD, already listed separately, but the two products do different jobs: Argo Workflows runs task graphs, while Argo CD reconciles application deployments from declared desired state.
Strengths
- Workflow definitions can use either ordered steps or DAG dependencies for parallel jobs.
- Jobs execute as Kubernetes workloads, keeping workflow execution close to the team's cluster and container images.
- The official quick start moves from a cluster and kubectl context to an example workflow submission.
Watch out for
- Users need a Kubernetes cluster and configured kubectl access before following the quick start.
- The team supplies cluster capacity, permissions, and the container images required by its workflow steps.
Best for
- Running containerized batch jobs or CI tasks on Kubernetes
- Workflows with parallel stages and explicit dependencies between tasks
Sources
- Argo Workflows (Oct 25, 2026)
- Quick Start | Argo Workflows (Oct 25, 2026)
- argoproj/argo-workflows (Oct 25, 2026)
- Apache License 2.0 | argoproj/argo-workflows (Oct 25, 2026)