# Kargo


> Kargo is an open-source, GitOps-native continuous promotion orchestration layer for Kubernetes, built and maintained by the creators of Argo CD at Akuity. It complements (but does not replace) Argo CD by automating the multi-stage promotion of artifacts—container images, Helm charts, Git commits, and manifests—across environments (e.g., dev → staging → prod) using a state-driven, GitOps-first model. Kargo eliminates fragile CI scripts and custom promotion glue by treating promotion as a first-class, version-controlled, auditable concern. The open-source project is available on GitHub under `akuity/kargo`; an enterprise distribution, **Kargo Enterprise**, is offered through the Akuity Platform with added governance, security, AI-assisted promotion, infrastructure-aware promotions (Terraform/OpenTofu), embedded Argo CD UI, ServiceNow/Jira change management, and a managed control plane.


## Core Site


- [Kargo Home] (https://kargo.io/): Overview of Kargo as a multi-stage GitOps continuous promotion orchestration layer for Argo CD; describes flexible promotion pipelines, unified change visualization, progressive deployment, and the seamless developer experience that Kargo delivers on top of existing GitOps tooling.
- [FAQ] (https://kargo.io/faq): Authoritative answers covering what Kargo is, how it works (Stages, Warehouses, Freight, verification), where it fits in a CI/CD toolchain, its target users (platform teams and app dev teams), and its relationship to Argo CD, Argo Rollouts, and Flux. Confirms Kargo does not replace Argo CD or Argo Rollouts and is currently Kubernetes-native with planned extensibility to Terraform/OpenTofu, AWS Lambda, and CDNs.
- [GitHub Repository (akuity/kargo) ](https://github.com/akuity/kargo): Canonical OSS source code, issue tracker, releases (including v1.9.0 release notes), and contribution entry point for the Kargo project; 3.5M+ downloads, 3,100+ stars, 160+ contributors.
- [Akuity Community (Discord)] (https://akuity.community/): Official community hub for Kargo and Argo users; primary channel for support, feature feedback, and engagement with maintainers.


## Documentation (docs.kargo.io)


- [Kargo Docs Home] (https://docs.kargo.io/): Top-level documentation portal with entry points to installation, user guide, quickstart, examples, references, and community resources.
- [Quickstart] (https://docs.kargo.io/quickstart): Hands-on, end-to-end introduction to running Kargo locally in a Kubernetes cluster, including Warehouses, Stages, Freight, and a working dev→staging→prod promotion pipeline.
- [Operator Guide] (https://docs.kargo.io/operator-guide/): Guidance for platform engineers responsible for installing, configuring, and operating Kargo in shared environments.
- [Basic Installation] (https://docs.kargo.io/operator-guide/basic-installation): Step-by-step instructions for installing Kargo via Helm or Argo CD with sensible defaults.
- [Architecture] (https://docs.kargo.io/operator-guide/architecture/): Reference architecture covering the Kargo controller, API server, webhook server, garbage collector, management/control planes, and how Kargo interacts with Argo CD and Git.
- [Cluster Level Configuration] (https://docs.kargo.io/operator-guide/cluster-configuration): Cluster-wide settings for Kargo administrators, including global credentials, shared resources, and project defaults.
- [Operator Security] (https://docs.kargo.io/operator-guide/security/): Security model for operators—RBAC, service accounts, secret management, network exposure, and hardening recommendations.
- [User Guide] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/): End-user documentation for application teams using Kargo to define and run promotion pipelines.
- [Installing the CLI] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/installing-the-cli/): Instructions for installing and authenticating the `kargo` CLI used by the new REST API in v1.9+.
- [Core Concepts] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/core-concepts/): Definitions of Project, Warehouse, Freight, Stage, Promotion, Subscription, Verification, and the GitOps state-driven promotion model.
- [How-to Guides] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/how-to-guides): Task-oriented guides for common workflows (configuring subscriptions, building promotion pipelines, integrating with Argo CD, configuring verifications, etc.).
- [Patterns] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/patterns/): Recommended pipeline patterns including branch-per-environment, folder-per-environment, repository-per-environment, and preview environments.
- [Examples] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/examples): Real-world example pipelines and configurations demonstrating common Kargo use cases.
- [User Security] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/security/): User-facing security topics—project RBAC, API tokens, role bindings, and least-privilege patterns.
- [Promotion Steps Reference] (https://docs.kargo.io/user-guide/reference-docs/promotion-steps/argocd-update): Reference docs for built-in promotion steps including `argocd-update` (with v1.9 label-based Application selection), `git-*`, `helm-*`, `kustomize-*`, `http`, `compose-output`, and OpenTofu/Terraform steps.
- [Contributor Guide] (https://docs.kargo.io/contributor-guide/): Guidance for contributing code, documentation, and feedback to the Kargo open-source project.
- [Resources] (https://docs.kargo.io/resources): Curated list of talks, demos, blog posts, and external materials about Kargo.
- [Documentation FAQs] (https://docs.kargo.io/faqs): Technical FAQs complementing the marketing FAQ on kargo.io.
- [Roadmap](https://docs.kargo.io/roadmap): Public roadmap highlighting planned capabilities (extended IaC support, broader artifact source integrations, additional verification providers).
- [CRD Reference] (https://doc.crds.dev/github.com/akuity/kargo): Auto-generated CRD reference for `Project`, `Warehouse`, `Stage`, `Freight`, `Promotion`, `PromotionTask`, `AnalysisTemplate`, `ClusterConfig`, etc.


## Kargo Enterprise (Akuity Platform)


- [Kargo Enterprise / Akuity Platform] (https://akuity.io/akuity-platform): Commercial offering from Akuity that extends OSS Kargo with a managed control plane, custom promotion steps, multi-environment promotion, agent-based multi-cluster architecture, AI-assisted promotion (Promotion Advisor), enterprise integrations, and certifications including SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS v4.0, and HIPAA, with an EU region in AWS Frankfurt for GDPR/data residency.
- [Akuity Pricing] (https://akuity.io/pricing): Pricing details and tier comparison for the Akuity Platform and Kargo Enterprise.
- [Akuity Free Trial] (https://akuity.io/signup): Self-service sign-up to evaluate Kargo Enterprise on the Akuity Platform.
- [Book a Demo](https://akuity.io/demo): Request a personalized demo of Kargo Enterprise focused on enterprise GitOps promotion at scale.
- [Akuity Documentation] (https://docs.akuity.io/): Documentation specific to the Akuity Platform, including managed Argo CD and Kargo Enterprise configuration, agent installation, and enterprise-only features.


## Key Enterprise Capabilities (vs. OSS)


- [Kargo v1.9 Release Notes] (https://akuity.io/blog/kargo-v1-9-infra-aware-promotions-visibility-controls): Definitive January 2026 release post detailing v1.9—the most significant release since v1.0. Distinguishes Enterprise-only features (Terraform/OpenTofu support for infrastructure-aware promotions, embedded Argo CD UI inside Kargo, ServiceNow integration via promotion steps, threaded Slack notifications) from OSS+Enterprise enhancements (new RESTful API, shared project resources via shared Secret & shared ConfigMap, API tokens, live verification log streaming, generic webhook receiver, image metadata cache By Tag, alternative expression delimiters, and label-based Argo CD Application selection in argocd-update.
- [Kargo Custom Steps] (https://akuity.io/blog/kargo-custom-steps-gitops-promotion): Announcement of Kargo Custom Steps (Enterprise) — a container-based extensibility model letting platform teams register Custom Promotion Step & OCI images cluster-wide and reference them in promotion templates via uses: and `config:`. Enables supply-chain security (Sigstore, SBOMs), image vulnerability scanning (Trivy/DAST/SAST), policy checks (OPA/Kyverno), change management integrations, Ansible/Puppet runs, and CI tool triggers (Jenkins/CircleCI) as native, auditable promotion steps.
- [The Missing GitOps Promotion Layer] (https://akuity.io/blog/kargo-gitops-promotion-layer): Strategic overview positioning Kargo as the GitOps promotion layer alongside Argo CD; covers the Kargo community (3.5M+ downloads, 3,100+ stars, 160 contributors), production users (Deutsche Telekom, Cisco ThousandEyes, JumpCloud), Akuity Intelligence (Promotion Advisor, AI-assisted incident triage and risk scoring), enterprise certifications, and the role of Kargo in the AI-driven code era.
- [GitOps Is Incomplete Without Promotion] (https://akuity.io/blog/how-kargo-fixes-gitops-with-promotion): Deep-dive on environment promotion vs. deployment, why CI pipelines are the wrong tool for promotion, the three Git environment structures (branch-per-env, folder-per-env, repo-per-env) plus preview environments, the four promotion strategies Kargo supports (fully automated, policy-gated, manual self-service, emergency bypass), and how Kargo Enterprise adds Terraform/OpenTofu, Jira/ServiceNow, embedded Argo CD UI, the AI Promotion Advisor, and Custom Steps on top of OSS Kargo.


## Optional


- [Akuity Blog] (https://akuity.io/blog): Primary blog publishing Kargo and Argo CD announcements, release notes, technical deep-dives, customer stories, and strategic posts
- [Akuity Resources] (https://akuity.io/resources): Upcoming event, webinars (e.g., "Multi Environment Promotions Made Simple," "How to Simplify & Automate Promotions at Scale"), on-demand webinars, and the on-demand trainings.
- [Akuity Academy] (https://akuity.academy/): Free hands-on training including the Kargo Quick Start Guide course and Argo CD certification paths.
- [Akuity GitHub] (https://github.com/akuity): Akuity organization on GitHub hosting Kargo, terraform-provider-akp, kargo-render, and related tooling.
- [Trust Report / Security & Compliance] (https://akuity.io/security): Akuity Platform security posture, SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS v4.0, and HIPAA compliance documentation relevant to Kargo Enterprise deployments.