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For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

Overview

Learn how Argos works and where to start.

Argos is a visual testing platform that catches visual regressions before they reach production. Your tests capture screenshots, Argos compares them against a baseline, and you review the changes on your pull requests.

It works with the tools you already use — Playwright, Storybook, Cypress, Vitest, or any pipeline that produces screenshots.

How it works

Diagram of the Argos workflow, from capturing screenshots in CI to approving changes on the pull request

  1. Your tests capture screenshots in CI.

  2. Your CI uploads the screenshots to Argos.

  3. Argos compares them against the baseline build.

  4. You review visual diffs on the pull request.

  5. You approve expected changes or reject regressions.

  6. Argos updates the pull request check, so you can merge with confidence.

When to use Argos

Use Argos when visual changes affect product quality or release confidence:

  • UI regressions: Catch broken layouts, CSS changes, and missing images, icons, or fonts.

  • Design systems: Track component changes across themes, browsers, and viewports.

  • Product variants: Validate white-labeled interfaces, translations, and localized layouts.

  • AI-generated UI: Visually validate generated changes before merging them.

Open source and self-hosting

Argos is open source: the whole platform — backend, frontend, and the screenshot comparison engine — is developed in the open in the MIT-licensed argos-ci/argos repository. There is no closed-source component behind the diff service.

Argos is operated as a managed cloud service, and that is the supported way to run it. Self-hosting is not officially supported or documented: the production setup targets AWS and depends on PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, Redis, S3, and DynamoDB, plus integrations such as the GitHub App and Stripe — you would be on your own to deploy and operate them. If your organization has strict hosting or compliance requirements, contact us about the Enterprise plan.

Get started

Ready to add Argos to your project? Pick your framework in the Quickstart — you'll upload your first build and see it on a pull request in a few minutes.

Explore more

Once Argos is set up, go deeper:

  • Core concepts – How Argos compares screenshots and picks a baseline

  • Review workflow – Review builds in the dashboard and on your pull requests

  • Stabilize screenshots – Keep your visual tests free of flakiness

  • Integrations – Connect GitHub, GitLab, and Slack

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