# Argo CD vs openpencil

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Argo CD | openpencil |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 28 in CI/CD | #2 of 7 in Design |
| GitHub stars | 24 501 ✓ | 9 424 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +265 | +823 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 30 ✓ | 14 |
| Latest release | v3.3.18 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Argo CD scores 81/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.

Argo CD ships more often: 30 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for openpencil.

If you want the quickest setup, openpencil is easier to run; Argo CD needs more configuration.

openpencil is growing faster right now (+823 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Argo CD](https://selfhost.directory/project/argo-cd) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/argo-cd.md)
- [openpencil](https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/argo-cd-vs-openpencil