# BackstopJS vs Argos

> Choose Argos if you want baselines from your Git history, a review on the pull request and stable captures from the tests you already have. Choose BackstopJS if everything must stay on your machines and you are fine maintaining it yourself; its last release dates from September 2024.

Canonical: https://argos-ci.com/compare/backstopjs

Migration guide: https://argos-ci.com/docs/learn/how-to-guides/migrate-to-argos/from-backstopjs

## Verdict

Choose Argos if:

- You want baselines picked from your Git history instead of committed images.
- You want a team review on the pull request, with approvals and a GitHub check.
- You want your Playwright or Cypress tests to take the screenshots, instead of separate scenario files.
- You want a tool that ships updates: the last BackstopJS release is from September 2024.

Choose BackstopJS if:

- Nothing may leave your machines, so a hosted service is not an option.
- Your suite is a list of URLs and selectors, and `backstop.json` covers it.
- You don't need a team review workflow.

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Argos | BackstopJS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **[Snapshot testing for any file](https://argos-ci.com/diff)** — Diff Markdown, JSON, HTML and more, not just images | Yes | No |
| **[Deployments & PR previews](https://argos-ci.com/deploy)** — Host Storybook or any static build on a live URL | Yes | No |
| **[Collaborative reviews](https://argos-ci.com/review)** — Pinned comments, threads, reactions, real-time presence | Yes | No |
| **[Agent-ready CLI & API](https://argos-ci.com/ai-agents)** — Agents inspect and review builds from the CLI and REST API | Yes | No |
| **[Cloud baselines](https://argos-ci.com/docs/learn/platform-fundamentals/baseline-build)** — Selected from Git history, not a local folder | Yes | No |
| **[Pull request review & approval](https://argos-ci.com/docs/learn/review-workflow/review-a-build)** — Shared review, not backstop approve on one machine | Yes | No |
| **Managed infrastructure** — Storage, comparison and parallel builds handled | Yes | No |
| **[Playwright debugging](https://argos-ci.com/stabilize#debug)** — Playwright trace viewer and failure screenshots | Yes | No |
| **[Playwright test retries](https://argos-ci.com/changelog/2024-04-29-retried-failures)** — Separate test retries to have a clear overview | Yes | No |
| **[GitHub SSO](https://argos-ci.com/changelog/2024-02-28-github-sso)** — Synchronize your GitHub users with Argos | Yes | No |
| **[Spend Management](https://argos-ci.com/docs/learn/billing-and-subscription/spend-management)** — Control your spendings by setting a budget limit | Yes | No |
| **[Open Source](https://github.com/argos-ci)** — SDK and platform code available | Yes | Yes |
| **[GitHub integration without code access](https://argos-ci.com/docs/learn/integrations/github-integration)** — Offer a mode without content permission required | Yes | No |
| **[Sensitivity threshold per screenshot](https://argos-ci.com/changelog/2024-07-09-sensitivity-threshold)** — Set a threshold by screenshot to reduce flakiness | Yes | Global only |
| **[GitHub Actions partial re-runs](https://argos-ci.com/changelog/2024-06-17-partial-re-runs-github-actions)** — Save time and resources with partial re-runs | Yes | No |
| **[Monitoring mode](https://argos-ci.com/changelog/2024-05-28-monitoring-mode)** — Run periodic checks on your website | Yes | No |

Sources for BackstopJS: [BackstopJS on GitHub](https://github.com/garris/BackstopJS), [BackstopJS releases on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/backstopjs?activeTab=versions) (checked 2026-10-04).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between BackstopJS and Argos?

BackstopJS is a self-hosted tool: you describe scenarios in backstop.json, capture baselines to a local folder, and diff them on your machine or CI. Argos keeps the same idea but selects baselines from your Git history in the cloud, runs the comparison consistently across machines, and turns every change into a reviewable pull request check.

### Do I have to rewrite my backstop.json scenarios?

You translate them into a small Playwright test: scenario URLs and selectors become argosScreenshot() calls, and viewports become responsive viewports. The migration guide maps every BackstopJS concept to its Argos equivalent.

### Where do baselines and approvals live?

In the cloud. BackstopJS stores baselines in a local bitmaps_reference/ folder and approves with backstop approve on one machine. Argos stores baselines from your Git history and lets your whole team review and approve changes on the pull request, with full history.

### Is Argos also open source?

Yes, under the MIT license. The difference is what you maintain: your tests still take the screenshots in CI, and Argos handles storage, comparison, parallel builds and the pull request integration.

### Is BackstopJS still maintained?

Its last release, 6.3.25, came out in September 2024. It still works for what it does, but if your stack moves to newer Playwright or Node versions, you are the one keeping it running.

Ready to switch to Argos? Get started for free, no credit card required: https://app.argos-ci.com/signup