Live interactive graph
Cytoscape maps with pan, zoom, filters, multi-system switching, and service detail pages.
Onboard engineers in hours, not weeks of tribal knowledge.
Learn more →
Navo
Your architecture, alive.
YAML in Git becomes a living map and wiki. MCP for agents. No platform team.
- Unlimited viewers free
- Git YAML as source of truth
- Static SPA, private-network ready
- MCP for AI agents
How Navo works
1
Describe
Write your architecture in YAML and keep it in Git.
architecture.yaml
services:
- id: api-gateway
name: API Gateway
type: service
group: edge
links:
- auth-service
- user-service2
Compile
Navo validates your config and creates a living architecture map.
3
Explore
Explore the map, read docs, and understand how it all connects.
API Gateway
edge · service
OverviewLinksReposDocs
Central edge entrypoint routing auth and user traffic into the platform mesh.
Owner
Platform
Runtime
AKS
Repos
gateway-api
Wiki
ado.md
Capabilities
More than a diagram tool
Visualization, Git integration, AI imports, and agent-ready MCP - the living architecture platform for teams tired of stale slides and heavy IDPs.
Explore the Architecture Browser
Interactive graph, service detail, in-app wiki, multi-system maps, and Git export - one YAML source of truth.
Architecture Graph
Platform Architecturelive
Pan, zoom, filter, and explore your entire system.
Service Detail
API Gateway
edge · service
OverviewLinksReposDocs
Central edge entrypoint routing auth and user traffic into the platform mesh.
Owner
Platform
Runtime
AKS
Repos
gateway-api
Wiki
ado.md
Click any node to see summaries, links, repositories, and 5W narratives.
In-App Wiki
Deploy runbook
1. Validate config
Run schema checks in CI before merge.
2. Compile map
Generate architecture.json from YAML.
3. Redeploy SPA
Ship the static build to nginx.
Read runbooks and docs in context without leaving the app.
Share & Contribute
Export changes
3 ready- + link: ado → delinea
- ~ note: terraform runners
- + wiki: openshift.md
Annotate locally and export changes for a pull request.
Multi-System Maps
Select system
Platform Architecture
- Platform Architecture
- Production Services
- Product Stack
- Sandbox
Switch between architectures and keep everything in Git.
Use cases
Built for platform teams, architects, and AI-era workflows
Whether you are escaping stale diagrams, avoiding Backstage fatigue, or feeding agents real topology - Navo keeps architecture living next to code.
Platform teams
Platform team at scale
Give every squad a shared living map of the platform without standing up Backstage or hiring a portal team. Git stays the source of truth; stakeholders browse for free.
- Onboard new engineers against a current map, not stale slides
- Review architecture changes in pull requests
- Share one URL for unlimited viewers behind VPN
Architects
Migration from Lucidchart / Confluence
Stop redrawing boxes every quarter. Import diagrams and generate YAML with AI, then keep the map alive next to the code that implements it.
- Brownfield systems become YAML maps faster
- Diagrams stop drifting from production reality
- Docs live in the in-app wiki beside each service
AI / platform leads
AI agents querying architecture
Expose the same Git-provenanced map through Navo’s MCP server so agents answer with trustworthy system context - not hallucinated topology.
- MCP serves services, edges, and relationships to agents
- Provenance stays in Git YAML
- Pair with CLI AST/bulk imports for continuous updates
Compare
Navo vs Backstage, IcePanel, and Lucidchart
Navo is the simplest Git-native architecture browser for teams that want a living map next to code - not a full internal developer portal and not another slide deck.
| Capability | Navo | Backstage | IcePanel | Lucidchart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git-native source of truth | YAML in Git | Catalog + plugins | Cloud workspace | Cloud diagrams |
| Interactive living map | Partial (plugins) | Static / limited | ||
| In-app wiki next to the map | TechDocs | |||
| AI YAML / diagram imports | Varies | Limited | Import only | |
| MCP server for AI agents | Emerging | |||
| CLI (bulk + AST → YAML) | Scaffolders | |||
| Unlimited free viewers | Self-host ops cost | Per-seat | Per-seat | |
| Deploy model | Static SPA / Docker | Heavy IDP stack | SaaS | SaaS |
| Time to value | Minutes | Months | Days | Hours |
| Requires platform team |
Want the deep dive? Navo vs Backstage
Built for teams who need the full picture
Architecture lives in slides and dies in Confluence.
Only two people know how the platform fits together.
Diagrams drift from the real system.
fremen-platform-ref · v1.0.021 services
Navo keeps your architecture living next to the code.
Git is the source of truth.
Validate in CI, deploy anywhere.
Static SPA - simple and secure.
Optional Elasticsearch for search.
Annotations stay local until you export for a PR.
A workflow that fits how developers work
Edit YAML in Git
Define services, groups, links, and docs.
Validate in CI
Catch issues early with schema checks.
Deploy Anywhere
Docker, Kubernetes, or static hosting.
Explore & Evolve
Understand systems, annotate, and contribute.
Built around Git, not around a platform team
Navo keeps architecture canonical in your repository. Search indexes and browser annotations are helpers - never a second source of truth.
Git remains canonical
Your architecture map lives in the repository. Navo reads compiled config - it never becomes a second source of truth.
Changes ship through pull requests
Annotate locally, export merged YAML, and open a PR. Reviewers validate schema in CI before merge.
Deploy as a static SPA
Ship with Docker and nginx, Kubernetes, or any static host. Private DNS and VPN-friendly for internal maps.
Unlimited viewers
Anyone with access can browse maps. Editors are the people who change architecture YAML - not every visitor.
Start free. Scale when your team needs more.
Unlimited viewers on every plan. Pay only for editors who change the map.
Community
Everything you need to map architecture in Git.
$0
- Full interactive graph
- Git YAML
- Wiki reader
- Docker deployment
- MCP server
- AI YAML generator
- Unlimited viewers
- Email support
Team
Collaboration and health checks for growing teams.
$15
per editor / month
- Everything in Community
- Shared overlays
- Annotation history
- SSO
- AI architecture health checks
- Optional Elasticsearch read path
- Priority support
- Unlimited viewers
Enterprise
Self-hosted controls for regulated environments.
Custom
- Self-hosted server
- RBAC
- Audit logs
- CI/CD auto-compile
- Custom branding
- SLA
- Enterprise support
- Unlimited viewers
Looking for the full comparison? See pricing details
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about Git-native architecture browsing, Backstage alternatives, MCP, and pricing for viewers.
What is a Git-native architecture browser?
A Git-native architecture browser treats architecture definitions stored in Git (usually YAML) as the system of record, then renders them as an interactive map teams can explore. Navo compiles YAML into a living Cytoscape graph with service details and an in-app wiki - without a separate SaaS diagram store.
How does Navo compare to Backstage?
Backstage is a full internal developer portal (catalog, scaffolder, plugins) that often needs a dedicated platform team. Navo is a focused Architecture Browser: YAML in Git → interactive map + wiki, with MCP for agents. Teams that just want the map use Navo in minutes instead of months of portal ops.
Does Navo support diagram imports and AST parsing?
Yes. Navo includes an AI YAML generator, diagram import paths, and CLI tooling for bulk imports and AST → YAML workflows so brownfield systems can become living maps without redrawing everything by hand.
What is Navo’s MCP server for?
Navo’s MCP server exposes the same Git-provenanced architecture map to AI agents and tools. Agents get trustworthy system context while YAML in Git remains the source of truth.
Is Navo free for viewers?
Yes. Unlimited viewers can browse architecture maps on every plan. Community is $0 and includes the interactive graph, Git YAML workflow, wiki, MCP server, and AI YAML generator. Team meters editors only.
Does Navo require Elasticsearch or a cloud dependency?
No. Git YAML remains canonical. Elasticsearch is an optional secondary index. Deploy Navo as a static SPA with Docker/nginx or any static host - including private networks behind VPN or private DNS.
Get involved
Unlimited viewers. Clear path from demo to Team.
Start with a live demo, read the docs, or talk to Fremen Labs about trials and enterprise deployments.
Keep architecture living next to code
Reduce architecture drift and meetings. Unlimited viewers free. Community includes MCP, AI YAML, and Git as source of truth.