> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.beacon.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# System Architecture

> Compare the open-source Agent Beacon architecture with the managed Beacon platform architecture

Beacon supports two architecture paths: the open-source [Agent Beacon](/concepts/core-concepts#agent-beacon) architecture, which collects local, browser, in-code, [CI](/concepts/core-concepts#ci-telemetry), and [cloud telemetry](/concepts/core-concepts#cloud-agent-telemetry) on customer-controlled infrastructure, and the [Beacon Managed](/concepts/core-concepts#beacon-managed) architecture for centralized visibility, governance, detections, and investigations.

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Open Source Architecture" icon="diagram-project" href="/architecture/architecture">
    See how Agent Beacon collects, normalizes, stores, correlates, and detects agent telemetry across every supported surface.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Beacon Managed" icon="cloud" href="/deployment/managed">
    Review managed ingest, governance, investigations, and rollout support.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Choose an architecture

| Architecture             | Use when                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Open Source Architecture | You want [open-source telemetry](/concepts/core-concepts#beacon) for supported local, CI, and cloud agent surfaces, with customer-controlled records and forwarding.                                             |
| Managed Architecture     | You want [managed ingest](/concepts/core-concepts#beacon-managed), retention, search, detections, fleet visibility, identity mapping, approval visibility, SSO, RBAC, audit trails, and investigation workflows. |

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Hosting Options" icon="cloud" href="/deployment/hosting-options">
    Choose between Open Source, Managed, and Private Deployment paths.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Core Concepts" icon="book-open" href="/concepts/core-concepts">
    Review the concepts used across Beacon and Agent Beacon docs.
  </Card>
</Columns>