Best CI/CD Tools Shortlist
Here are the top 10 CI/CD tools I’d like to highlight out of the 20 I cover in this article:
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Software development teams are increasingly adopting the Agile methodology and DevOps culture to streamline development and testing processes. DevOps teams rely on CI/CD tools to ensure seamless workflow automation, reliability, and rapid delivery. The use of these popular approaches helps developers build high-quality products and increase delivery speed.
With the overwhelming number of CI/CD tools available in the market, developers find it difficult to choose the right tools. To make the selection process easy and help you make the right choice, I hand-selected listed the 10 best CI/CD tools. I’ll cover what each software does best, key features, and pricing information.
What are CI/CD Tools?
CI/CD tools are Development Operations (Dev Ops) software programs that enable teams to automate the development, deployment, and testing of a software product. These tools can help organizations build products faster and deliver them to customers consistently by blending the concepts of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD). In other words, CI/CD software integrates automation in the software development lifecycle.
Continuous Integration (CI) involves the process of incorporating new and updated code into a central repository - using automation tools. CI tools simplify the integration of code into a central repository and help teams to develop new features speedily and frequently.
Continuous Delivery, also known as Continuous Deployment, is the process of deploying new or updated code into production. The CD process decreases the time it takes to build, test, and release products. Continuous Delivery helps teams to frequently deploy small updates, like feature changes, bug fixes, and UI improvements.
Overviews Of The Best CI/CD Tools
Here’s a brief description of each CI/CD tool that showcases each tool’s best use case, their noteworthy features, and some pros & cons. I’ve also included screenshots to give you a look at the user interface.
Buddy
Best for providing outstanding Docker support
Buddy is a DevOps tool that enables teams to build high-quality apps faster with the help of automation, integrations, and other modern CI/CD capabilities.
Why I picked Buddy: Trusted by over 10,000 developers, Buddy uses automation to make DevOps easy for developers, QA experts, and designers. It provides a suite of outstanding features, including art caching, parallelism, and smart change detection.
Buddy gives developers speed, enabling them to build better applications faster. It’s easy to set up - complicated CI/CD workflows can be created in minutes. The tool offers everything teams need to build high-performing software in a shorter time.
Buddy Standout Features and Integrations
Features include unlimited delivery pipelines, high-end build environment, docker containers support, vCPU & RAM scaling, reusable environments, artifacts caching, and git repository caching.
Integrations include AWS, Bitbucket, Cloudflare, DigitalOcean, Firebase, GitHub, GitLab, Google Cloud, Heroku, Slack, and others.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Integrations
- Customizable containers
Cons
- It takes time to get used to some advanced features
- Customer service needs to be improved.
Azure Pipelines
Best CI/CD tool for cross-platform deployment
Azure Pipelines provides cloud-hosted pipelines for Linux, macOS, and Windows, enabling you to continuously build, test, and deploy to any platform and cloud.
Why I picked Azure Pipelines: This CI/CD tool provides powerful tools for building web, desktop, and mobile applications. Azure Pipelines lets you focus on other productive tasks by automating your builds and deployments. It offers advanced features, such as multi-phased builds, support for YAML, and test integration.
You can build, test, and deploy code in multiple programming languages, including Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Ruby, C/C++, and .NET. Azure Pipelines is highly extensible - allowing you to build the way you want with hundreds of extensions.
Azure Pipelines Standout Features and Integrations
Features include multiple platforms, test integration, containers & Kubernetes, extensibility, multiple programming languages, release gates, multi-phased builds, and reporting.
Integrations include Amazon Web Services, Codebeamer, Debricked, Docker, GitHub, Google Cloud Platform, Kubernetes, Microsoft Azure, Slack, Testiny, and others.
Pros
- You can get started for free
- Faster product delivery
- Built-in security and compliance
Cons
- Learning all the features takes time
- Some integrations are complex
LaunchDarkly
Best for Managing DevOps processes in real-time
LaunchDarkly provides fast and scalable DevOps tools that allow developers to automate workflows, release faster, and improve reliability.
Why I picked LaunchDarkly: It offers a monitoring feature that helps you keep tabs on your DevOps processes in real-time. LaunchDarkly feature flags reduce incidents and resolution times, enabling you to move faster with confidence. The tool increases reliability and helps you avoid incidents or downtime.
LaunchDarkly lets you execute canary tests and gradual rollouts in production. It provides tools to test in production properly before making the feature available to your customers. There are APM tools that disable buggy code automatically. This helps you to initiate a remediation process as soon as major issues are detected.
LaunchDarkly Standout Features and Integrations
Features include feature flags, automated workflows, testing in production, change monitoring, canary tests, feature troubleshooting, collaboration, and data analysis.
Integrations include Amazon Kinesis, Amplitude, AppDynamics, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket, Census, CircleCi, Cloudflare, CloudQuery, CloudTrail, and others.
Pros
- It’s feature-rich
- Complete visibility
- Reduces incidents or downtime
Cons
- Customer support doesn’t respond timely
- The UI is cluttered with so much information
Tekton
Best cloud-native solution for building CI/CD systems
Tekton, an open-source tool for building CI/CD systems, enables DevOps engineers to build, test, and deploy cloud and on-premise software.
Why I picked Tekton: It’s very flexible and compatible with other popular CI/CD tools, such as Jenkins, Jenkins X, Knative, and Skaffold. Tekton is a cloud-native CI/CD ecosystem that standardizes CI/CD capabilities (tooling and processes) across languages, vendors, and production environments.
Tekton is one of the DevOps open-source projects that allows you to build CI/CD systems quickly - following industry-standard best practices. The tool gives you the flexibility to customize the build, test, and deploy workflow to suit your team’s requirements. In addition, there are video tutorials to help new users learn how Tekton works before their first hands-on experience.
Tekton Standout Features and Integrations
Features include standardization, built-in best practices, flexibility, collaborative project, cloud-native solution, and open-source framework.
Integrations include Google Cloud Tekton, Jenkins, Jenkins X, Knative, Skaffold, Sysdig Monitor, Sysdig Secure, and others.
Pros
- Compatible with other popular CI/CD tools
- Comprehensive documentation
- Scalability
Cons
- Configuration requires a deep understanding of Kubernetes
- Steep learning curve
CircileCI
Best tool for debugging CI/CD pipelines with SSH
CircleCI is a top CI/CD platform that empowers engineering teams to streamline DevOps processes and automate builds across multiple environments.
Why I picked CircleCI: Used by over a million engineers, CircleCI stands out as one of the best CI/CD tools with industry-leading capabilities. It provides high-end automation that lets you accelerate delivery and get more done in less time. CircleCI has built-in security and compliance features like audit logs, OpenID Connect, and third-party secrets management.
The platform is highly extensible with integrations, enabling you to build the way you want with your favorite tools. With CircleCI Insights, you can easily track the status of projects and keep tabs on build processes. CircleCI has an SSH debugging feature, which helps you fix things better and faster.
CircleCI Standout Features and Integrations
Features include multiple execution environments, pre-built integrations, notifications, FedRAMP certification, audit logs, OpenID Connect, third-party secrets management, and support engineers.
Integrations include Anchore, Atlassian, AWS, Codecov, Docker, GitHub, GitLab, Pulumi, Slack, Terraform, and others.
Pros
- Flexibility
- Built-in security
- Great customer support
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Documentation needs to be improved
Travis CI
Best CI/CD solution for implementing multi-environment testing
Trusted by global brands, Travis CI is a leading DevOps platform that allows engineers to build faster, test codes in minutes, and deploy on different environments.
Why I picked Travis CI: With more than 700,000 active users, Travis CI is one of the best CI/CD tools. It lets you run and test simultaneously on multiple environments. With this tool, there is no need for guesswork when trying to fix bugs. It helps you find bugs by automatically highlighting them.
Travis CI is simple and powerful. You can easily set it up and begin testing software within minutes. It provides a management capability that enables you to avert build-bloat. Travis CI gives you control over your projects, supports over 30 programming languages, and uses one-command automation to help you save time.
Travis CI Standout Features and Integrations
Features include integrations, pull request support, live build requests, auto-deployment on passing builds, multi-platform testing, multi-language build matrix, Hashicorp Vault integration, and one-command automation.
Integrations include Airtable, Code Climate, Discord, Filter, GitHub, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, Zoom, and others.
Pros
- Faster code testing
- Fast onboarding
- Built-in security
Cons
- Limited customization
- It’s not cheap
Rocket
Best modern DevOps tool for IBM i+ applications
Rocket Software provides a modern DevOps solution that allows developers to implement an end-to-end CI/CD workflow using industry-standard DevOps capabilities and integrations.
Why I picked Rocket: With over 30 years of experience in the software industry, Rocket provides IBM i Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery solution that allows you to implement DevSecOps best practices. The platform has built-in automated workflows that help you avoid laborious manual workflows, increase development speed, and automate time-consuming, repetitive tasks.
Rocket has built-in project management functionality, which enables you to stay organized, collaborate with team members, and manage tasks strategically for maximum productivity. It enhances workflow visibility and streamlines compliance reporting with customizable templates, controls, and automation features.
Additionally, Rocket DevOps services allow you to customize your DevOps best practices to conform with your team’s requirements.
Rocket Standout Features and Integrations
Features include workflow visibility, precise testing, DevSecOps, multi-code development with IBM i, compliance & reporting, collaboration, change management, and built-in project management.
Integrations include Eclipse & Visual Studio, Git & Apache subversion, Jenkins, Jira, X-Analysis, and others.
Pros
- Flexibility
- Built-in security
- Customizability
Cons
- New users can get overwhelmed by the complex offerings
- Some features take time to learn
GitLab
Best for automating DevSecOps for CI/CD pipelines
From idea to production, GitLab provides the things developers need to build, test, and deploy secure & compliant applications.
Why I picked GitLab: Trusted by T-Mobile, Siemens, Goldman Sachs, and other global brands, GitLab helps developers automate everything throughout the development lifecycle - with minimal manual intervention. The platform offers in-context testing, which enables you to test everything, share results, review, and collaborate.
GitLab’s compliance pipelines and integrated security scanning help you create software that is secure and compliant. Application security testing is built into the automated workflow, enabling you to plug loopholes on the go. The tool allows you to execute guardrails to avert failed or non-performant deployments.
GitLab Standout Features and Integrations
Features include application and infrastructure automation, built-in templates, in-context testing, collaboration, ticketing, release versioning, change monitoring, and integrated security scanning.
Integrations include Asana, ClickUp, Discord, Filter by Zapier, Formatter by Zapier, Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, Todoist, Trello, and others.
Pros
- Advanced security testing features
- Minimal manual intervention
- Improved developer productivity
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- New users have a lot of information to consume
Bitrise
Best fully-hosted mobile DevOps tool
Bitrise, a mobile DevOps tool, enables you to build, test, and deploy fast, secure applications quickly with confidence.
Why I picked Bitrise: It provides everything you need to streamline your mobile app development processes. Bitrise helps you save time by automating your development workflows. It supports Android, iOS, and other mobile OSs. And provides platform-specific technologies that allow tailoring the development process according to your team’s requirements.
There is no guesswork with Bitrise. Optimize your build and enjoy granular visibility into your projects with Insights. Bitrise Insights provides data for tracking the status or performance of your projects. The platform has other outstanding capabilities, including simplified code signing, remote access debugging, and build caching.
Bitrise Standout Features and Integrations
Features include automated workflows, test caching, dependency caching, release management, build caching, in-built security, and Bitrise Insights.
Integrations include Applivery, Appsurify, Autify, Codecov, Genymotion, GitHub, Localazy, PagerDuty, Slack, and others.
Pros
- Faster delivery
- Easy debugging
- Scalable infrastructure
Cons
- Users complain of occasional build errors
- It needs more automation features
CodeShip
Best CI/CD as a Service
CodeShip is a flexible CI/CD as a Service tool that empowers software teams to build fast, secure products by implementing and optimizing CI & CD in the cloud.
Why I picked CodeShip: This tool guarantees speed and reliability with predictable, repeatable automated deployments. CodeShip offers complete visibility, self-service automation, secure pipeline components, and customizable workflow templates.
CodeShip gives you control over your projects. It provides the flexibility you need to build according to your team’s needs. You can customize your environment and workflow according to your preferences. It has a turnkey environment and simple user interface, which allows you to get started within minutes.
CodeShip provides a range of industry-standard capabilities, including analytics, compliance, feature management, and plugins.
CodeShip Standout Features and Integrations
Features include customizability, security scanning, on-premise SCMs, dedicated single-tenant AWS instances, feature management, compliance, and simple UI.
Integrations include CodeKeep, Mend, Rainforest QA, Rambox, Shift, SOOS, Testigma, Testim, Veracode, Zulip, and others.
Pros
- Fast and flexible
- Great user interface
- Friendly and flexible pricing
Cons
- Limited customization
- Its community size is not large
The Best CI/CD Tools Summary
| Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Buddy Best for providing outstanding Docker support | Free Trial | $75/month | Visit Website |
| 2 |  Azure Pipelines Best CI/CD tool for cross-platform deployment | 30-day free trial | Starts from $15 per parallel job. | Visit Website |
| 3 |  LaunchDarkly Best for Managing DevOps processes in real-time | 14-day free trial | From $10/user/month | Visit Website |
| 4 |  Tekton Best cloud-native solution for building CI/CD systems | Not available | You can get started for free. | Visit Website |
| 5 |  CircileCI Best tool for debugging CI/CD pipelines with SSH | Freemium plan is available. | Starts from $15 per month. | Visit Website |
| 6 |  Travis CI Best CI/CD solution for implementing multi-environment testing | Free trial available | From $64/month | Visit Website |
| 7 |  Rocket Best modern DevOps tool for IBM i+ applications | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
| 8 |  GitLab Best for automating DevSecOps for CI/CD pipelines | Free for individual users | From $19/user/month | Visit Website |
| 9 |  Bitrise Best fully-hosted mobile DevOps tool | Bitrise offers a free trial. | Starts from $31.50 per month. | Visit Website |
| 10 |  CodeShip Best CI/CD as a Service | Free trial available. | Starts from $49 per month. | Visit Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make the best ci/cd tools list:
- Harness
Best AI-powered DevOps platform
- Jenkins
Best open-source CI/CD platform with 100s of DevOps plugins
- Semaphore
Best CI/CD tool for high-performance engineering teams.
- Concourse
Best CI/CD tool for visualizing pipelines and creating reproducible, debuggable builds.
- GoCD
Best CI/CD tool for cloud-native deployments, end-to-end visualizations, and complex workflow modeling.
- Wercker
Best CI/CD tool for Docker-based CI/CD developer automation.
- Argo CD
Best CI/CD tool for advanced application delivery for Kubernetes.
- Bamboo by Atlassion
Best CI/CD tool for workflow automation and built-in disaster recovery capability.
- JFrog
Best CI/CD tool for real-time visibility and enforcing secure access control with centralized secret management.
- TeamCity
Best CI/CD tool for DevOps-centric teams
My Selection Criteria for CI/CD Tools
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best ci/cd tools for this list. To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of ci/cd tools with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of software development experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
Selection Criteria
Wondering how I selected the best CI/CD tools for managing your development pipeline? Here’s a summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best ci/cd tools for this article.
Key Features
Here are some key features I look for in any CI/CD Tool:
- Automation: CI/CD tools automate the development, deployment, and testing processes, reducing manual intervention and increasing efficiency.
- Continuous Integration (CI): CI tools simplify the process of integrating new and updated code into a central repository, allowing teams to develop and deliver new features quickly and frequently.
- Continuous Delivery (CD): CD tools enable the deployment of new or updated code into production, reducing the time it takes to build, test, and release products. It facilitates frequent and incremental deployments.
- Scalability: CI/CD tools should be capable of scaling to accommodate projects of varying sizes and complexities. They should handle increasing workloads and be able to support large teams and multiple projects simultaneously.
- Extensibility: The ability to extend the functionality of the CI/CD tool through plugins and integrations enhances its capabilities and allows customization based on specific project requirements.
These key features contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of CI/CD tools in enabling seamless workflow automation, reliability, and fast delivery in the software development and DevOps processes.
Security
Security is a major factor I considered when compiling my list. All the tools on this list have built-in security capabilities for securing your data, access keys, AWS or Azure credentials, codebase, and more. Each tool offers a range of protections to ensure users’ data and development resources remain super secure.
Usability
Usability is a measure of the ease of using a tool. Some CI/Cd tools are great but they have poor UIs, which make them notoriously hard to learn and use. To enable your team to get started without delays, I selected platforms with outstanding user interfaces - they are intuitive and easy to learn.
Your team members may have issues in the course of development. Having access to large community support makes fixing problems a lot easier. As a result, I considered tools with vibrant, large community support. With an active user base, you don’t have to figure out issues all by yourself. There are developers to help you solve any problems you may hit.
Customizability
Software development processes can be customized. Customizability enables you to build according to your team’s needs or preferences with the help of integrations. I picked highly extensible tools that allow you to extend functionalities using third-party tools. With customizable DevOps software, you can tweak features to meet your team’s evolving needs.
Software Integrations
Moving from one tool to another when developing a product is time-consuming and can lead to developer fatigue. Having access to your third-party tools from the CI/CD software helps to increase developer velocity and enables your team members to collaborate seamlessly.
Pricing
I considered affordability, flexibility, and transparency. All the tools on this list offer flexible, friendly pricing. Carefully evaluate each software to find the one that suits your needs and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some questions that are frequently asked about CI/CD tools.
What is CI/CD?
What are the benefits of using CI/CD tools?
What Problem Does CI/CD Solve?
Deliver Impeccable Apps and Push New Features Quickly With the Best CI/CD Tools
The software market is saturated and fiercely competitive. Any company that wants its products to stand out must invest in modern software development tools, like CI/CD systems. CI/CD tools help you keep up with customers' evolving demands by continuously delivering powerful apps and new features quickly and reliably without negatively impacting user experience.
Stay ahead of your competitors and build solutions faster with one of the tools listed above. CI/CD tools provide the capabilities you need to respond to the market with industry-standard solutions speedily and cost-effectively. If you are looking to learn more about CI/CD tools, check out these two articles: CI/CD Pipeline Overview and 10 Best Continuous Integration Tools.
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