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Azure DevOps vs GitLab CE
Short answer: Pick Azure DevOps if you want integrated CI/CD and agile planning platform; pick GitLab CE if you want self-hosted Git hosting & CI/CD. Both have a free plan.
Azure DevOpsRepos, pipelines and boards from Microsoft
GitLab CEFree community edition of GitLab: Git hosting, CI/CD and issuesWhich to pick
Pick Azure DevOps if you want…
- Integrated CI/CD and agile planning platform
- Integrations with GitHub, Azure Pipelines or Azure Boards (on Azure DevOps' list, not GitLab CE's)
Pick GitLab CE if you want…
- Self-hosted Git hosting & CI/CD
- Self-hosted DevOps platform
- Open-source code (gitlabhq/gitlabhq on GitHub)
- Integrations with Linux, Docker or Kubernetes (on GitLab CE's list, not Azure DevOps')
Side by side
- What it is
- Azure DevOps:Azure DevOps provides integrated agile planning, CI/CD, repos, testing and security tools for the full software lifecycle.
- GitLab CE:GitLab CE is a free self-hosted platform for Git repository hosting, CI/CD pipelines, and issue tracking.
- Best for
- Azure DevOps:Integrated CI/CD and agile planning platform
- GitLab CE:Self-hosted Git hosting & CI/CD
- Who it’s for
- Azure DevOps:Software teams needing end-to-end DevOps on Azure.
- GitLab CE:Teams that need a self-managed DevSecOps solution with full control over data and infrastructure.
- Pricing
- Azure DevOps:Freemium
- GitLab CE:Freemium
- Free plan or trial
- Azure DevOps:Free plan (Free tier) · Free trial
- GitLab CE:Free plan (Free)
- Plans
- Azure DevOps:Free tier $0
- GitLab CE:Free $0 per user/month · Premium $29 per user/month, billed annuall
- Open source
- Azure DevOps:—
- GitLab CE:Yes, 24,556 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Azure DevOps:GitHub, Azure Pipelines, Azure Boards, Azure Repos, Azure Artifacts
- GitLab CE:Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Helm Chart, GitLab Operator, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform
Azure DevOps features
- Agile planning. Kanban boards, work tracking and collaboration tools for agile teams.
- CI/CD pipelines. Build, test and deploy code for any language or platform with parallel agents.
- Azure Repos. Unlimited private Git repositories with pull-request workflows.
- Azure Test Plans. Manual and exploratory testing tools to improve code quality.
- Managed DevOps Pools. Customizable Azure DevOps agent pools for cost-effective scaling.
GitLab CE features
- Git repository hosting. Provides Git version control with web UI, merge requests and access controls.
- Built-in CI/CD. Runs automated pipelines directly in the platform without external tools.
- Issue & project management. Tracks work items, milestones, epics and integrates agile planning features.
- Security scanning. Offers SAST, DAST, container scanning and secret detection across all tiers.
- AI code assistance. GitLab Duo Agent Platform delivers AI code suggestions and chat in the IDE.
- Flexible deployment options. Install via Docker, Helm, Linux packages, Kubernetes operator or reference architectures.
Azure DevOps vs GitLab CE FAQ
What is the difference between Azure DevOps and GitLab CE?+
Self-hosted GitLab CE includes CI/CD and issue tracking but requires own infrastructure.
Should I use Azure DevOps or GitLab CE?+
Pick Azure DevOps if you want integrated CI/CD and agile planning platform or integrations with GitHub, Azure Pipelines or Azure Boards (on Azure DevOps' list, not GitLab CE's). Pick GitLab CE if you want self-hosted Git hosting & CI/CD, self-hosted DevOps platform or open-source code (gitlabhq/gitlabhq on GitHub).
Is Azure DevOps or GitLab CE free?+
Azure DevOps has a free plan (Free tier) and paid plans. GitLab CE has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Azure DevOps or GitLab CE open source?+
GitLab CE is open source (gitlabhq/gitlabhq on GitHub). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Azure DevOps.
Do Azure DevOps and GitLab CE integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Azure DevOps lists GitHub, Azure Pipelines, Azure Boards, Azure Repos and 1 more; GitLab CE lists Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Helm Chart and 4 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.