25 Best DevOps Automation Tools in 2024

DevOps automation tools automate and streamline the DevOps lifecycle, helping teams collaborate, deliver better work faster, and facilitate incident responses.

DevOps advantages are apparent, and the global DevOps automation market is growing faster. The market, valued at $8.63 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $42.98 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 25.8%.

The demand for effective DevOps tools is higher than ever, and finding the right tool in an overcrowded market is challenging.

This guide addresses this challenge by exploring the best automated DevOps tools in 2024, their features, and how they can help streamline your processes.

What is a DevOps Automation Tool?

DevOps automation tools are software applications that automate the DevOps lifecycle.

Such automation reduces repetitive work and ensures collaboration between the development and operations teams, enabling efficient software development.

By integrating these tools, an organization can achieve a cohesive workflow that minimizes manual intervention in value-added activities.

DevOps automation tools allow teams to experience accelerated development cycles, improved operational efficiency, and more reliable software delivery. This will eventually enable continuous and permanent improvement and innovation within the organizations, thus allowing them to respond rapidly to market requirements and improve efficiency.

Why use DevOps Automation Tools?

DevOps automation tools automate all important activities in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to improve efficiency and reduce errors.

Here are some of the main advantages of DevOps automation tools:

• Workflow Simplification: Automating SDLC’s core processes—Build, Test, Deploy, and Release—makes it easy.
• Better Collaboration: Breaks the silos between development and operations teams. This aids in better communication and collaboration towards delivering improved project outcomes.
• Faster, Error-Free Delivery: Removes repetitive, error-laden tasks that may be present in a delivery process.
• Accelerated Development Cycles: Increases development speed and helps teams deliver software quickly.
• Operational Efficiency Improvements: Streamlines operations, thus helping teams focus more on vital tasks than time-consuming manual processes.
• Continuous Delivery: Aids frequent updates to the software so that it is constantly improved and updated.
• Frequent Deployments: Allows the deployment of updates or new features more frequently to respond rapidly to market demands.
• Efficient Use of Resources: Optimizes human resources by automating routine tasks so that teams focus on strategic initiatives.
• Increased Innovation: This allows teams to innovate and improve productivity, thus helping the organisation avoid losing market competition.
• Seamlessly Integrate with Testing Platforms: Seamlessly integrating with testing platforms like BrowserStack allows for continuous testing throughout the entire SDLC.

Integrate BrowserStack with CICD Tools

25 Best DevOps Automation Tools in 2024

Here are the 25 best DevOps automation tools ruling the market in 2024:

1. Circle CI

CircleCI is a scalable cloud-based CI/CD tool that offers comprehensive integration options. It automates build, test, and deployment processes, helping teams accelerate development cycles.

Key Features

• Supports Docker, Linux, macOS, and Windows environments
• Integration with GitHub and Bitbucket
• Parallel task execution and custom workflows
• Built-in caching for faster builds

Verdict: The extensive integrations and customizable workflows of CircleCI make it a great choice for fast-moving teams. However, the learning curve and limitations of the free tier can be a challenge.

Useful Circle CI Resources:

• How to perform Test Automation with CircleCI
• How to run parallel tests with CircleCI
• CircleCI vs Travis CI
• CircleCI vs Jenkins
• CircleCI vs GitLab

2. Bamboo

Bamboo is an Atlassian CI/CD server that seamlessly integrates with Jira and Bitbucket, making it a great fit for teams already using Atlassian tools.

Key Features

• Automated builds, testing, and releases
• Deployment tracking with build plans
• Supports Docker, AWS, and hybrid cloud
• Wide range of plugins and integrations with Atlassian tools

Verdict: Bamboo is a good choice for teams already using Atlassian tools like Jira and Bitbucket, as it provides seamless integration and customizability. But, its cost and self-hosting requirements can act as barriers for smaller teams.

Useful Circle CI Resources:

• TeamCity vs Jenkins vs Bamboo
• Jenkins vs Bamboo

3. Jenkins

Jenkins is a highly customizable open-source CI/CD server widely adopted for its flexibility and extensive plugin ecosystem.

Key Features

• Over 1,800 plugins for extended functionality
• Supports distributed builds across multiple environments
• Pipeline as code with Groovy DSL

Verdict: The large plugin ecosystem of Jenkins allows endless configuration options. Additionally, the integration with testing platforms like BrowserStack simplifies the entire development lifecycle for users.

Try BrowserStack for Free

4. Travis CI

Travis CI is a cloud-based CI/CD tool known for its simple setup, especially for GitHub projects, providing quick automation of builds and deployments.

Key Features

• Simple YAML-based configuration
• GitHub integration for seamless automation
• Automated deployment to multiple platforms
• Supports various languages and environments

Travis CI is easy to set up and perfect for small teams or open-source projects, especially those hosted on GitHub. Its simplicity and cloud-based service make it a good fit for quick setups, but its limited free tier and pricing can deter larger teams needing more parallelism and resources.

5. Team City

TeamCity, a CI/CD tool by JetBrains, provides powerful features for managing complex build pipelines and offers detailed reporting, making it a popular choice for large projects.

Key Features

• Parallel builds and support for multiple build agents
• Detailed build reporting and history tracking
• Integration with JetBrains tools and popular VCS systems
• Advanced build configurations and dependencies

Verdict: TeamCity has a robust plugin ecosystem and scalability, which makes it suitable for larger teams, but its complexity and cost might overwhelm smaller teams.

6. GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions is GitHub’s native CI/CD service, offering automation workflows directly from GitHub repositories for building, testing, and deploying code.

Key Features

• Native integration with GitHub repositories
• Pre-configured workflows for various tasks
• Supports multiple platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows
• Marketplace with reusable workflows and actions

Verdict: GitHub Actions has native integration and a free tier. It is therefore ideal for GitHub users. Having said that, its complexity increases with advanced workflows. So, it suits teams focused on GitHub repositories and workflows.

7. GitLab

GitLab CI/CD is a built-in feature of GitLab, providing a comprehensive pipeline solution integrated into GitLab projects, ideal for automating the entire DevOps lifecycle.

Key Features

• Full DevOps lifecycle management
• Auto DevOps for automated pipelines
• Docker and Kubernetes support for deployment
• Integration with GitLab repositories and other platforms

Verdict: GitLab CI/CD is a tool that is best suited for teams already using GitLab. It offers an all-in-one DevOps solution with extensive features. While it is efficient for integrated projects, its complexity and cost might not suit smaller teams.

8. BitBucket

BitBucket Pipelines is a cloud-based CI/CD tool built into BitBucket. It allows teams to automate builds, tests, and deployments directly from their BitBucket repositories.

Key Features

• Native integration with BitBucket repositories
• YAML-based configuration for easy setup
• Supports multiple platforms and programming languages
• Docker integration for containerized builds

Verdict: BitBucket Pipelines is suitable for small teams, but its feature set may not be sufficient for larger, more complex workflows. It is best suited for teams focused on BitBucket and smaller-scale projects.

9. Azure Pipelines

Azure Pipelines is a cloud-based CI/CD service that supports multi-platform builds, deployments, and testing with integrations for GitHub, Azure, and other platforms.

Key Features

• Supports Windows, Linux, and macOS
• Native integration with Azure DevOps and GitHub
• Unlimited parallel jobs for open-source projects
• Docker and Kubernetes support for containerized applications

Verdict: Azure Pipelines is suitable for large teams and enterprises as it offers extensive support for multiple platforms and integrations. However, small teams might find its complexity and pricing structure a bit difficult to work on.

10. GoCD

GoCD is an open-source CI/CD tool that helps teams easily automate complex pipelines. It helps automate the whole build-test-release process right from code check-in to deployment.

Key Features

• Advanced pipeline visualization and tracking
• Supports Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud services
• Extensive plugin ecosystem
• Value stream mapping for better insights

Verdict: GoCD, offers advanced pipeline management and visualisation,and its therefore best suited larger projects with complex workflows. Its manual setup and maintenance requirements may not be ideal for smaller teams.

11. Bitrise

Bitrise is a mobile-focused CI/CD tool that automates build, testing, and deployment processes for iOS and Android apps.

Key Features

• Mobile-focused with support for iOS, Android, and Flutter
• Pre-configured workflows and steps for mobile projects
• Integration with GitHub, BitBucket, and GitLab
• Fast builds with caching and parallel workflows

Verdict: Bitrise is ideal for mobile app developers seeking a seamless CI/CD solution with pre-configured workflows tailored to mobile platforms. Its easy setup and cloud-based nature make it a perfect fit for smaller teams or individual developers. However, it may not meet the needs of teams working outside mobile environments.

12. Drone

Drone is a modern CI/CD tool that is container-native. It lets users run builds inside Docker containers, providing scalability and flexibility.

Key Features

• Fully container-native CI/CD platform
• Supports YAML-based pipeline configuration
• Integrates with GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket, and more
• Open-source with enterprise options available

Verdict: Drone is perfect for teams already using containers as it offers native Docker support and easy scalability. Its open-source nature makes it a good option for teams with containerized workflows. However, it relies heavily on Docker and may not suit teams that are not invested in container technology.

13. Concourse

Concourse is an open-source CI/CD system that emphasizes simplicity and scalability and is designed to handle complex pipelines with clear visual feedback.

Key Features

• Pipeline as code using declarative syntax
• Clear pipeline visualization and tracking
• Native Docker and Kubernetes support
• Lightweight and highly scalable

Verdict: Concourse is a solid choice for teams looking for a lightweight, scalable CI/CD tool focusing on clear pipeline visualization. However, it does not have the extensive plugins of other tools.

14. App Veyor

AppVeyor is a cloud-based CI/CD service optimized for Windows development that supports various programming languages and deployment environments.

Key Features

• Optimized for Windows-based environments
• Simple YAML-based configuration
• Supports deployment to cloud platforms like Azure and AWS
• GitHub, GitLab, and BitBucket integration

Verdict: AppVeyor is ideal for teams working in Windows environments, offering smooth integration and deployment options. Its specialization in Windows makes it a perfect fit for .NET developers. However, its focus on Windows might limit teams working in multi-platform environments, making it best for Windows-centric workflows.

15. Semaphore

Semaphore is a cloud-based CI/CD tool focusing on speed and ease of use, providing fast, scalable pipelines with robust parallelism for faster development cycles.

Key Features

• High-speed builds with automatic scaling
• Simple configuration using YAML
• Parallel job execution for faster pipelines
• Integrations with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket

Verdict: Semaphore is ideal for teams looking for a fast and scalable CI/CD tool that minimizes setup time. Its simplicity and speed make it suitable for small to medium-sized teams. However, larger teams with more complex workflows might lack advanced features.

16. Google Cloud Build

Google Cloud Build is a CI/CD tool designed to help teams build, test, and deploy applications across multiple environments with deep integration into Google Cloud services.

Key Features

• Deep integration with Google Cloud services
• Supports Docker, Kubernetes, and serverless deployments
• Pay-per-use pricing for flexible scaling
• YAML configuration for custom pipelines

Verdict: Google Cloud Build is an excellent choice for teams using Google Cloud services, offering seamless integration and scalability. Its flexible pricing model makes it attractive to startups and large enterprises alike.

17. Harness

Harness is a modern CD (Continuous Delivery) platform that automates software deployments with AI-driven verification and rollback, simplifying complex implementations.

Key Features

• AI-driven deployment verification
• Automated rollback in case of deployment failure
• Kubernetes and cloud-native support
• Pipeline as code for customizable workflows

Verdict: Harness is perfect for teams looking to simplify complex deployments with intelligent automation and verification. Its AI-driven features and rollback capabilities provide security and efficiency. However, its advanced features might be overkill for smaller teams, making it best for larger enterprises or teams managing complex infrastructure.

18. New Relic

New Relic is an observability platform offering monitoring, alerting, and performance insights for distributed applications and infrastructure, helping teams manage and improve their services.

Key Features

• Full-stack observability for infrastructure and applications
• Real-time monitoring with alerting and troubleshooting
• Integration with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP
• AI-driven anomaly detection and forecasting

Verdict: New Relic is ideal for teams seeking in-depth monitoring and performance insights across their tech stack. Its real-time observability and alerting make it indispensable for large-scale operations. However, its comprehensive nature may be too complex or costly for smaller teams, making it best for enterprises and large-scale environments.

19. Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform that helps automate containerized applications’ deployment, scaling, and management across clusters. Some of its main features are:

Key Features

• Automated scaling, deployment, and rollback for containerized apps
• Works with multiple cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Self-healing for maintaining application stability
• Supports service discovery and load balancing

Verdict: Kubernetes is great for teams that need intense control over complex deployments. However, its complexity can be a hurdle for smaller teams or those not fully invested in containerization.

20. Buddy

Buddy is a user-friendly CI/CD tool offering automation for build, test, and deployment processes with a strong focus on simplicity and developer-friendly features.

Key Features

• Pre-configured pipelines for easy setup
• Supports Docker, Kubernetes, and serverless deployments
• Integration with GitHub, BitBucket, and GitLab
• Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for pipeline creation

Verdict: Buddy is perfect for developers seeking a simple, user-friendly CI/CD tool with minimal setup required. Its intuitive interface makes it ideal for small teams or individual developers. However, more advanced teams might find its feature set limited compared to larger, more complex CI/CD tools.

21. Ansible

Ansible is a powerful open-source tool for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation.

Key Features

• Agentless architecture, reducing overhead
• Scales from simple tasks to large-scale infrastructures
• Supports configuration management, orchestration, and provisioning
• Integrates with various cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure)

Verdict: Ansible works well for teams looking for an easy-to-use automation tool that scales without needing agent installation. Its simple YAML configuration is ideal for both beginners and experienced teams. However, it may lack some advanced features in more complex tools, making it best for teams focusing on straightforward automation.

22. Gradle

Gradle is a build automation tool that supports multi-language projects and is known for its flexibility and performance in large-scale builds.

Key Features

• Build automation for Java, Kotlin, and other JVM languages
• Highly customizable with support for Maven and Ivy repositories
• Efficient build caching and incremental builds
• Integrates with popular IDEs like IntelliJ and Eclipse

Verdict: Gradle is a great fit for development teams needing a flexible and powerful build tool, especially those working with JVM-based languages. Its efficient performance is ideal for handling large projects. However, its flexibility may come with a steep learning curve for new users, making it better for teams familiar with advanced build processes.

23. Vagrant

Vagrant is a tool for building and managing virtualized development environments, providing a consistent workflow for development teams across different platforms.

Key Features

• Simplifies the setup of virtualized environments
• Works with multiple providers like VirtualBox, VMware, and AWS
• Version control for environments, ensuring consistency across teams
• Plugin support for expanded functionality

Verdict: Vagrant is an excellent choice for developers who maintain consistent environments across teams. Its ease of use with virtualized environments makes it particularly useful for DevOps teams. However, its reliance on virtual machines may not appeal to teams invested in container-based workflows. Therefore, it is best for VM-focused setups.

24. Nagios

Nagios is an open-source monitoring tool that helps organizations track system performance and alerts teams about issues across their infrastructure.

Key Features

• Real-time monitoring of IT infrastructure
• Customizable alerting for system performance issues
• Wide range of plugins for extensibility
• Scalable to monitor large networks and infrastructures

Verdict: Nagios excels in monitoring infrastructure and is reliable for tracking system health and performance. However, the setup and configuration can be complex, making it best suited for experienced teams.

25. AWS Code Pipeline

AWS CodePipeline is a fully managed CI/CD service that automates application building, testing, and deployment, tightly integrated with other AWS services.

Key Features

• Seamless integration with AWS services
• Automated build, test, and deployment processes
• Highly customizable pipelines using AWS Lambda and other services
• A pay-per-use model with scalable infrastructure

Verdict: AWS CodePipeline is ideal for teams that work extensively with the AWS ecosystem. It offers a seamless automation experience with native AWS service integration. However, teams that don’t use AWS may find it restrictive.

How to Choose a DevOps Automation Tool

Here’s how to choose a good automated DevOps tool to help with your development efforts:

• Features and Functionality: The automated DevOps tool must meet all your needs and integrate with your existing workflows that include automation, testing, deployment, and monitoring capabilities.
• Ease of Use: You need a tool that is easy to use and has a friendly user experience. A steep learning curve can affect productivity. Look for tools that provide complete documentation and support to make onboarding absolutely painless.
• Scalability: Scalability is how well the tool can grow with your team and projects. As your organization grows, you need a solution to handle increased workloads and complexity without sacrificing performance.
• Integration Capabilities: Ensure that the tool seamlessly integrates with your existing tools and systems, especially your testing platform, so that you can integrate your tests and make them a part of your build seamlessly.
  Therefore, ensure the automated DevOps tool you choose integrates with cloud testing platforms like BrowserStack.
  This testing platform offers integrations with a suite of DevOps automation tools like Travis CI, Circle CI, TeamCity, Jenkins, Bamboo, Azure Pipeline, and more.
  These integration capabilities are robust enough to enable seamless, efficient cross-browser testing in the DevOps pipeline while enhancing your automation processes.

Talk to an Expert

• Cost: Identify the tools’ pricing model, including licensing maintenance and additional feature fees. Compare the cost with the value that the tool provides to maximize your ROI.
• Community and Support: Identify an active community of users and resources for support. A good community brings so much utility, and a customer service team with a reliable help desk can clear up issues quickly.
• Trial and Feedback: If available, use free trials or demos to test how well the tool matches your needs. As you try it out, you can gather feedback from your team so that any challenges encountered are known beforehand.

Conclusion

The right automated DevOps tool depends on each team’s unique needs regardless of the enterprise’s size.

That being said, you should also ensure that the tool offers robust features and reliable support, along with powerful integration capabilities with testing platforms like BrowserStack to streamline the development process and promote operational excellence.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the benefits of automation in DevOps?

Here are the benefits of automation in DevOps:

• Improves efficiency by streamlining tasks
• improves team collaboration
• Ensures consistent quality
• Faster incident response
• Scalability
• Support for continuous integration and delivery
• Reduces operational cost
• Strengthens security