 |
Azure DevOps vs Gitlab
March 12, 2025 | Author: Michael Stromann
11★
Azure DevOps Server is a Microsoft product that provides version control, reporting, requirements management, project management, automated builds, testing and release management capabilities. It covers the entire application lifecycle and enables DevOps capabilities.
13★
GitLab offers git repository management, code reviews, issue tracking, activity feeds and wiki’s. Enterprises install GitLab on-premise and connect it with LDAP and Active Directory servers for secure authentication and authorization. A single GitLab server can handle more than 25,000 users but it is also possible to create a high availability setup with a multiple active servers.
Azure DevOps and GitLab, despite their different upbringings, both believe in the noble cause of automating software development so humans can spend more time arguing about tabs vs. spaces. They provide CI/CD pipelines to prevent developers from having to manually run commands they don’t fully understand, issue tracking so teams can blame each other with precision and Git repositories so that code can be stored in a safe place before being broken by the next commit. Both offer cloud-hosted and self-hosted options because the universe is divided into those who trust cloud providers and those who prefer debugging their own servers at 3 AM.
Azure DevOps, birthed in 2018 by Microsoft (the sort of company that thinks rebranding is a feature), is meticulously designed to integrate with every other Microsoft product in existence, from Active Directory to Excel, probably. It takes a modular approach, offering services like Repos, Pipelines and Boards separately, much like a buffet where you end up with too many things on your plate. Enterprises and compliance-heavy industries appreciate its rigorous security policies, while everyone else wonders if they accidentally enabled a setting that requires three meetings to undo.
GitLab, on the other hand, emerged in 2011 from the depths of open-source enthusiasm, originally from Ukraine but now thoroughly American in its corporate structure. Unlike its rival, GitLab prefers an all-in-one approach, where everything from repositories to CI/CD to security scanning is bundled together in one gloriously chaotic package. It’s particularly beloved by open-source projects and those who believe Kubernetes is more than just a word thrown around in tech conferences. With flexible pricing tiers ranging from free (for those who like adventure) to expensive (for those who like support), it remains the go-to platform for people who believe DevOps should be a lifestyle choice, not just a tool.
See also: Top 10 Source Code Management tools
Azure DevOps, birthed in 2018 by Microsoft (the sort of company that thinks rebranding is a feature), is meticulously designed to integrate with every other Microsoft product in existence, from Active Directory to Excel, probably. It takes a modular approach, offering services like Repos, Pipelines and Boards separately, much like a buffet where you end up with too many things on your plate. Enterprises and compliance-heavy industries appreciate its rigorous security policies, while everyone else wonders if they accidentally enabled a setting that requires three meetings to undo.
GitLab, on the other hand, emerged in 2011 from the depths of open-source enthusiasm, originally from Ukraine but now thoroughly American in its corporate structure. Unlike its rival, GitLab prefers an all-in-one approach, where everything from repositories to CI/CD to security scanning is bundled together in one gloriously chaotic package. It’s particularly beloved by open-source projects and those who believe Kubernetes is more than just a word thrown around in tech conferences. With flexible pricing tiers ranging from free (for those who like adventure) to expensive (for those who like support), it remains the go-to platform for people who believe DevOps should be a lifestyle choice, not just a tool.
See also: Top 10 Source Code Management tools
