CI/CD vs DevOps: Which is the best option for your company?

If you are considering hiring a DevOps specialist and want to understand how it differs from CI/CD, this article will provide you with the key information to make the best decision.

In the era of digital transformation, efficiency in software development and deployment has become a priority for companies. Two concepts that are often confused but that serve different functions in this optimization are CI/CD and DevOps, solutions necessary for projects to reach the desired completion.

Understanding CI/CD and DevOps

CI/CD: Automation for faster deliveries

CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Continuous Deployment) is a set of practices that allow development teams to integrate and deliver code frequently and reliably. These methodologies aim to eliminate friction in the development process and reduce the time to market for new features.

• Continuous Integration (CI) focuses on quickly incorporating changes into code through automated testing, ensuring that each new version is stable before being merged into the main branch.
• Continuous Delivery (CD) automates the preparation of code for release, allowing for frequent deployments with as little manual effort as possible.
• Continuous Deployment (CD) goes a step further and fully automates the process of deploying to production, minimizing errors and downtime.

Companies such as Google and Amazon have adopted CI/CD to achieve shorter development cycles and more efficient software delivery.

DevOps: Culture and collaboration for operational efficiency

On the other hand, DevOps is a work philosophy that seeks to unite development and operations to improve software delivery and system stability in production. It is not just a set of tools, but a cultural change within an organization.

Our experts have already given their opinion on this topic, saying "Working with our DevOps team can help you reduce operational expenses, simplify the flow of data and information in a project to enable collaboration, increase team agility and responsiveness, and accelerate product time-to-market."

DevOps involves:

• Automation and standardization of processes to accelerate deliveries without compromising quality.
• Collaboration between development and operations teams, eliminating silos and improving communication.
• Continuous monitoring and security, allow errors to be detected and fixed before they impact the end user.

According to the State of DevOps Report 2023, organizations that implement DevOps practices can experience 208 times faster deployments and a 7 times lower failure rate than those that do not.

CI/CD vs DevOps: Are they the same?

A common confusion is thinking that CI/CD and DevOps are synonyms. However, while CI/CD is a fundamental part of DevOps, the latter encompasses a broader spectrum of business practices and philosophy.

CI/CD focuses specifically on automating software development and deployment, while DevOps seeks to optimize collaboration between teams and improve IT infrastructure as a whole.

Which one do you need for your company?

The choice between CI/CD and DevOps will depend on your business needs:

• If your goal is to speed up development times and reduce errors in software delivery, implementing CI/CD is a key step.
• If you are also looking for a comprehensive improvement in work culture, infrastructure, and operational efficiency, you need a DevOps approach.

In many organizations, the best solution is to combine both approaches. CI/CD can be implemented within a DevOps strategy to achieve more effective automation and continuous delivery without interruptions.

While CI/CD and DevOps share similar goals, the difference lies in their scope. While CI/CD focuses on the automation of development and deployment, DevOps encompasses an organizational change that improves software communication, security, and stability.

At Rootstack, we have DevOps and CI/CD experts who can help you implement the best strategy for your business needs. Let's talk and take your software infrastructure to the next level!