Introduction
Continuous Integration (CI) is essential for any development project. Jenkins and GitLab CI are the most popular tools used for automating CI in the cloud. Both Jenkins and GitLab CI are open-source tools that automate the build, test, and deployment processes throughout the software development lifecycle. Choosing the right tool is crucial because it can affect how quickly a team can deliver software updates. This post provides an unbiased comparison of Jenkins vs. GitLab CI, outlining their key features, pros and cons, and capabilities when it comes to cloud automation.
Key Features
Jenkins is a platform-agnostic tool that has been around for over fifteen years. It is widely used and has a vast plugin ecosystem that enables the tool to support many languages, build tools, and automation tools. Meanwhile, GitLab CI is part of GitLab, a complete DevOps platform that includes a code repository, continuous integration, and deployment capabilities. GitLab CI is designed to manage complete software development lifecycles easily.
Pros and Cons
Jenkins has an extensive user community that contributes to a broad set of plugins and integrations. It integrates with a range of services like GitHub, Ansible, Docker, and can be used in any infrastructure, on-premises or cloud. However, Jenkins can be challenging when it comes to setting up, managing, scaling, and configuring. Jenkins builds can get cluttered, and the user interface lacks ease of use.
GitLab CI is easy to set up, configure, and manage since it is part of the GitLab Platform. It has an intuitive user interface, which simplifies the integration of code repositories, templates, and pipelines. GitLab CI also has a better logging feature, enabling faster troubleshooting, and provides security features that ensure only authorized personnel can access sensitive information.
However, GitLab CI is part of a larger platform, which means it is more complex than Jenkins, requiring more administration effort to get started. This might make GitLab overkill for simple projects that only require basic CI features.
Capabilities
Jenkins is predominantly used for continuous integration and testing. It supports a broad range of pipelines and workflows and can integrate with many tools, such as VMware, JIRA, and Kubernetes.
GitLab CI, on the other hand, comes as part of the GitLab Continuous Integration and Deployment suite. Its capabilities include continuous integration, deployment, monitoring, and security. GitLab's monitoring and security features provide more options and visibility in one platform, which can be advantageous for teams that want a comprehensive solution.
Comparison
When it comes to pricing, Jenkins is free, open-source software, whereas GitLab CI is part of a more comprehensive GitLab platform, which has several pricing tiers. Jenkins, however, can get more costly when it comes to plugin maintenance and extra features.
Jenkins has a vast plugin ecosystem and is simple to configure, which makes it a more versatile solution for building and deployment in various environments. GitLab, on the other hand, is more comprehensive and comes with useful features but requires more setup time and effort.
Both Jenkins and GitLab CI are exceptional tools with their strengths and weaknesses. The choice between the two depends on the project's size, complexity, and requirements.
Conclusion
Jenkins and GitLab CI are both powerful tools for cloud automation, and the choice between them depends on various factors. Jenkins being platform-agnostic and GitLab CI offering comprehensive DevOps capabilities, the decision is not black or white. We advise teams to consider their project's specific requirements based on size, complexity, and budget, when making a final decision.
Reference:
Jenkins. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2021, from https://www.jenkins.io/
Gitlab. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2021, from https://gitlab.com/