11 DevOps Tools for 2025

DevOps integrates an organisation’s development (dev) and operations (ops) teams. It encompasses an organisation’s culture, processes, and philosophies. DevOps tools help facilitate the core principles of DevOps, including communication, unity, and efficiency. 

DevOps tools enable faster development cycles and higher software quality when used in conjunction with the methodology. Discover 11 key tools to optimise all seven phases of the DevOps life cycle. 

What are DevOps tools?

DevOps tools are applications that support the software development process. Often, they’re also referred to as DevOps technologies. Their primary focus is to enhance collaboration through project management and automation. Several different types of DevOps tools are available, some of which are outlined below:

• Version control tools: Version control software (VCS) is also known as source control or source code management (SCM). These tools track and manage any changes made to a software’s code.

• DevOps automation tools: DevOps automation tools remove the burden of repetitive tasks from the workflow. Some focus on specific processes, like testing or deployment, while others may be end-to-end tools. End-to-end refers to the entire development process, from conceptualisation to deployment and continued monitoring.

• Performance monitoring tools: These DevOps tools monitor application performance and help manage the infrastructure as a whole. They typically have robust reporting capabilities and artificial intelligence (AI) for defect detection.

• Container management tools: In software development, a container is an application or software packaged into a portable environment. It contains an application’s libraries, frameworks, and any associated dependencies. Containerisation makes it possible to run applications in various environments independently from the environment’s operating system (OS). Container management tools enable developers to package, monitor, and change these distributed applications.

• Configuration management tools: Configuration management is the process of monitoring and maintaining system functionality. In DevOps, configuration management helps ensure that all applications and services perform consistently with expectations.

The DevOps life cycle (7 Cs)

The 7 Cs mnemonic device comes from the fact that each phase of DevOps development begins with the word ‘continuous’. Continuity is an important aspect of DevOps, hence the use of an infinity loop to symbolise its life cycle. Before DevOps, people relied on linear development methods, like the Waterfall model. The Waterfall model requires each stage of development to conclude before moving on to the next, which can make resolving problems that arise later on in development difficult. 

In contrast, the DevOps lifecycle is a series of automated workflows in an iterative development cycle. In other words, it continuously monitors, tests, and improves upon small batches of work. 

DevOps tools for each phase of the DevOps life cycle

The following seven sections match 11 DevOps tools to their respective processes. Although the list is numerical, do keep in mind that each phase of the DevOps lifecycle can iterate or repeat multiple times throughout the project until it’s finished. 

1. DevOps tools for continuous development (CD)

In the DevOps life cycle, continuous development encompasses the planning and coding of the software. Two of the most popular DevOps tools for this phase of development are Jira and Git [1]:

• Jira: DevOps organisations leverage Agile project management software like Jira for planning, even though specific tools aren't mandatory.  Agile project management focuses on continuous releases and incorporating customer feedback in each iteration. The Jira DevOps template can efficiently manage projects, create workflows, and track bugs.

• Git: Git is an open-source version control system, meaning anyone can use it for free. As mentioned above, version control tools manage the source code of an application or software. Git is an excellent DevOps tool because it supports nonlinear workflows and collaboration among programmers. You can bridge the gap between development and operations with GitHub, a web-based hosting platform for Git code repositories. It enables further collaboration through features like support ticket management.

2. DevOps tools for continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD)

In the DevOps pipeline, continuous integration requires developers to commit changes (like new features or bug patches) to the source code. One of the most used DevOps tools in this phase of development is Jenkins:

• Jenkins is a Java-based, open-source program. You can use it exclusively for CI or transform it into a hub supporting continuous delivery. Jenkins boasts several features, including extensive workflow customisation, easy installation, the ability to efficiently distribute work across multiple machines for cross-platform development, and hundreds of plugins plus integrations.

3. DevOps tools for continuous testing

Continuous testing in the DevOps life cycle means that the developed software is consistently checked for bugs and defects. DevOps automation tools are especially useful for continuous testing. They allow quality assurance (QA) teams to enhance the scope of testing through features like automated test execution and parallel testing across multiple codebases. Selenium and Bamboo are two of the most relevant continuous testing solutions:

• Selenium: Selenium is another open-source development tool. It’s an automated testing framework for writing test scripts in commonly used programming languages in the UK, such as Java, Python, and C++. It is primarily used to automate web applications, but you can also use it to automate web-based administration tasks. Selenium’s versatility provides automation support across several browsers and operating systems (OS).

• Bamboo: Bamboo is a server-based DevOps tool. It allows users to create complex build plans and trigger them to start automatically. Bamboo is well known for its tight integration with Jira and parallel testing capabilities.

4. DevOps tools for continuous deployment

In the DevOps life cycle, continuous deployment is when you deploy code to production servers. Since this occurs continuously, DevOps tools that can support fast and frequent deployments are essential. Both container management tools and configuration management tools can be beneficial for continuous deployment:

• Docker (container management): A development team can use the Docker application to package, manage, and execute distributed applications. A few of Docker’s key functionalities include a standardised packaging format, tight integration with GitHub, and Docker Hub. Docker Hub encourages collaboration amongst DevOps team members by providing a platform for easy image publishing and access management.

• Ansible (configuration management): Ansible is an open-source automation platform used primarily for configuration management and infrastructure orchestration. Its minimalistic nature makes it easy for developers, IT professionals, and administrators to use. Ansible enables the creation of machine groups and control of how they will run in production environments.  

Tip: Ansible automates Docker tasks, including building and deploying Docker containers. 

5. DevOps tools for continuous feedback

Analysing and incorporating feedback is a crucial component of DevOps methodology. Continuous feedback enables continuous improvement. It requires the collection of internal insights like employee surveys and bug reports and external responses like support tickets or social media mentions. Several DevOps tools exist to support your continuous feedback loops:

• Jira Service Management: Jira Service Management is a DevOps tool built into the Jira platform. Its primary purpose is to enhance communication by organising feedback from various sources in a single hub. It allows customers to submit service requests and feedback by widget, portal, email, or a customisable help centre. 

• Parlor: Parlor is a customer feedback tool for user relationship management. It engages with active users in real-time to gather contextual insights. It is integrative with business tools, such as support ticket systems like ZenDesk, technical task management platforms like Jira, communication tools like Slack, and data management programs like Excel.

6. DevOps tools for continuous monitoring

In the DevOps pipeline, continuous application monitoring requires frequent checks for bugs, system errors, performance issues, and anything else that could impact product quality. Your DevOps monitoring tools should support two types of monitoring: application and server.

• Prometheus: Prometheus is an open-source, community-driven performance monitoring database that supports continuous monitoring processes. It equips developers and QA teams with strong reporting capabilities and extensive client libraries. Prometheus is also suitable for DevOps because it has multiple data visualisation modes.

7. DevOps tools for continuous operation

Continuous operation means that applications and services must continuously operate without interruptions or downtime. Several of the tools mentioned above have features that can assist you in continuous operations. However, an incident management platform like Opsgenie may be beneficial.

• Opsgenie: Opsgenie is a DevOps tool used to prepare for, predict, and resolve service disruptions. It integrates with continuous monitoring tools, chat platforms, ticketing systems, and other business applications. Opsgenie lets you schedule customisations to ensure the right people get notified on the correct channels when a challenge arises. Automated escalation features catch critical bugs quickly. 

5 Key takeaways

1. DevOps phases do not occur linearly. Instead, they iterate as needed to ensure peak software product quality.

2. DevOps tools do not make DevOps. They support DevOps methodology by enforcing practices like open collaboration and continuous feedback collection.  

3. DevOps automation tools are essential to continuous development and testing because they help scale down manual tasks.

4. Open-source DevOps tools can be excellent resources for organisations adopting DevOps methodology.

5. Collaboration is a pillar of DevOps. It’s vital to ensure the DevOps tools you choose support communication and collaboration across your organisation, not just your team. 

Learn more about DevOps optimisation with Coursera.

Using DevOps tools, you can implement a more efficient development process that produces high-quality software through automation and improved collaboration.

Now that you know more about the 11 tools to suit each phase of the DevOps life cycle, you might be looking to gain the skills you need to optimise your entire DevOps process. In this case, consider IBM’s online course, Introduction to DevOps.

You can also learn how to successfully implement DevOps methodology in your organisation with a DevOps Culture and Mindset Professional Certificate from the University of California.