Author

Asawari Ghatage

AWS DevOps Tools: A Comprehensive List

‍

Author

Asawari Ghatage

5 min read

Remember when DevOps meant writing a bunch of shell scripts and hoping they wouldn't break in production? We've come a long way since then!

These days, AWS DevOps tools have evolved into something far more sophisticated – think of them as the Swiss Army knife for modern software development.

AWS has jumped into this space with both feet, not just offering cloud services (their bread and butter), but also building a whole ecosystem of AWS DevOps tools that work together like a well-oiled machine.

It's like having a trusted co-pilot who handles all the complex deployment procedures while you focus on building great software. While AWS DevOps tools work seamlessly with their cloud platform, they're not the only game in town.

There's a whole world of third-party tools out there that match and even surpass the features you find in AWS DevOps tools. Each brings something unique to the table – whether it's specialized features for specific development workflows or the flexibility to work across different cloud platforms.

It's a bit like having access to both the manufacturer's original parts and a thriving aftermarket – you can mix and match to build exactly the development pipeline that works for your team.

‍

How to choose AWS DevOps tools

Think of AWS DevOps tools as an answer to the age-old question: "How do we make software development less of a headache?"

AWS built these tools because they noticed their cloud customers spending countless hours stitching together different solutions for coding, testing, and deployment.

AWS DevOps tools like CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and CodeDeploy were born from this need.

They create a seamless pathway from a developer's laptop to production.

It's like having an entire DevOps team packaged into a set of services that play nicely with each other – no more dealing with compatibility issues or spending weeks setting up basic automation.

When you're looking for DevOps tools, whether it’s from AWS or elsewhere, you'll want to think like a chef building their dream kitchen – every tool needs to serve a purpose and work well with the others.

Key factors to consider when choosing AWS DevOps tools include:
1. Integration capabilities – how well does it play with your existing tech stack?
2. Scalability – can it handle your growth?
3. The learning curve for your team.

Here's a pro tip: when you’re looking at AWS DevOps tools, don't just look at the features list.

Dive deep into things like:
1. Pricing models – those per-user licenses can add up fast!
2. Support quality – because 3 AM production issues are no fun.
3. Community adoption – a thriving community means better resources and faster problem-solving.

The sweet spot often lies in finding tools that give you enough control without being too complex.

Remember, the best DevOps tool isn't necessarily the one with the most buttons – it's the one that lets your team ship better software faster while keeping their sanity intact.

Looking for the right tools to streamline your development pipeline?

This AWS DevOps tools list cuts through the noise and helps you zero in on options that fit your workflow, scale with your needs, and keep your team productive.

‍

AWS DevOps Tools by Category

Continuous Integration & Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)

1. AWS CodePipeline

AWS CodePipeline simplifies the whole CI/CD process, automating deployments and saving tons of time. Plus, it integrates well with AWS services and other tools. It’s flexible, scalable, and secure—definitely worth considering if you’re serious about streamlining your workflows.Features:

Allows DevOps to include a manual step
Provides a complete view of pipeline history
Generates unique execution IDs for each run
Seamlessly integrates with your existing DevOps tools
Detects issues and sends real-time alerts

Pick AWS CodePipeline if you:

Need integration primarily within the AWS ecosystem
Need user-friendly interface but are okay with fewer customizations
Need a service that handles scaling and maintenance for you
Have the budget for a pay-as-you-go pricing model
Need built-in security features and compliance

Pricing: V1-type pipeline at $1 per active pipeline; V2-type pipeline at $0.002 per action execution minute.

‍Alternatives:

2. Jenkins

Jenkins is super flexible and open-source, which means you can customize it to fit almost any workflow.

With tons of plugins and community support, it’s easy to integrate with other tools. If you value control and customization, Jenkins is a solid choice.

Features:

Integrates with multi-cloud platforms
Enables parallel and distributed builds
Provides Role Based Access Controls (RBAC)
Automates testing and deployment processes
Supports custom scripts and plugins

Pick Jenkins if you:

Need plugins to support integration with an array of tools and services across environments
Need a versatile tool that can be deployed on-prem, in private cloud or across multiple cloud providers
Need more control with manual setup, scaling and maintenance
Need a tool that is open-source and free to use but are willing to pay for hosting and maintenance
Prefer to manually configure security measures including access control and compliance adherence

Pricing: Free

‍

3. CircleCI

CircleCI is a fantastic option for DevOps professionals. It’s fast, easy to set up, and works great with cloud-native workflows. The built-in support for Docker and Kubernetes is a big plus, and its scalability makes it ideal for growing teams. Definitely worth checking out for modern CI/CD pipelines!

‍Features:

Cloud-based and self-hosted options available
Supports multiple programming languages and frameworks
Easy integration with version control systems like GitHub and Bitbucket
Parallel job execution for faster build times
Built-in caching and dependency management
Advanced workflows with job orchestration and conditional logic
Built-in environment variables and secrets management for secure deployments

Pick CircleCI if you:

Need a powerful CI/CD platform to automate build, test, and deployment pipelines
Require seamless integration with GitHub, Bitbucket, and Docker for modern DevOps workflows
Want to accelerate development with parallel job execution and caching features
Prefer customizable workflows with configuration as code using YAML files
Need support for deploying to multiple environments, including AWS, Google Cloud, and Kubernetes

Pricing: CircleCI offers a free plan, a pay-for-what-you-use plan starting at $15 per month and an enterprise plan starting at $2,000 per month.

‍

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

4. AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit)

AWS Cloud Development Kit lets you define your cloud infrastructure using familiar programming languages, which feels way more intuitive than traditional templates. The flexibility and integration with AWS services are huge benefits, making it easier to build and manage scalable, reliable systems.

‍Features:

Utilizes multiple programming elements
Offers additional tools like construct library and command line interface
Constructs can be reused
The construct hub streamlines the management of infrastructure code

Pick AWS Cloud Development Kit if:

You use popular programming languages like Python, TypeScript, .Net etc to define cloud infrastructure
Need a cloud-specific tool focused exclusively on AWS resources and services like EC2, S3 or Lambda

Pricing: No additional charge; included with the other AWS resources that you use.

‍

‍Alternatives:

5. Pulumi

Pulumi lets you define infrastructure using familiar programming languages like JavaScript, Python, or Go, making it feel like you're writing regular code instead of configuration files.

Plus, it integrates seamlessly with multiple cloud providers, offering great flexibility and control.

Features:

Offers multi-cloud support and reusable components
Broad and extensible programming language capabilities
Interacts directly with cloud provider APIs
Integrates seamlessly with Kubernetes
Provides real-time previews of infrastructure changes

Pick Pulumi if you:

Want to work with familiar SDKs and libraries in their preferred language
Are managing multi-cloud environments or hybrid infrastructures
Are already familiar with the product’s independent abstractions and multi-cloud complexities

Pricing: Three tiers – Free plan, Team plan at $0.37 per resource per month, Enterprise plan $1.10 per resource per month, and an additional price on request Business Critical plan.

‍

6. Terraform

Terraform is a top pick for DevOps professionals. Its declarative approach to infrastructure as code makes managing resources across cloud providers a breeze. The large ecosystem of providers and modules is a huge advantage, and its strong community support ensures you're never alone in solving challenges.

‍Features:

Open-source and free to use
Supports multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments
Declarative syntax for infrastructure management
State management for tracking infrastructure changes
Modular and reusable configurations through modules
Supports version control and collaboration tools

Pick Terraform if you:

Need to provision and manage infrastructure across multiple cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform
Want to use Infrastructure as Code for automation, consistency, and scalability
Need a tool that integrates with CI/CD pipelines and version control systems for infrastructure deployment
Require the ability to track infrastructure state and changes with state files and remote backends
Plan to create modular, reusable infrastructure configurations for better maintainability

Pricing: Free up to 500 resources per month. Standard plan starts at $0.00014 per hour per resource.

‍

Configuration Management

7. AWS Systems Manager

AWS System Manager simplifies managing and automating infrastructure, especially for large environments.

With features like Run Command, Patch Manager, and Automation, it streamlines operational tasks and enhances security. It’s a must-have for maintaining control over your systems.

Features:

Offers 370 readymade runbooks to automate repetitive configuration tasks
Customizable operations dashboard that gives a view of your AWS resources
Change manager tool to approve and track configuration changes

Pick AWS System Manager if you:

Want to work with pre-defined runbooks and documents written in JSON or YAML
Only need customization that AWS provides
Need integration with AWS security and compliance tools like IAM, CloudWatch and AWS Config

Pricing: $2.97 per 1,000 OpsItems; $0.039 per 1,000 Get, Describe, Update and GetOpsSummary API requests.

‍

Alternatives:

8. Ansible

Ansible is an easy pick for DevOps teams. It’s simple to use and doesn’t require a steep learning curve.

With its agentless architecture and strong automation capabilities, you can easily manage configurations and deploy applications across multiple environments. It’s a reliable, efficient choice for any team.

Features:

Open-source tool
Vendor-agnostic and supports multiple platforms
Playbooks written in YAML
Agentless

Pick Ansible if you:

Need to automate across multiple platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, Linux, Windows and network devices
Want to focus on task-based automation and orchestration across diverse environments
Need a rich library of modules for various platforms and tools from a large open-source community

Pricing: Annual subscription for Ansible Tower ranges anywhere between $5,000 and $14,000.

‍

9. Puppet

Puppet is great for managing complex infrastructure and ensuring consistency across environments.

With its declarative language and strong ecosystem of modules, it simplifies automation and configuration management. If you need scalability and control, Puppet is definitely worth considering.

Features:

Declarative language for defining system configurations
Supports both agent-based and agentless architectures
Scalable infrastructure automation for large environments
Built-in reporting and compliance enforcement
Integration with cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
Pre-built modules and templates for common tasks
Role-based access control and secret management

Pick Puppet if you:

Need to automate configuration management and enforce system compliance across diverse environments
Require a scalable tool for managing thousands of servers and virtual machines
Prefer declarative code to define infrastructure states and desired configurations
Want built-in reporting and auditing capabilities for regulatory compliance
Need integrations with DevOps tools like Jenkins, Git, and Docker for streamlined workflows

Pricing: Puppet lists open-source and enterprise options on its website.

‍

Observability and Monitoring

10. Amazon CloudWatch

Amazon CloudWatch provides deep insights into your infrastructure with real-time monitoring, logs, and metrics. The ability to set up alarms and automate responses makes it easier to maintain system health and troubleshoot issues quickly. It’s a powerful tool for keeping everything running smoothly.

‍Features:

AWS-centric
Detailed 1-minute or 1-second metrics granularity
Basic APM and tracing
Basic dashboards

Pick AWS CloudWatch if you:

Need a comprehensive monitoring solution optimized for AWS cloud resources and applications
Want to collect and analyze logs, set alarms and visualize performance metrics in real time
Require deep integration with AWS services for enhanced observability across your cloud infrastructure

Pricing: Use AWS’s handy pricing calculator.

‍

‍Alternatives:

11. Datadog

Datadog offers comprehensive monitoring across cloud environments, providing detailed insights into performance and system health.

Its powerful integrations with a wide range of tools and easy-to-read dashboards make it easy to spot issues and stay proactive about managing your infrastructure.

Features:

Multi-cloud and hybrid observability
Sub-second metrics granularity
Comprehensive APM and tracing
Advanced anomaly detection and predictive alerts

Pick Datadog if you:

Use diverse environments supporting AWS, Azure, GCP, on-premises and containerized workloads
Want a rich ecosystem of over 600 multi-cloud integrations
Require dedicated security monitoring features like Real User Monitoring (RUM), Network Performance Monitoring (NPM) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

Pricing: Datadog has a detailed pricing structure on their website.

‍

12. New Relic

New Relic offers deep application performance monitoring, providing detailed insights into how your apps are performing in real time. With powerful dashboards and quick root cause analysis, it helps you troubleshoot issues fast, improving system reliability and user experience.

‍Features:

Full-stack observability for applications, infrastructure, and logs
Real-time performance monitoring and alerting
Distributed tracing to track transactions across services
Dashboards and visualizations for analytics and insights
AI-powered anomaly detection and incident response
Integration with DevOps tools like Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, and Jenkins
Customizable alerts and reporting for proactive issue resolution

Pick New Relic if you:

Need end-to-end observability to monitor and troubleshoot applications, infrastructure, and microservices
Require distributed tracing and analytics for identifying performance bottlenecks in complex systems
Want AI-driven anomaly detection to proactively address performance issues
Prefer integrations with DevOps tools and cloud platforms for unified monitoring
Need detailed dashboards and reporting for data-driven decision-making and compliance tracking

Pricing: New Relic offers Free, Standard, Pro and Enterprise plans. Pricing is available on request.

‍

Collaboration & Communication

13. AWS CodeCommit

AWS CodeCommit is a fully managed source control service that integrates seamlessly with other AWS tools.

With its high security, scalability, and ability to handle large repositories, it's a great option for teams looking to streamline their development and deployment workflows.

Features:

Managed source control services
Hosted entirely on AWS and managed by Amazon
Free tier for the first 5 users
Built-in features like pull requests, merge approvals and code reviews
Integrates seamlessly with other native AWS DevOps tools

Pick AWS CodeCommit if you:

Need integration with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for fine-grained role-based access and control permissions
Need a tool that scales automatically with AWS infrastructure to support growing teams and repositories
Need enterprise-level security within AWS environments

Pricing: Free for the first 5 active users; $1 per month for each additional active user after the initial 5.

‍

Alternatives:

14. GitHub

GitHub is an essential tool for DevOps professionals (we’re sure GitHub isn’t new to you). If you’re not familiar with GitHub, it’s a widely used platform that makes version control simple, with excellent collaboration features and integration options.

The huge community and wealth of resources make it easy to find solutions and stay up-to-date, whether you're working solo or with a team.

Features:

Free tiers for public and private repositories
Cloud-based and accessible from anywhere
Built-in collaboration tools like pull requests, code reviews, and issue tracking
Integration with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps workflows
Marketplace for third-party apps and integrations

Pick GitHub if you:

Need a centralized platform to host, share, and collaborate on code repositories
Require built-in tools for code reviews, issue tracking, and project management
Want seamless integration with Git and support for CI/CD workflows
Need a secure environment with options for SSH keys, HTTPS authentication, and role-based access controls
Prefer a widely adopted platform compatible with tools like GitHub Actions, Jira, Slack, and Azure DevOps

Pricing: GitHub has a detailed pricing structure on their website.

‍‍

15. Codeberg

Codeberg is a great option for DevOps professionals, especially if you're looking for an open-source, community-driven alternative to mainstream platforms.

It offers a reliable Git repository service with strong privacy and security features. With its clean interface and focus on decentralization, it's perfect for teams who value open collaboration and freedom.

Features:

Free hosting for public and private Git repositories
Open-source and privacy-focused platform
Built-in issue tracking, wikis, and pull requests for collaboration
Supports Git-based version control and branching strategies
No corporate ownership, ensuring independence and transparency
Integration with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tools
Lightweight and fast interface powered by Gitea

Pick Codeberg if you:

Prefer a non-profit, open-source alternative to corporate-owned repository hosting platforms
Need a privacy-focused platform for hosting and collaborating on Git repositories
Want built-in tools for issue tracking, code reviews, and documentation through wikis
Value transparency, data sovereignty, and community governance
Require integration with CI/CD pipelines and other DevOps tools for continuous development workflows

Pricing: Free

‍

More AWS DevOps tools

AWS CodeBuild is a fully managed build service that automatically scales to meet your needs, so you don’t have to worry about provisioning or managing servers. It integrates smoothly with other AWS services, making it ideal for automating your CI/CD pipeline efficiently.
AWS CloudFormation allows you to define your infrastructure as code, making provisioning and management consistent and repeatable. With the ability to automate deployments and manage complex resources easily, it’s a powerful tool for ensuring scalability and reducing human error in cloud environments.
AWS CloudTrail is an essential tool for DevOps professionals. It provides comprehensive logging and tracking of all API calls made within your AWS account. This makes it easier to monitor security, troubleshoot issues, and ensure compliance. The ability to capture detailed activity helps you maintain visibility and control over your cloud infrastructure.

Whether you choose to go all-in on with native AWS DevOps tools like CodePipeline and CodeBuild or opt for third-party tools like Jenkins and GitLab that integrate with AWS, the key is selecting the right combination of AWS DevOps tools that fits your team’s workflow and requirements.Start with the tools that address your most pressing needs, and gradually expand your DevOps toolkit as your team and processes evolve. The AWS ecosystem’s flexibility ensures that whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, you can build a DevOps pipeline that scales with your organization.