Approaching any finish line in life can be exciting yet stressful. This holds especially true in software deployment. The deployment phase is the final phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC) which puts the software into production. After a project team completes their planning, designing, and testing of a software product, the product is ready to go live.
What are Software Deployment Tools?
Software development tools can be a developer’s best ally. It allows them to focus on what they do best, writing code. Software development tools streamline the process of distributing software, and updates, work across multiple platforms and work with various infrastructures. These tools help developers to collaborate, track and manage changes throughout the SDLC.
Looking for a Software development tool is easy. Looking for one that works best for your team, streamlines workflows, optimizes efficiencies and allows you to deliver the best software quicker and on a budget takes more investigation. Here are our top picks to get you started.
Top 10 Software Deployment Tools for 2022
Still not sure how to go about selecting a software deployment tool? It can be dauting to pick and choose among the abundance of options in the market, so we’ve rounded up 10 of the best options below:
1. Jenkins
Jenkins was one of the first automated software deployment tools, and is now one of the most popular. It’s open-source and has a large, active community of contributors. Built with Java, it has over 300 plugins to support building and testing virtually any project. Jenkins users can also leverage Spectral’s integration with Jenkins security for ultimate scan speeds and maximum security.
Pros:
Installation process is easy compared to other CI/CD toolsIntuitive user interfacePerforms rolling updates across your Amazon EC2 instances and tracks application health according to configurable rulesCons:
Requires installation of many pluginsUser interface is poorly rated compared to other CI/CD toolsUnknown issues may pop up during deployment2. TeamCity
TeamCity is a continuous integration and software deployment server using Docker images for servers and agents. It offers a broad range of developer-focused features to take team performance to the next level. Additional functionality can be added through over 100 ready-to-use plugins.
Pros:
Support for third-party tools without plugins or modificationsComprehensive version control systemCustomization and extension of the serverCons:
It’s not possible to scale with the self-hosted planTests can take a long timeSteep learning curve for beginners3. AWS CodeDeploy
AWS CodeDeploy is a service from Amazon Web Services that automates deployments to any instance. It works with any language, platform, or application. AWS CodeDeploy makes it easier to release new features quickly, avoid downtime during application deployment, and handle the complexity of updating applications. Users can also test and track deployments so they’re not left guessing or digging through logs when something goes wrong. Our integration with AWS CodeDeploy can be integrated directly into your CI/CD pipeline to improve your AWS DevOps security.
Pros:
Automated and repeatable code deploymentsAdds auto-scaling lifecycle hooksApplications still accessible during deploymentsCons:
UI isn’t as responsive as other deployment tools Doesn’t integrate with GitHubDoesn’t support multi-tier apps4. Octopus Deploy
Octopus Deploy is an automated tool designed to simplify databases, ASP.NET applications, and Windows Services deployment. It enables software developers to automate application deployments and runs alongside the build server to automate complex software deployments in the cloud, corporate data center, or on-site. Its focus is on repeatable environments you can rely on as a developer.
Pros:
Dashboard shows deployment statusesFlexible deploy processes combined with multiple “variable” strategiesVirtually zero downtime deploymentsCons:
Somewhat restrictive display of past deployments Can become overwhelmed by parallel deploymentsAPI key permissions not attached to the user5. Bamboo
Bamboo is a continuous integration tool that automates release management for applications and software, allowing IT teams to establish a streamlined pipeline of build delivery. It ties automated builds, releases, and testing into an integrated workflow. Mobile developers can automatically deploy their apps to the Apple Store or Google Play.
Pros:
Straightforward web interfaceBuilt-in artifact repositoryExcellent integration with Atlassian Bitbucket and JiraCons:
Price increase if you want agents on other cloud servicesSome of the concepts are confusing, and integrations aren’t always clearThere’s room to improve their documentation and referencesWhy risk it all? Make security your priority
When deciding which software deployment tool is right for you, keeping security at the forefront of your decision is important. While software deployment tools are able to manage sensitive user and group permission settings and allow only authorized users to access information when required, this isn’t enough to outrun all phishing attempts, malware, and DDoS attacks out there.