AWS CodePipeline vs GitHub Actions comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and GitHub are both solutions in the Build Automation category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.4, while GitHub is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.5. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 6.0% mindshare in BA, compared to GitHub’s 11.0% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of GitHub users who would recommend it.

AWS CodePipeline

Read 22 AWS CodePipeline reviews

2,883 Views
2,276 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

GitHub Actions

Read 20 GitHub Actions reviews

2,201 Views
1,909 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AWS CodePipeline

GitHub Actions

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

AWS CodePipeline and GitHub Actions both compete in the CI/CD tools category. AWS CodePipeline might have the upper hand for users deeply integrated into the AWS ecosystem due to its strong integration capabilities, while GitHub Actions is preferred for ease of use and integration within GitHub.

Features: AWS CodePipeline offers seamless integration with AWS services, making transitions between environments easier. Users find its management of deployments efficient and appreciate its integration with tools like Slack and Jira. In contrast, GitHub Actions is valued for its simplicity and scalability, supporting processes through editable YAML files and automation with various tools including Jenkins.

Room for Improvement: AWS CodePipeline faces challenges with its cost and limited integration with non-AWS platforms like Azure and Google Cloud. The documentation could be more comprehensive, and integration with third-party tools could be improved. For GitHub Actions, enhancements in artifact management and dashboards are needed, along with better debugging capabilities and integration with more platforms.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both AWS CodePipeline and GitHub Actions are usually deployed on public clouds. CodePipeline benefits from strong AWS integration but is slightly more complex. AWS's customer service is generally positive, though response time can vary. GitHub Actions is noted for its user-friendliness and broad accessibility due to its open-source nature, but customer support response time may need improvement.

Pricing and ROI: AWS CodePipeline follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model, deemed affordable by some but expensive by others compared to alternatives, offering strong ROI by saving time and optimizing resources. GitHub Actions is a cost-effective choice, being free for most users with extra enterprise features at a cost, making it appealing for individuals and enterprises alike. Both tools are recognized for enhancing development efficiency and time optimization.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS CodePipeline vs. GitHub Actions Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AWS CodePipeline vs. GitHub Actions

March 2025

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Helped 842,296 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

AWS CodePipeline

Ranking in Build Automation

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

GitHub Actions

Ranking in Build Automation

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Build Automation category, the mindshare of AWS CodePipeline is 6.0%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitHub Actions is 11.0%, up from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Build Automation

Featured Reviews

Udhay Prakash Pethakamsetty

Data Engineer Manager at Capgemini

A fully managed service with excellent integrations and a flexible architecture

Compared to any other tools, AWS products provide better integrations. We have tools for all our needs. The integrations are good. The product is a fully managed service. We specify the various stages in the CI/CD process. We can do it without any external tools. Going through everything is usually an overhead for developers. It is like a configuration. We need to configure it only once. The integration with other AWS services has helped us. Our life as a developer is easy. We need not focus on the integration manually. If we work with third-party tools, we must consider connectivity, role management, security, authentication, and authorization. In AWS CodePipeline, if we have IAM roles configured and KMS for the credentials, we need not worry about anything else. Everything can be done within the tool. The integrations are the best part. We can track everything. The connectivity and scalability are good. The architecture is also flexible enough. We can add multiple things.

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Muzammil Riaz

Senior Test Engineer at 10Pearls

Offers version control, automated script execution and reduces manual efforts

Its integration and deployment are quite easy. You need to create a YAML file in your project, detailing configurations within this file. It integrates itself, requiring you to specify titles, descriptions, parameters, and a trigger scheduler if needed. Apart from that, it's just a simple YAML file, so there's no need for complex configurations. In one project, I used GitHub to automate an application related to email marketing, focusing on actions for data scraping. This required running scripts daily, sometimes even twice or thrice a day. Manually executing these scripts is inefficient and overly reliant on individual team members. However, by integrating the project with GitHub Actions, we automated script execution. Triggers were set up to initiate the pipeline automatically with every new commit or push to a branch. Additionally, we implemented schedulers to run pipelines at predetermined times, like 9 PM or 2 PM. Another enhancement was executing five tests in parallel through data actions, making the process more robust. GitHub Actions also offers stepwise execution details, greatly aiding in understanding and managing workflows. I have optimized job execution time by running test scripts in parallel and creating multiple pipelines; we've significantly reduced execution times. What could take 50 minutes can be cut down to just 8 to 10 minutes through these optimizations.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It helps develop CI/CD implementations with centralized management of code building, deployment, and version control."

"The management of CodeBuild and CodeDeploy on a three-point trigger basis is an important feature."

"I prefer using CodePipeline and CodeBuild in AWS due to their integration with AWS services, like directly deploying to ECS using Cloud Deploy."

"The notification and approval approach in the production environment are very useful."

"Another big advantage is observability."

"The most valuable feature of AWS CodePipeline is the flexibility of the configuration."

"The best thing about AWS CodePipeline is that we don't have to manage agents."

"The product is cost-effective and integrates well with the AWS environment."

More AWS CodePipeline pros

"The product's most beneficial feature is the ability to create workflows within the solution."

"It offers numerous built-in features for pipeline management, release management, and even work item tracking on boards, which makes it a versatile tool that seamlessly integrates with hardware and facilitates optimization."

"It is easy to use, especially if you are accustomed to using GitHub."

"GitHub Actions is a beautiful tool that integrates smoothly with all major tools, reducing CI/CD work by 30% to 40%."

"The level of automation achievable is really good. So, the custom workflow creation and Marketplace Actions improved our project's efficiency."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is a good product that offers stability and performance."

"It improves efficiency as it involves no downtime and is managed by GitHub."

"GitHub Actions can be easily configured, especially for environment variables and secrets. The UI is understandable and user-friendly for setting up CI/CD pipelines. I prefer tools like GitLab, where the pipeline starts quickly and is accessible near the commits for easy access. However, many CI/CD tools are interchangeable due to similar features of GitHub Actions and other similar tools."

More GitHub Actions pros

Cons

"Improved enhancements and features could make it more intuitive."

"AWS CodePipeline functions well, but there's room for improvement in providing technical support to regular customers who haven't purchased developer support. I mean, having it available for everyone, even if it's not a 24-hour service. It would be more useful if specific support hours were available for assistance."

"If you're talking about multi-cloud, you can't use it."

"The solution could improve the documentation. Sometimes we have some issues with the documentation not updating after releasing .NET 6. We had some issues with building the code pipeline, and it was not updating the documentation. It's better to update the code documentation."

"AWS CodePipeline doesn't offer much room for customization."

"The migration process from one source code to another needs improvement."

"In AWS CodePipeline, we can only use certain tools for which AWS provisions plugins."

"From my perspective, some in-built capabilities could be enhanced."

More AWS CodePipeline cons

"In our company, procedures or rules need to be completed, which is not a problem with GitHub Actions but with our process."

"GitHub sometimes makes it difficult to debug actions."

"The primary area for improvement I see is in artifact management, especially for saving screenshots or videos from failed tests or data-driven actions. Currently, the configuration for saving these artifacts is complex."

"The UI could be better."

"Sometimes incremental steps should be taken during deployment instead of trying to execute all tasks simultaneously, particularly when dealing with AWS EKS clusters and Helm charts."

"Improvements could be made in terms of time-saving capabilities and resolving potential complexities in centralized workflows."

"We can leverage this database tool to manage everything within our environment and data burners, allowing for customization and execution. An additional advantage is the capability to modify aspects like file size, making processes more efficient and faster across the pipelines. Regarding improvements or implementations, I believe there should be enhancements made to the deployment tool. It should be integrated as part of the solution. Infrastructure-wise, we already have tools like GitHub and RobSpot, and data enables us to automate various processes, which is quite beneficial. As for further enhancements, I'm uncertain. I've shared everything I know. However, if there's something specific you'd like to see in future releases, a feature that may not exist yet but would be desirable, I can't provide any input on that matter."

"The reporting capabilities are somewhat limited."

More GitHub Actions cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is manageable."

"It is a straightforward approach where you pay for the resources you consume as they offer a subscription-based licensing model."

"Compared to other cloud services, AWS CodePipeline falls a bit more on the pricey side. I see that the price of the product has been increasing for the past few years."

"The pricing of this solution is dependent upon your needs including how many jobs you daily and how many times the developer will be changing codes and completing deployments."

"AWS CodePipeline is quite affordable. I've been running around four pipelines and the cost is around one dollar per month. It rarely exceeds two dollars."

"I would rate the product's pricing a five out of ten."

"The product is quite expensive compared to other solutions."

"AWS charges you based on the number of pipelines you have and how active they are, and I also think that the root account user knows about all the price-related metrics."

More AWS CodePipeline pricing and cost advice

"The product is slightly more expensive than some alternatives."

"The tool's price is okay and reasonable."

"It is free and open platform, so I would rate it 1 out of 10."

"Regarding cost, as an enterprise, we negotiate our license and expenses, so I can't provide a specific rating for that."

"Price-wise, GitHub Actions is okay. If I want to use the product's advanced features, then I need to pay the licensing charges for the solution."

"It's low-priced. Not high, but definitely low."

"For our basic usage, we didn't have to pay."

"The cost for GitHub Actions may be around $45 dollars per user."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which AWS solution would you choose - CodeStar or CodePipeline?

Both AWS solutions deliver solid options, with uniquely different features. AWS CodeStar allows for quick development, building, and deployments of apps. It also provides web application and web se...

See all answers

What do you like most about AWS CodePipeline?

Code deployment is the best feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS CodePipeline?

AWS CodePipeline and its associated services do not incur significant additional charges. The cost primarily comes from deploying other AWS resources like EC2 and S3 alongside the pipeline.

See all answers

What do you like most about GitHub Actions?

I have optimized job execution time by running test scripts in parallel and creating multiple pipelines; we've significantly reduced execution times. What could take 50 minutes can be cut down to j...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitHub Actions?

I pay approximately five dollars per developer per month. I created a GitHub organization for managing users.

See all answers

What needs improvement with GitHub Actions?

GitHub Actions lacks a feature for automating the build process for mobile applications. I currently rely on GitHub Actions for web applications but have to use another tool for mobile apps.

See all answers

Comparisons

GitLab vs AWS CodePipeline

Compared 65% of the time

Jenkins vs AWS CodePipeline

Compared 12% of the time

AWS CodeStar vs AWS CodePipeline

Compared 6% of the time

Tekton vs AWS CodePipeline

Compared 3% of the time

Harness vs AWS CodePipeline

Compared 3% of the time

More AWS CodePipeline Competitors

Tekton vs GitHub Actions

Compared 37% of the time

Bamboo vs GitHub Actions

Compared 15% of the time

TeamCity vs GitHub Actions

Compared 12% of the time

Harness vs GitHub Actions

Compared 11% of the time

GitLab vs GitHub Actions

Compared 4% of the time

More GitHub Actions Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AWS CodePipeline

March 2025

Download AWS CodePipeline product report

Buyer's Guide

GitHub Actions

March 2025

Download GitHub Actions product report

Also Known As

CodePipeline

No data available

Overview

AWS CodePipeline is a fully managed continuous delivery service that helps you automate your release pipelines for fast and reliable application and infrastructure updates. CodePipeline automates the build, test, and deploy phases of your release process every time there is a code change, based on the release model you define. This enables you to rapidly and reliably deliver features and updates. You can easily integrate AWS CodePipeline with third-party services such as GitHub or with your own custom plugin. With AWS CodePipeline, you only pay for what you use. There are no upfront fees or long-term commitments.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

GitHub Actions streamlines CI/CD processes with an intuitive YAML workflow and robust automation, enhancing efficiency and integration with third-party tools and cloud providers.

GitHub Actions automates development pipelines, supports scalable public and private runners, and manages secure secrets. This tool integrates seamlessly with platforms like AWS, Kubernetes, Google Cloud, and Databricks. It enhances DevOps workflows with reliable task automation. Users note areas for UI and deployment tool improvements, artifact management simplification, and additional programming language support. Debugging complexity and hosting agent transitions pose challenges, along with integration enhancements for tools like OneDrive.

What are GitHub Actions' key features?

YAML Workflow Creation: Simplifies configuration with intuitive YAML.
CI/CD Integration: Provides seamless integration within DevOps pipelines.
Automation Capabilities: Automates tasks with minimal manual intervention.
Third-Party Tool Compatibility: Works well with diverse tools and platforms.
Secure Secrets Management: Protects sensitive information effectively.

What benefits do users find in GitHub Actions?

Enhanced Performance: Boosts task execution speed and reliability.
Scalability: Supports growth with flexible runner options.
Improved Release Cycles: Ensures consistent updates and deployments.
Workflow Efficiency: Reduces manual tasks, increasing operational efficiency.

Companies in tech and software development frequently utilize GitHub Actions for integrating, deploying, and versioning projects. It is often employed for deploying applications to cloud environments like AWS and Kubernetes, managing extensive CI/CD workflows, and automating test and security operations, thereby streamlining production cycles across industries.

GitHub

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

AWS CodePipeline vs. GitHub Actions

March 2025

Free Report: AWS CodePipeline vs. GitHub Actions

Find out what your peers are saying about AWS CodePipeline vs. GitHub Actions and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.

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