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Ashish Makasare - PeerSpot reviewer
Trainee AWS Cloud Engineer at Cravita Technologies India Private Limited
Real User
Top 5
Efficient automation that's easy to use and enhances CI/CD pipeline flexibility
Pros and Cons
  • "We can trigger files manually or automate processes."
  • "GitHub sometimes makes it difficult to debug actions."

What is our primary use case?

I am currently using GitHub Actions as a tool for our CI/CD pipeline. I was engaged in an e-commerce project where I used GitHub Actions and stored secret data within GitHub Actions secrets and variables.

How has it helped my organization?

GitHub Actions streamline our workflows by allowing us to manage production, testing, and live environments in a single directory. It helps automate processes efficiently without much manual intervention.

What is most valuable?

We can use secrets and variables within GitHub Actions while managing our source code. We can trigger files manually or automate processes. GitHub Actions fit seamlessly with our CI/CD needs, integrating well with other tools we use.

What needs improvement?

GitHub sometimes makes it difficult to debug actions. Improvements in debugging could enhance its usability greatly.

Buyer's Guide
GitHub Actions
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about GitHub Actions. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
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For how long have I used the solution?

I am currently using GitHub Actions.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There are frequent stability issues with GitHub, particularly when managing data sets and ensuring all components function correctly. Troubleshooting is sometimes necessary.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

GitHub Actions are scalable as we can use them for scalability protocols.

How are customer service and support?

As a technical support approach, issues are addressed directly through client communication. We manage issues arising from clients via direct mail correspondence, thereby handling problems as they occur.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

GitHub Actions provides an easy-to-use interface suitable for beginners, free runners for CI/CD, third-party actions, and cost-effectiveness. Troubleshooting can be challenging, requiring technical knowledge.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup involves creating a workflow directory and writing YAML files to manage resources, security, and monitoring. We work closely with the development team during setup.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment requires collaboration between frontend, backend, and database teams, along with the use of Terraform and monitoring tools like CloudWatch for effective management.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

GitHub Actions can be compared with Jenkins for CI/CD purposes.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend GitHub Actions to other users due to its user-friendly nature, free runner availability, and effective secret management.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Ivaylo Ivanov - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at a recreational facilities/services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Achieves efficient CI/CD with seamless integration and deployment flexibility
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of GitHub Actions include its seamless integration within GitHub, which simplifies the CI/CD pipeline setup. The scalability of using different types of runners—both public and private runners—enhances deployment flexibility."
  • "Improvements could be made in terms of time-saving capabilities and resolving potential complexities in centralized workflows."

What is our primary use case?

We are using GitHub Actions to enhance our CI/CD processes within an AWS environment. Our primary use cases include the deployment of infrastructure, authentication against AWS, GitHub, and Databricks, implementing security checks, and conducting QA tests. 

We utilize the tool for deploying Databricks within AWS and migrating repositories from GitHub. We also use GitHub Actions for setting up centralized workflows, monitoring, Terraform deployment, and security checks.

How has it helped my organization?

The automation using GitHub Actions has optimized our workflow by streamlining processes and establishing standardized practices across the organization. It allows our team to work more efficiently by reducing complexities in deployment and integrating enhanced security checks.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of GitHub Actions include its seamless integration within GitHub, which simplifies the CI/CD pipeline setup. The scalability of using different types of runners—both public and private runners—enhances deployment flexibility. The ease with which pipelines can be learned and implemented is also a key feature. GitHub Actions provides a wide range of available services and community actions that cater to various needs.

What needs improvement?

Improvements could be made in terms of time-saving capabilities and resolving potential complexities in centralized workflows. The challenge lies in maintaining centralized workflows given the potential for outdated or non-functional community actions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with GitHub Actions for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of GitHub Actions is commendable, with few downtimes experienced. Issues, when they occur, are typically resolved quickly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

GitHub Actions proves to be scalable, with the ability to edit pipelines easily and address scalability challenges effortlessly.

How are customer service and support?

I have not utilized GitHub Actions' technical support, as most issues can be solved with available resources online.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we used Jenkins and AWS CICD automation before switching to GitHub Actions for centralized integration within GitHub and improved efficiency in managing automation.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up GitHub Actions initially was challenging as it required learning a new CI/CD tool and adapting from previous tools. However, the documentation is comprehensive and helpful.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment involved a team of about five people. Two or three people continue to maintain the processes post-deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is open source, making it cost-effective for individual users. However, company usage may depend on its scale and specific requirements.

What other advice do I have?

We chose GitHub Actions as a company standard.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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GitHub Actions
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about GitHub Actions. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
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Andrea Carella - PeerSpot reviewer
DevOps Engineer at Politecnico di Milano
Real User
Top 10
An easy-to-configure platform with user-friendly UI
Pros and Cons
  • "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."
  • "The minor drawback of GitHub Actions is the management of the dashboard and pipeline runs, which needs improvement. The dashboard for running pipelines could be better."

What is our primary use case?

GitHub Actions was used as the main CI/CD component to manage the deployment of a new application in the cloud and the release of new code.

What is most valuable?

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.

What needs improvement?

The minor drawback of GitHub Actions is the management of the dashboard and pipeline runs, which needs improvement. The dashboard for running pipelines could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using GitHub Actions for more than a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In terms of stability, it is stable based on my experience. I would rate the stability a seven out of ten, but there might be more stable options like Jenkins.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

GitHub Actions handles the scalability demands of my projects through various jobs, making it easy to scale between workloads.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate GitHub Actions ten out of ten.

Although the dashboard for running pipelines could be better, the primary tool is quite good. I would recommend this tool for those considering GitHub Actions.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Software Architect at AIOPS group
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Efficiently automates our software development processes and offers good integration
Pros and Cons
  • "The level of automation achievable is really good. So, the custom workflow creation and Marketplace Actions improved our project's efficiency."
  • "The UI could be better."

What is our primary use case?

It's part of an automation process. We develop code in GitHub and use Google Cloud Platform. To do that, we leverage GitHub Actions, which automatically interacts with GitHub, the source code repository, and automates our build, deployment, and deployment processes.

How has it helped my organization?

GitHub Actions have been pivotal for automating our software development processes.

We develop in GitHub. Once a feature is built and tested, different Actions help us deploy it to our test environment. We test again, and then with GitHub, we deploy to production with just a click.

What is most valuable?

The integration is excellent. Having the source code in GitHub and seamlessly using Google Cloud is smooth and secure.

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

What needs improvement?

The UI could be better. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable. I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. We haven't encountered any major issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable. We deploy quite large systems successfully.

There are around 200 end users using this solution. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used Jenkins before.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup can require some knowledge, but there are helpful tutorials, examples, courses, and other resources. Overall, it's manageable.

The process varies depending on what's being deployed (data, services, etc.). We use multiple environments with different ports for each microservice. 

It's a complex infrastructure with databases and other components, but Actions makes scaling it up and down and managing its overall complexity surprisingly easy.

Deployments are quick, usually taking a few minutes, up to ten minutes at most. They're one-time jobs, though they might run multiple times a day.

GitHub Actions is our CI/CD tool. We actually use TerraForm for deployment.

What about the implementation team?

It's actually quite user-friendly. Teams can manage it themselves without needing dedicated IT professionals.

What was our ROI?

The level of automation it offers makes it worth the investment. 

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Manager at Edge-works
Real User
Automate web application deployment efficiently with streamlined YAML workflows
Pros and Cons
  • "GitHub Actions helps automate the deployment process, eliminating manual copying and testing, which saves time and minimizes errors."
  • "GitHub Actions lacks a feature for automating the build process for mobile applications."

What is our primary use case?

I use GitHub Actions to automate deployment processes. I have three environments: a development server, a QA server, and a staging server. 

GitHub Actions runs on each of these servers to manage deployments based on branch events, test cases execution, and integrating with manual testing processes.

What is most valuable?

GitHub Actions helps automate the deployment process, eliminating manual copying and testing, which saves time and minimizes errors. The use of YAML files makes configuring steps straightforward and ensures reproducibility of workflows. The process is streamlined compared to tools such as Jenkins.

What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using GitHub Actions for about two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

GitHub Actions is very stable. I haven't encountered any technical issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I haven't tested GitHub Actions long enough to comment on its scalability, especially in relation to newer implementations like GitHub Copilot.

How are customer service and support?

I have not contacted customer support because I haven't had issues with GitHub Actions.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Jenkins for CI/CD workflows before switching to GitHub Actions. I chose GitHub Actions for its integration with other GitHub services, providing a centralized platform.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of GitHub Actions is easy. It's an eight out of ten in terms of ease.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I also evaluated Jenkins and a GitLab solution that is similar to GitHub Actions.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend exploring GitHub Actions, especially if you already use GitHub for code storage and issue management. Everything being in one place simplifies management of code, tasks, and workflow processes. 

I rate GitHub Actions a nine out of ten overall.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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reviewer2268420 - PeerSpot reviewer
it specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Allows you to automate your build, test, and deployment pipeline
Pros and Cons
  • "Creating workflows in YAML format is straightforward and easy to comprehend. This includes both understanding and writing workflows. Additionally, the downloading aspect for third-party instances can also be easily done. It's worth noting that vulnerability analysis and similar tasks should be part of our automation through data workflows. Furthermore, we can break down our processes step by step, starting from building, then moving on to analysis, testing, and finally deploying in production and the clear environment. All of these tasks can be efficiently managed within this platform."
  • "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."

What is our primary use case?

It works excellently. Instead of having an additional CI/CD tool, we find this specific data backend tool highly beneficial. Within this data backend tool, we possess data burners, such as DNS hit creation, and within these data burners, we can conduct all build and release tasks, except for the more complicated ones like clicking. This provides a significant advantage, allowing us to automate and script processes across various environments effortlessly. I highly recommend using data backend actions for these purposes.

What is most valuable?

Creating workflows in YAML format is straightforward and easy to comprehend. This includes both understanding and writing workflows. Additionally, the downloading aspect for third-party instances can also be easily done. It's worth noting that vulnerability analysis and similar tasks should be part of our automation through data workflows. Furthermore, we can break down our processes step by step, starting from building, then moving on to analysis, testing, and finally deploying in production and the clear environment. All of these tasks can be efficiently managed within this platform.            

What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using GitHub Actions for sometime.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable so I would rate it 10 out of 10. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is highly scalable, so I would rate it 10 out of 10. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good but it can be improved. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

There are several steps in our process that need to be followed. First, we perform local testing on our proprietary branches. Then, we transition to the development phase, where we create a full request and merge it into the main branch. Following that, we move to the release branch after review and discussions. Once it's uploaded, the main branch becomes the pre-release branch, and similar teams across the globe apply their changes. Every fifteen days, in line with agile practices, we conduct a COC meeting to discuss and deploy to the main branch. Once everything is in order within the release branch, we proceed to the production environment within the AWS cluster.I would rate the solution 8 out of 10, so it is easy. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the overall solution 10 out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Mahender Nirwan - PeerSpot reviewer
Software developer at TAIGLE LLC
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Works effectively for source code management and has an easy problem-finding process
Pros and Cons
  • "The product's most beneficial feature is the ability to create workflows within the solution."
  • "There could be more integration options with different platforms."

What is our primary use case?

I use the platform to automate my CI/CD pipelines, specifically to deploy code once merged.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution significantly impacts our work operations by automating tasks that might not have been considered for automation before, reducing the need for manual intervention.

What is most valuable?

The product's most beneficial feature is the ability to create workflows within the solution. This helps quickly set up an efficient automation system, and the problem-finding process is easier than other CI systems.

What needs improvement?

There could be more integration options with different platforms.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used GitHub Actions for personal projects for approximately two to three months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The platform is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The platform is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

We haven't contacted the technical support team. There is plenty of documentation available. Also, some searching usually solves any issues.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product is slightly more expensive than some alternatives, like Bitbucket, but the additional cost is minimal.

What other advice do I have?

The solution works effectively for source code management. It is suitable for users working on open-source projects. It is a great platform for understanding and contributing to open-source communities.

I rate it an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Sandeep Mutalik - PeerSpot reviewer
Co-Founder at S2R2 Technologies Pvt Ltd
Real User
Offers good documentation but needs to focus on providing AI capabilities as well
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very stable solution as we have not faced any issues."
  • "My company would want to see some AI features in the tool as it can add value to the product."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution in my company for DevOps-related purposes. Our company uses it as our DevOps repository. All our codes and development happen using GitHub Actions. In our company, it was a collective decision to use GitHub Actions.

What is most valuable?

The solution's features are meant for DevOps. In our company, we use it for a code repository, then build code using the solution, and then deploy it, so that is the typical day for us.

What needs improvement?

My company would want to see some AI features in the tool as it can add value to the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using GitHub Actions for about two years. My company is just an end user of the tool.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a very stable solution as we have not faced any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of the product's scalability features, I can say that the tool is serving our purpose, so it is good enough for us. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a seven to eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

In my company, we never had a reason to make a request with the product's support team. I have never contacted the tool's support team.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have not been using any other tools.

How was the initial setup?

The product's deployment phase is taken care of with the help of Docker. Everything is containerized, and our deployments happen through Docker.

The solution can be deployed in half an hour.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The tool's price is okay and reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

So far, we are satisfied with the product in our company since we have not faced any issues with it.

My company does not use the product since we have some favorite features in it. The product offers utility and serves our purpose, which is why we are continuing with GitHub Actions in our company.

My company has not integrated the product with third-party solutions. I was looking at a few of the options against GitHub Actions, and I think that is why I browsed through PeerSpot's website.

The good thing about the tool that I like personally is that it has both GUI and a command-line interface, making it possible for us to integrate it in our scripts and to use it when we want to visualize something.

The tool's documentation is good. If any help is required, we can refer to the product's documentation and get it done. I need to actually check with my team if they had faced any issues with the tool.

At the moment, there is no need to maintain the product.

My company would need to use the tool's AI feature in the future.

The tool is able to serve our company's purpose, so I would say it is a good product.

I rate the tool a six to seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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