I have been working with it for different projects and purposes. I'm basically the main architect for such solutions.
Director at Rand Merchant Bank
We are 100% satisfied with it
Pros and Cons
- "It is stable. I like Azure a lot. All our guys are Microsoft certified."
- "Its setup is quite complex."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
It is stable. I like Azure a lot. All our guys are Microsoft certified.
What needs improvement?
It is fairly new, so there are a lot of changes, and because it keeps on changing, you need to adapt to those changes.
Its setup is quite complex.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
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Microsoft Azure DevOps
January 2025
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How are customer service and support?
We never used Microsoft's technical support. We always get it right.
How was the initial setup?
Its initial setup is quite complex. There are a lot of caveats. Even if I can call a setup out of the box, it is not really out of the box.
What about the implementation team?
We managed everything on our own. It involved fitting other products with the existing product. If you don't encounter problems, you're not going to learn.
What other advice do I have?
We are 100% satisfied with it. I would rate it a nine out of 10.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CTO at Southernsoft Technologies
Intuitive and easy to use with good stability
Pros and Cons
- "The one thing that really stands out to me is how you can filter and how you can do your reporting and filter the tasks and everything by user."
- "We did have some brief performance issues, however, that was due to putting everything on one epic instead of breaking a project up."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution on projects often. We use it for our Git repository and the CI/CD.
What is most valuable?
I love how easy the solution is to use. It’s intuitive. I don’t need to reference a manual. Everything is just very naturally laid out.
You can link your tasks and assign people. To me, it just makes sense. The user experience is excellent.
I like the Kanban tasks and their various features. It’s all very straightforward.
The one thing that really stands out to me is how you can filter and how you can do your reporting and filter the tasks and everything by user. Every time I try to do that in Jira, for example, it's a pain.
The stability of the product is quite good.
What needs improvement?
I’m not sure what needs improvement. I don't even think I'm using everything. There are still a lot of things on the testing side that I'm not using. That said, there's, there's a lot that it can do. I wouldn't even know where to get started on discussing what it needs or lacks.
We did have some brief performance issues, however, that was due to putting everything on one epic instead of breaking a project up.
For how long have I used the solution?
I’ve been using the solution for about four years now. It’s been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For the most part, the stability is very good. There was one time there was a bit of a performance issue, however, it was just due to the fact that the project manager was overwhelmed. It slowed down and got laggy. We put everything on one story, one epic, and we realized we needed to split it up.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product can scale. With the projects that I work on I just pick up Azure DevOps. It just makes sense. Everything from the beginning, for example, how the story starts right up to how it gets deployed and everything, is well laid out and you can adjust as needed.
On the project that I'm doing right now, maybe have a team of ten. On other projects, for example, at my previous company, we had a hundred devs or so using it.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has been very good. We used to call Microsoft and they would help us. They gave great support. We’re quite happy with their responsiveness and level of knowledge.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use Jira alongside Azure DevOps. I use both of them.
I find DevOps easier to use and better laid out. I find Jira difficult and confusing.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I can’t speak to the exact pricing. It’s not an aspect of the product I deal with.
What other advice do I have?
We’re a customer and an end-user.
I’m a big fan of DevOps. It’s a good project and I haven’t seen anything else like it.
As we’re on the cloud deployment of the solution, we’re always on the latest version.
I’d advise new users, if they are a Microsoft shop, to choose DevOps over Jira. It just makes more sense.
I’d rate the solution at a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure DevOps
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure DevOps. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Principal Project Manager at Systems Limited
Gives you the ability to run test cases, but query functions aren't as helpful as other solutions
Pros and Cons
- "You can have test cases in DevOps but not in JIRA. And, DevOps has advantages in terms of executing those test cases."
- "With the query feature, we have to group items, so it becomes difficult for everyone to understand it. It's easier in JIRA, which has filters and other query options."
What needs improvement?
With the query feature, we have to group items, so it becomes difficult for everyone to understand it. It's easier in JIRA, which has filters and other query options. So, I think this query option should be there in the DevOps also. Also, I don't like the DevOps' boards at all. It's more complicated than JIRA, I think. So, DevOps can improve in terms of its boards, work items, and filters.
Then there is also an issue with user access. We have about 10 to 15 users that we can add to DevOps. But only the first five users have basic level access, and the rest have stakeholder access. That means they can change the task status but not add or do anything. I think Microsoft should remove this restriction from DevOps. With the access restrictions, it's tough for us to add any status for our users or filter anything on the boards. So, Microsoft should add this functionality for the other roles as well.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
DevOps is a stable solution.
How are customer service and support?
It's average. It's not better than JIRA. It's average because many things need to be improved by Microsoft in all their products.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up DevOps is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay for DevOps when we use it for our clients. But for personal and internal projects, we can use the free version. But there are restrictions on the trial plan. It should also be available for free use. However, the trial version of DevOps is free for only five basic users. So, I think it should be free for others also. And other extensions like test plan creation should also be available for the basic users, at least. We have to purchase the license for this.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We use both JIRA and DevOps. The main difference between DevOps and JIRA is the test cases. You can have test cases in DevOps but not in JIRA. And, DevOps has advantages in terms of executing those test cases. You can develop releases from DevOps but not from JIRA. At the same time, JIRA's jQuery is the best. I don't like the grouping and filtering in DevOps.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Azure DevOps seven out of 10. I would recommend it to others. It's a nice and helpful tool.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Easy to implement, good CD pipeline, and very stable
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is quick and easy."
- "The functions have too much dependency right now, so it makes it really, really hard to upgrade and make a change in the code."
What is our primary use case?
We normally use DevOps. On the application, everything has gone DevOps, however, we don't use the functions. All applications developed there have gone under Azure or AWS. We normally develop them to be able to not be dependent on anything, so if we want to deploy them in another environment, we can deploy them easily. If we want to use it in Azure, we use it in Azure. If we want AWS, we use it in AWS.
What is most valuable?
I like the CD pipeline. It's the most valuable feature for us. It's so easy to integrate into the CD/CI environment. I mostly love that one.
The initial setup is quick and easy.
What needs improvement?
The functions have too much dependency right now, so it makes it really, really hard to upgrade and make a change in the code.
If you want to use the DPR it's a bit harder due to the fact that it's only 30 days.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for a year and a half at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the product has been good so far. I can't say that I've witnessed glitches. There aren't bugs. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable, as far as I can tell.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We don't have any issues with the scalability of the solution. If we need to, we're able to scale.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've never contacted Microsoft for technical assistance.
We are Microsoft partners. We have several Azure experts on our development team, and we have a tech that came from the US and did the training for us. We have a very strong understanding of the product and therefore we don't need help with troubleshooting or anything of that nature.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also currently use AWS, however, I prefer Microsoft's solution as it's a bit easier to use overall.
How was the initial setup?
We did not find the initial setup to be complex. The implementation is straight forward.
Deployment is quick and typically only takes a few days or so.
We have ten people that handle maintenance. They are in different parts of the world. We have two in Australia, for example, and two in the USA.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost can get pretty high if you aren't paying attention to what you are doing.
What other advice do I have?
We're partners with Microsoft.
I'd highly recommend Microsoft, and I recommend it more than any other solution. Everything is very simple and straightforward. The only worry for some organizations may be the cost. You need to be really, really careful.
I'd rate the solution overall nine out of ten. I think it's really, really great. If the functions were a bit better, I'd give it a full ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Freelance at Self
Great automation with version control and expands well
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is automation with version control."
- "It is essential that you get buy-in from the top management down to everyone in the pipeline."
What is our primary use case?
The main use of this solution are to combine software development and IT operations. Also, we use it for automation with version control and microservices. Automation is a core principle for achieving DevOps success and CI/CD is a critical component.
The application of continuous delivery and DevOps to data analytics has been termed DataOps. DevOps focuses on the deployment of developed software, whether it is developed via Agile or other methodologies. ArchOps presents an extension for DevOps practice, starting from artifacts, instead of source code, for operational deployment.
How has it helped my organization?
This solution has offered lots of improvements. The most important improvement was to provide continuous delivery with high-quality software. It helps with version control with automation using CI/CD components. It also helps to develop software using the agile methodology.
The ability of different disciplines (development, operations, and infosec) to achieve outcomes has been great. Increased focus on test automation and continuous integration methods are helpful. It helps release new features continuously into large-scale high-availability systems while maintaining a high-quality end-user experience.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is automation with version control.
DevOps initiatives can create cultural changes in companies by transforming the way operations, developers, and testers collaborate during the development and delivery processes. We can release new features continuously into large-scale high-availability systems while maintaining a high-quality end-user experience.
Adopting DevOps will also help eliminate the old and monotonous way of agile activity among big IT teams like network, Storage Team, Linux/Unix, Windows, etc.
What needs improvement?
It’s commonly observed that you cannot just change a company’s culture on command. You can influence the culture, shift it, and while it can evolve over time, it’s nearly impossible to just instruct all employees to simply change the way they think and act about specific things.
The culture of any organization starts at the top of the leadership hierarchy and trickles down throughout, filling every empty space. It is essential that you get buy-in from the top management down to everyone in the pipeline.
In order to do this, all involved need to understand the advantages the shift is going to have on the organization and on the team members.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for the last two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We didn't use any solution before.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also looked at AWS.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Development and Release Compliance Officer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
A reliable ecosystem with the capability to expand as needed
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is scalable."
- "The interface is very bad."
What is our primary use case?
We produce multiple different software for different markets in different countries. It's really for everything you can possibly think of, from online games to financial systems, to payment gateways, to APIs, to service desks, back-office analysis tools, admin tools, et cetera. We use it for anything and everything really.
What is most valuable?
The solution is great due to the fact that it's kind of an entire ecosystem. I'd say the work items are probably the most valuable aspect.
The stability has been great.
The solution is scalable.
What needs improvement?
The interface is very bad. It's an aspect that really needs to be worked on. It is going to probably get the developers to start abandoning work items.
Our initial setup was quite complex.
The presence of Microsoft in the country is limited.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution since it came on the upgraded from Team Foundation Server - about ten years. We've used it for a very long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has always been really good. There aren't bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We've found the scalability to be good. We have about 2,000 users on it right now. We haven't had any issues with scaling as needed.
How was the initial setup?
For us, the initial setup was extremely complex due to the multiple organizations we had on the go. We actually had to abandon our initial rollout and rethink the whole process though.
I'm in compliance, and therefore cannot speak to what the maintenance process is like for the solution.
What about the implementation team?
We had a combination of both in-house and vendor help with the setup process. We've got enterprise agreements with Microsoft, so they always give us resources to assist with our deployments. We already had TFS deployed, so it was an upgrade, really.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't deal with licensing. I can't speak to how much the solution costs.
What other advice do I have?
I'm just a customer and an end-user.
I'd advise new users to plan very carefully the way that they would like to set up projects. The model that you choose is extremely important and you might have to do a lot of rework if you don't get it right the first time.
I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten. It's Microsoft. It's backed by the mighty, mega Microsoft. You can't get fired for choosing the top product run by a top multinational company. The downside for us here is, in South Africa, there are only two points of presence. For the data, if it's fully hosted, we only have Capetown and Johannesburg. When it comes to back hall speeds for internet, it could be better if we had points of presence in all the major cities, however, I suppose it's too much investment for Microsoft to make.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Vice President at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
A very stable and scalable solution which seamlessly integrates all ends of the process
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is good for everything, including end-to-end planning and its deployment and testing."
- "The solution should have fewer updates."
What is our primary use case?
I do not recall which version we are using.
The solution is good for everything, including end-to-end planning and its deployment and testing.
What is most valuable?
I like that the solution is stable and that all ends of the process are integrated seamlessly into the tool. These are the solution's greatest strengths.
What needs improvement?
The solution should have fewer updates. We need the updates for July. Microsoft tools are sometimes too feature heavy and offer more features than the person actually needs to use. This is why I did not rate it as a ten out ten.
While the installation did seem to be pretty straightforward, I believe it took awhile, even though I am not aware of the specifics involved. We initially found ourselves struggling with this process.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Azure DevOps for around two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very scalable.
How are customer service and support?
I feel the technical support to be fine. We have not encountered any issues in this regard.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to Microsoft Azure DevOps, we were using Jira and, before this, KFS.
How was the initial setup?
While the installation did seem to be pretty straightforward, I believe it took awhile, even though I am not aware of the specifics involved. We struggled with this initially.
What about the implementation team?
The installation was undertaken by a consultant.
There was a team of, perhaps, five engineers involved.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not aware of any licensing subscriptions for the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would very much recommend the solution to others.
I don't see the need for more integration with other platforms, as the solution is already pretty well integrated, at least, that is, for our needs.
I rate Microsoft Azure DevOps as a nine or ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Soft Engineer at SECP
A user-friendly Azure DevOps server with a great user interface, but the testing environment could be better.
Pros and Cons
- "It has a good GUI, and it's very user-friendly."
- "The testing environment and different pipelining concepts can be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We are exploring this solution. There is not enough protection in the environment at the moment. It's been almost six months since we started the process of exploring the DevOps environment in Microsoft Azure DevOps.
We have a customized development methodology so that it is easily marked to our existing environment. Currently, we required that all these systems blend easily in this one environment. We can actually use all the large frameworks within DevOps properly and automate most of our support, starting from planning through support to deployment.
What is most valuable?
It has a good GUI, and it's very user-friendly. It is also a familiar environment as we are used to it. All our users are very comfortable working with it. I think the Azure methodology and all those DevOps features in the dashboard are very effective in our environment.
It's very implementable in our environment compared to the other DevOps environments which we experienced. I won't name them, but this one part of DevOps we have found very easy in our environment because the infrastructure there is fairly supportive and very integrable to the current DevOps environment we use.
What needs improvement?
The testing environment and different pipelining concepts can be improved. It can also be more user-friendly. They can actually incorporate all those other features, current tools and have those mind maps.
They could add some good analytic features. I think they can be more enriched with some good reporting features. They can also improve the designing tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Microsoft Azure DevOps for about six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure DevOps is a stable product. I feel it's stable enough for us at the moment.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not overly complex. It's fairly straightforward. Other than the Java environment variables which lack documentation, it's not complex and easy to follow.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The main agile features are very expensive.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Microsoft Azure DevOps a seven.
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?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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