Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025
GitLab and Tekton compete in the CI/CD tools category. Based on feature-richness and integration versatility, GitLab has a slight upper hand due to its comprehensive feature set aimed at development workflows.
Features: GitLab offers extensive features for container management and repository integration, enhancing CI/CD pipeline management. It facilitates code reviews and branching operations while supporting seamless Kubernetes integrations. Tekton excels with its Kubernetes-native approach, providing high customizability and scalability. Its open-source nature allows efficient integration with cloud services like AWS and GCP, enabling comprehensive pipeline executions.
Room for Improvement: GitLab users seek better AWS integration and enhanced third-party tool compatibility. The need for improved leadership team insights and better project management integrations with tools like Jira is evident. Tekton's challenges include user-friendliness and documentation, particularly for those new to YAML. Enhancements in scalability, template defaults, and dashboard functionality are critical.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: GitLab provides deployment options ranging from on-premises to cloud-based solutions backed by a strong community. Tekton's open-source model offers flexibility within Kubernetes environments but relies heavily on community support, which may challenge less experienced users.
Pricing and ROI: GitLab offers both open-source and paid versions, with pricing tiers that cater to various needs, although these can be restrictive for smaller teams. Tekton is free and open-source, leveraging existing Kubernetes environments for deployment, resulting in substantial cost savings over licensed alternatives. Both tools significantly contribute to ROI, with GitLab enhancing process automation and Tekton reducing resource consumption.
To learn more, read our detailed
GitLab vs. Tekton Report (Updated: September 2025).
