Agile vs DevOps: What are the Top Differences?

When speaking of software development, Agile and DevOps are two methodologies that are worth mentioning. Both these software development methodologies aids in efficient and quick software development. Although companies are embracing the use of both these methodologies, there is a lot of confusion about which of the two can deliver the best results. In this Agile vs DevOps article, we will discuss the Agile and DevOps differences, the similarities between the two, the benefits, and whether both can function together. Read on to learn more about DevOps vs Agile in-depth. 

What is Agile?

Agile is a software development methodology that encourages the continuous development of a project by breaking it into smaller increments. For tasks like developing software and managing a project, it is important to make sure that the project is able to adapt to new conditions and continuous changes. 

In the Agile approach, although some of the designing and planning are done upfront, the development takes place in small fragments. The stakeholders are also involved in the process, and their inputs are taken into consideration when the changes are being incorporated. If you want to learn more about the Agile approach and how it can benefit, you may want to consider taking an Agile course.

What is DevOps?

As the name suggests, DevOps consists of two terms- development and operation. This software development methodology amalgamates the functioning of the operations and the development teams, which otherwise work in their own distinct silos. This helps to improve the collaboration and productivity between the two. 

The main aim of DevOps is to expedite the process of project delivery by establishing collaboration between the two teams. The main objective of DevOps is to deliver good quality service efficiently! However, choosing between the two is a daunting task. The next section shows the comparison between the two in a tabular form.

Agile vs DevOps [Head to Head Comparison]

If you are wondering how DevOps is different from Agile methodology, listed below is a comparison between Agile and DevOps based on certain parameters.

Parameter	Agile	DevOps
Purpose	Agile software development or project management methodology aims at delivering small project increments. These small increments undergo continuous testing.	In the DevOps methodology, the development and the operations team work in collaboration with one another to increase efficiency and improve productivity.
Task	Structure the development of the software process.	Creating a framework for the development and operations team to align both their objectives.
Team Size	Smaller team size.	Larger team size.
Team Skill	Team members obtain similar skills to collectively work towards the objective.	Team members hone proficiency in different skills to work on different aspects of a project.
Implementation	Does not implement automation.	Implements automation.
Duration	Work is executed in terms of “sprints” or “iterations.”	Deadline-based work.
Target Areas	Efficient software development	Providing end-to-end solutions
Importance	Incorporating changes in the middle of the projects.	Enabling practical testing continuously through bringing the development and the operations teams together.
Tools	Jira, Kanboard, Bugzilla.	Chef, Puppet, Ansible, AWS.
Automation	Does not implement automation.	Implements automation to enhance project efficiency.
Methodology	Depends on client feedback to improve processes.	Depends on automation to shorten the project creation cycle and automate the lengthy process.

DevOps vs Agile: Detailed Comparision

When we talk about DevOps methodology vs Agile, it is important to understand that while Agile and DevOps are similar, they differ on the basis of purpose, team size, team skill set, implementation, target areas, duration, tools, importance, automation, methodologies, etc.

1. Agile vs DevOps: Purpose

The purpose of Agile is to ease the execution of complex projects. On the other hand, the purpose of DevOps is to take care of the end-to-end engineering process like the preliminary planning and the stages of product release. 

While Agile incorporates the use of customer feedback and collaboration and makes small and rapid releases to ensure a continuous process, DevOps brings the development and operations team together. Agile helps to bridge the gap between the development teams and the customer requirements, whereas DevOps bridges the gap between the development team and the team that operates the IT-related tasks during planning a project, testing it, and finally delivering it. 

2.  Agile vs DevOps: Task

The main task of Agile is to structure the process of software development in such a manner that teams can execute the task very efficiently. This helps to release the software products continuously while incorporating the client’s specifications. 

As has been mentioned earlier, the primary task of DevOps is to provide a framework and ensure that the development and operations teams are able to work in collaboration with one another. This enables improvised end-to-end business processes. 

3. Agile vs DevOps: Team size

Team size is another point of an Agile methodology vs DevOps discussion. At Agile, the team size is small. On the other hand, since DevOps brings the development and operations teams together, the team size is relatively bigger. 

4. Agile vs DevOps: Team Skill Set

As has been mentioned earlier, Agile incorporates a small team, whereas DevOps has a relatively larger team since it brings the development and operations teams together.

In the case of Agile, all the members of the small team share similar skill sets. However, in the case of DevOps, the tasks are divided between the team members so that each one can perform a specific task. This requires the members of DevOps teams to possess different skill sets. 

5. Agile vs DevOps: Implementation

DevOps and Agile differences can also be noted on the basis of implementation. Agile does not incorporate the use of automation, unlike DevOps. In the case of DevOps, automation is applied so that the efficiency of testing the product and delivering it can be maximized. 

Due to the automation, teams implementing DevOps structures use tools such as cloud computing. On the other hand, Agile harnesses the use of tools like Scrum, Sprint, etc.

6. Agile vs DevOps: Duration

While discussing the diff between Agile and DevOps, we also need to talk about the duration. Agile project development takes place in terms of “sprints” or “iterations,” which are short steps that have a duration of a few weeks. Therefore, the entire project management procedure relies on short frames of time.

This allows better room for feedback and makes it easy to incorporate the changes as and when required. In the case of DevOps, certain benchmarks are set for the actions. The main goal is to deliver code to production on a daily basis, or a few hours every day if possible. 

7. Agile vs DevOps: Target areas

Although Agile and DevOps perform similar functions, their target areas are different. While Agile focuses on efficient software development, DevOps ensures fast delivery by providing end-to-end solutions. 

8. Agile vs DevOps: Importance

Agile emphasizes continuous software delivery to the clients and prioritizes it as a matter of the utmost importance. On the other hand, DevOps stresses all aspects, such as developing software, testing it, and finally implementing it. 

9. Agile vs DevOps: Tools

Some popular Agile tools include Jira, Kanboard, Bugzilla, etc. Similarly, Chef, Puppet, Ansible, and AWS are some of the DevOps tools. 

10. Agile vs DevOps: Automation

As has been mentioned above, DevOps uses automation methodology, whereas Agile does not. DevOps embraces the principle that automation can speed up the process of software delivery.

11. Agile vs DevOps: Methodologies

The Agile methodology takes feedback from the clients and focuses on how to adapt to the changing requirements. On the other hand, the DevOps methodology aims at shortening the span of the software development life cycle by automating the tasks related to software development and IT operations. 

Hope this gives a clear idea about how DevOps is different from Agile. You can acquire in-depth knowledge about these through Agile and DevOps courses that are offered online. 

When do Agile and DevOps Work Together?

Both Agile and DevOps have their own sets of benefits. How about bringing both of them together and having the best of both worlds? 

DevOps and Agile can work in amalgamation with one another to stabilize the framework of project development. When both work together, the development life cycle becomes shorter. Although continuous software delivery falls within the jurisdiction of Agile, there might be some operations concerns that need to be addressed with the help of DevOps. 

DevOps can be tagged as an advanced form of Agile practices that incorporates the missing pieces of Agile. 

What are the Similarities Between Agile and DevOps?

Now that we have discussed all Agile and DevOps differences let us have a look at the similarities between the two. If you are wondering, “Is DevOps and Agile same?” the answer is no. Although there are some similarities between the two, they cannot be used interchangeably. 

• In the fast-changing world with raging technological demands and ever-changing customer needs, it is important to find improved approaches to solving problems efficiently. Both Agile and DevOps aim at achieving stability while maximizing productivity. 
• Both methodologies stress the importance of communication among the team members. Both Agile and DevOps aim to build a workplace where members can have clear communication, share information instantly, detect issues at the earliest, and troubleshoot problems. 
• Both methodologies prioritize delivering software to clients on a continuous basis. 

Hope this establishes a relationship between Agile and DevOps. You can pursue DevOps and Agile courses online to learn more about these two methodologies.

Agile vs DevOps: Benefits

Working independently or in collaboration with one another, both Agile and DevOps have a wide range of benefits and are an asset in the field of software development. The benefits of using these methodologies in software development are listed below:

• By now, we have developed a clear idea about how Agile and DevOps are working towards ensuring faster and safer software delivery to clients. Agile methodology is flexible, and it takes the clients’ feedback into consideration. 
• DevOps can help to expedite the process with the help of automation and take the software to the production stage in an efficient manner. 
• Due to repeated testing conducted by various expert professionals, the chances of the software thus produced being error-free is increased. Every release has fewer risks and better performance.
• The efficient customization and timely delivery of services also lead to better customer satisfaction.
• The use of Agile and DevOps methodologies also creates a better environment where employees can interact freely and communicate the problems so that they can be solved at the earliest. Better communication automatically improves the overall product quality. 

Final Thoughts

Therefore, it is evident that both DevOps and Agile help to increase the efficiency of software delivery in different ways. While Agile stresses increasing the efficiency of the development cycles, DevOps bridges the gap between the development and operations teams to ensure continuous integration and delivery. You can learn more about these from upGrad KnowledgeHut's DevOps training course. upGrad KnowledgeHut brings to you the excellent opportunity to pursue these courses and step up in your career. Learners are taught by leading experts in the industry. 

After completion of the courses, learners are issued certificates and are also offered the required placement support. If you are looking forward to advancing your career in the IT sector, enroll now.