adaptive.run TECH BLOG

Confused about how GitOps and DevOps differ? This introductory guide explains what each approach is, how they complement one another, and where they fit in today’s software delivery practices.

GitOps and DevOps are terms you’ll often hear in tech discussions, job descriptions, and blog posts. Because they sound alike and are frequently mentioned together, it’s easy to assume they mean the same thing. While both are key to modern software delivery, they are not interchangeable. Let’s take a closer look.

What is DevOps?

DevOps is a way of working rather than a specific technology.

At its core, DevOps focuses on breaking down barriers between development and operations teams so software can be delivered more quickly, reliably, and with fewer handoffs.

Instead of developers writing code and then passing it off to operations, DevOps encourages shared responsibility and collaboration from the very beginning. Automation plays a big role as well, with practices such as CI/CD pipelines helping teams release changes faster and detect issues earlier in the process.

DevOps is best thought of as a culture or mindset. It’s not tied to a single tool or platform. The goal is to align people, processes, and technology to continuously deliver value to end users—not just to automate deployments for the sake of it.

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What is GitOps?

GitOps is an operational model for managing infrastructure and application deployments, with Git acting as the single source of truth.

In a GitOps approach, every change is defined as code and stored in a Git repository. These changes might represent a new application release or the provisioning of infrastructure, such as creating a Kubernetes cluster.

The Git repository reflects the desired state of the system, and updates are made through pull requests. This provides a clear, version-controlled, and auditable history of changes, making deployments more predictable and easier to manage.

GitOps is one way teams can simplify and standardize how they deploy and operate systems.

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How DevOps and GitOps Complement Each Other

Rather than choosing between DevOps and GitOps, most teams benefit from using both.

• DevOps establishes the culture, collaboration, and automation mindset.

• GitOps provides a concrete, Git-based method for managing infrastructure and deployments.

GitOps is particularly well suited to cloud-native platforms like Kubernetes, while DevOps practices can be applied across any environment—on-premises, cloud, containers, or even legacy systems.

CONCLUSION:

GitOps and DevOps aren’t competitors—they’re stronger together. DevOps lays the foundation by shaping how teams work, while GitOps is one of the practical approaches that builds on that foundation.

If your goal is better collaboration and faster delivery, start with DevOps. If you want a consistent, version-controlled, and automated deployment model, layer GitOps on top. Together, they help teams deliver software more efficiently and with greater confidence.