Unified pipelines have streamlined security checks and testing across our development workflow
What is our primary use case?
We are working with Black Duck, but we do have some plans to move to another vendor down the line.
Black Duck is used mostly for security checks. For coverage, we are using a tool called SonarQube.
Black Duck is explicitly used for security checks on code, for example, open-source software.
We perform scans with Black Duck Security Checker, but software developers handle the post-remediations and mitigation of risks and vulnerabilities.
For CI/CD, we are using GitLab Premium for our repositories. We have Artifactory for all artifact storage from JFrog Artifactory. We have Black Duck for security checks, SonarQube for coverage and unit testing, and Ansible for configuration management along with other tools.
These tools are used for our CI/CD pipelines, running all our pipelines and having unit test cases executed with SonarQube and Black Duck for security checks.
What is most valuable?
GitLab Premium is a one-place platform. You don't have to jump between other tools for multi-stage scanning. You can run multi-stage pipelines all together from building source code, testing source code, running test cases, performing security checks, deploying CI/CD, and end-to-end integration to deployment all in one place.
It is quick and fast. The pipelines run quicker, and the background job processes are efficient. It is multi-threaded operation so it is quite fast.
It is simple to use. You just need to have a good knowledge base, and by getting hands-on experience, you are all set.
What needs improvement?
It could be better, but now that we have migrated to Siemens Energy, GitLab Premium is being actively looked after by another team. We are just making sure that GitLab Premium administration is being done by us.
We are not using the security testing capabilities in GitLab Premium. For security we are using a separate tool.
The automation part could be improved. Nowadays AI is being actively used, and if we could integrate something like ChatGPT with GitLab Premium, it would be easier for us to check logs and debug faster.
We could integrate security and coverage built-in within GitLab Premium instead of relying on third-party tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with GitLab Premium for the last four years.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We stopped working with Chef. We do have Chef for releases and a different process for our own product where Chef is being used. However, I am not using Chef. Instead, we have switched to Ansible for most of our configuration management.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
GitHub is a product I can compare with GitLab Premium.
GitLab Premium is much more reliable, quicker, faster, and basically easier to operate compared to GitHub. It is easy to get things on track. GitHub requires a lot of knowledge. It is easy to spin up any kind of environment and it is easy to be hosted.
What other advice do I have?
We were on the desktop, and now GitLab Premium is on cloud.
I am not really sure about the purchase process for GitLab Premium.
I am a GitLab Premium end-user.
I give this product a rating of eight out of ten.
All-in-one DevOps platform that keeps our team aligned and shipping faster
What do you like best about the product?
Everything in one place - code, CI/CD, issues, and deployments. The CI/CD pipeline is powerful and easy to configure. Code review and merge requests work well for our workflow. The built-in container registry and package registry are convenient. GitLab Pages is great for hosting docs. The self-hosted option gives us control when needed. Overall, it streamlines our DevOps workflow.
What do you dislike about the product?
The UI can be slow, especially with large repos or many pipelines. Some advanced features are only in higher tiers. The search could be better. The interface can feel cluttered. Documentation is extensive but sometimes hard to find. Runner management can be tricky at scale.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Before GitLab, we used separate tools for version control, CI/CD, and project management. GitLab consolidates everything, reducing context switching and improving visibility. The CI/CD pipelines automate testing and deployment, catching issues earlier. This speeds up releases and reduces manual work. Having code, issues, and pipelines in one place makes collaboration easier.
Excellent for Collaboration, but UI Improvement Is Needed
What do you like best about the product?
GitLab is very user-friendly because of its clean and intuitive interface, especially the web editor that resembles VS Code and allows me to view, edit, comment, and commit code changes all in one screen without having to use multiple tools. Ease of implementation is also a huge plus because I can begin working immediately without having to install any software, which is very convenient when traveling or working on a mobile device. The need for customer support is minimal because the documentation is very clear and well-organized, and in most cases, it is more than enough to solve problems without having to contact customer support. The usage rate is very high because it is part of my daily routine for tasks such as collaboration, code reviews, and quick fixes. GitLab provides a whole array of functionalities such as repository management, CI/CD, issue tracking, and code editing, which makes it a very powerful all-in-one solution. GitLab also integrates very well with the existing development workflow and tools, which makes it easy for teams to adopt without having to make any significant changes.
What do you dislike about the product?
In my personal opinion, the interface of GitLab can be improved further. In comparison to other version control systems, the color scheme of GitLab can be more balanced and refined. Moreover, many important settings of GitLab are hidden deep inside the menu system, making it difficult for users to access them, especially for those who are using GitLab less frequently. Accessing important settings from more prominent locations would greatly improve the user experience.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
GitLab fixes the issue of code change management, collaboration, and project stability all in one place. GitLab offers me a stable version control system that ensures my code is always safe and easily trackable, so I can easily see what happened when a bug or crash happens and easily revert or repair it. GitLab also makes collaboration easy by allowing team members to review, comment, and work on code right from the platform, without having to go through any hassle of setting up or transferring files.
A great enterprise repository solution
What do you like best about the product?
The user interface is excellent. It makes tasks like viewing and searching code, opening and reviewing merge requests, as well as creating tags and managing pipelines, all very straightforward and accessible.
What do you dislike about the product?
There are some useful features, but for instance, the ability to add two reviewers to a merge request is restricted by a paywall. This limitation is disappointing, especially for a self-hosted solution where you would expect more flexibility.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We rely on GitLab to host our version control, with our entire monorepo managed there. All of our upgrades are handled through merge requests, which streamlines our workflow. Additionally, we have an extensive network of pipelines in place to ensure that our code consistently functions as intended.
All-in-One DevOps Platform with Reliable CI/CD and Excellent Traceability
What do you like best about the product?
Single platform: I like that GitLab combines source control, CI/CD, issue tracking, and monitoring in one place, which reduces tool sprawl and simplifies support.
Reliable CI/CD pipelines: Pipelines are easy to troubleshoot with clear logs and job history, making it faster to identify deployment or build failures.
Good visibility and traceability: Every change is linked to commits, merge requests, and issues, which helps when investigating incidents or regressions.
What do you dislike about the product?
I currently do not have any dislikes about GitLab. The platform has consistently met our operational and support needs,
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
GitLab solves the problem of using multiple disconnected tools for source control, CI/CD, and issue tracking by providing everything in a single platform. This benefits me as an Application Support professional by improving visibility across the full application lifecycle, making it easier to trace issues, troubleshoot deployments, and collaborate with developers. Having pipelines, logs, and code changes in one place reduces resolution time and helps maintain system stability.
Role-based workflows have transformed daily deployments and improve team collaboration
What is our primary use case?
GitLab is a major help for DevOps automation, primarily for version controlling and deployment purposes. I use GitLab for DevOps automation and version control in my daily work by creating many branches for each environment through which deployments can be controlled and version control can be maintained. When we need to make a change only for the dev environment, we simply make the code change for the dev branch, and only the servers connected to the dev branch receive those changes applied while the rest remains the same. In a similar way, we can particularly target a group of servers, which prevents other issues from occurring. GitLab helps tremendously in this purpose.
What is most valuable?
GitLab has role-based access control, so when a team member needs to make a code change, they cannot directly apply it to the environment but must put in a merge request. Once a senior reviews the code and approves it, then it is implemented across the environment, making it safer and allowing everyone to experience the process.
The best features GitLab offers are version control and automation, which are the major things that stand out to me. When it comes to access, the login is very smooth, with just one login integrated with our Okta, allowing everyone to log in easily. Deployments become much easier, and that is how GitLab helps.
The automation features make my work easier because we use a tool called AWX, which is connected to GitLab. Whenever we run a job on AWX, it directly checks the code and uses it. Since the code is not preserved locally but kept in the cloud, it is safe and nobody can tamper with it. When it comes to safety, that is a major thing. Automation features allow the code to be accessed from any tools we use, so the jobs we run are helping tremendously and doing their work perfectly.
For pipeline tasks, we have created a significant amount of pipelines, which are all hosted in GitLab. Running the pipelines has become much easier, and they are doing a perfect job, helping tremendously in our day-to-day activities.
GitLab has positively impacted my organization because previously we stored code locally on servers, leading to many risks. Since GitLab came into our environment, our integration and deployments became much easier, helping our work become much smoother.
Improvements from GitLab have led to better team collaboration because when several people are working, they can all edit the code and submit it as a merge request, and once approved, it reflects directly to the main branch. Many can work at the same time. When it comes to deployments, deploying has become much faster since we started using GitLab, and even if errors occur, we can spot them easily and troubleshoot, which has helped tremendously.
What needs improvement?
I believe GitLab can be improved by making integration with other platforms a little easier. I understand it is a matter of security, but it would be much more helpful if it could integrate with other tools more seamlessly.
When it comes to speed, if multiple users are committing their codes, it takes a bit longer, which I think can be improved. Fine-tuning resources might help, but apart from that, I have not felt many improvements, as everything is going smoothly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using GitLab for the last five years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
GitLab has been very scalable in my experience. Even as our count of servers and applications grows, we can still support our needs with GitLab, which is why I find it very scalable.
How are customer service and support?
I have had experiences with GitLab's customer support, and they have been very supportive. I have not faced any issues from their side till today.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used a different solution before GitLab. From the day I started working in my organization, I have been using GitLab. While I heard they were storing all the codes locally on servers previously, I have not experienced that.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before choosing GitLab, my organization evaluated other options such as Jira and Atlassian, but the major advantage of GitLab led us to choose it.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate GitLab a 10 on a scale of one to ten because it is perfect in all ways. I choose 10 because the offerings provided by GitLab are very useful in aspects like deployment, team collaboration, and deployment speed, all of which GitLab helps with tremendously.
If you are looking for faster deployment, team collaboration, version control, and better use of CI/CD pipelines, my advice is that GitLab is the best option for you, so go and try it out. I give GitLab an overall rating of 10.
One tool to Plan, Build and Deliver faster.
What do you like best about the product?
The best thing about GitLab is that you do not need to use multiple tools. It covers git repo, ci/cd, sprint planning, tracing issues,and deployment. It comes with built in ci/cd which works out of the box. By just adding .xml file, we can set up ci/cd easily, no third party integration needed. So for any project easy to build, test and deploy. We're using GitLab frequently and it helps everyone from developers to project manager.
What do you dislike about the product?
Sprint planning is simpler compared to other tools.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
GitLab removes chaos from software development because it's all in one platform and helps teams deliver better work, faster, with more transparency.
Simple, Scalable, Secure, and Seamless DevOps Platform.
What do you like best about the product?
Scalability, Security, wonderful ui-ux. To me, it has been the best DevOps platform, easy to configure seamless CI/CD pipeline.
What do you dislike about the product?
Large repositories are problematic, besides the initial setup seems complex, and the limited integration due to Kubernetes is a challenge.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Configuring secure CI-CD pipelines with ease.
Streamlined CI/CD with GitLab's Powerful Features
What do you like best about the product?
I like that with GitLab we have control over our data since we deployed our own server and linked it with our domain. It has been particularly useful for automating workflows like Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment, especially into Kubernetes environments. I also appreciate the ability to store secrets safely with GitLab, which adds an extra layer of security to our processes. Moreover, integrating GitLab with SonarQube for checking vulnerabilities in source code has been beneficial. After the initial setup on our AWS EC2 machine, everything works smoothly, which I really appreciate.
What do you dislike about the product?
Nothing anything at the moment
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We use GitLab to keep our data secure and link it to our domain. It automates workflows with CI/CD for k8s environments and safely stores secrets.
Powerful Group Structure and Seamless CI/CD Integration, but can be a bit complicated at first
What do you like best about the product?
I love the group structure and how I am able to control the granularity of organization. I also really like Gitlab's CI/CD integration, making it very easy to run it with Gitlab Runner.
What do you dislike about the product?
The group structure is sometimes a double edged sword as different organizations have different ways of structuring their group, and the learning curve may be a bit high if you are just joining, as it is different than what they might be used to.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We needed an easy way of doing CI/CD as well as managing security clearance per project, Gitlab's features made it very easy.
