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10 Best DevOps Tools in 2026

By Toolradar Team · Updated February 2026

Monitoring, observability, incident management, and DevOps tools

Key Takeaways
  • GitLab is our #1 pick for devops in 2026, scoring 86/100.
  • We analyzed 12 devops tools to create this ranking.
  • 8 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.
  • Average editorial score: 9/100 — high-quality category.

How the Top DevOps Tools Compare

In 2026, GitLab leads the devops category with an editorial score of 86/100, 86 points ahead of Highlight.io (0/100) and Tyk (N/A/100). GitLab the most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform for secure and accelerated software delivery..

Pricing varies significantly among the top picks: GitLab (freemium (free tier available)), Highlight.io (freemium (free tier available)), Kratix (free) offer free access, while Tyk requires a paid subscription. Teams on a budget should start with GitLab, which scores 86/100 despite its free tier.

1
GitLab logo

GitLab

The most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform for secure and accelerated software delivery.

86/100
Freemium

GitLab is a comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform designed to streamline the entire software development lifecycle from code commit to production. It integrates native AI capabilities, such as AI Chat and AI Code Suggestions within the IDE, to help developers write secure code more efficiently and accelerate development. The platform aims to reduce the time spent managing disparate tools by offering a unified workflow for CI/CD pipelines, security, and automation. GitLab is ideal for development teams of all sizes looking to improve productivity, enhance security, and accelerate time to market. It offers built-in security features with automated scans integrated into pipelines, and unified DevSecOps workflows for continuous integration and continuous delivery. The platform boasts significant improvements in metrics like reduced cycle time, faster vulnerability detection, and decreased pipeline execution time, ultimately leading to faster software delivery and increased developer happiness.

2
Highlight.io logo

Highlight.io

Open source session replay and monitoring

Freemium

Highlight.io is an open-source monitoring platform combining session replay, error tracking, and logging. Self-hostable with a generous cloud tier.

3
Tyk logo

Tyk

Open source API gateway and management platform

Paid

Tyk is an open source API gateway and management platform. It provides API analytics, rate limiting, authentication, and a developer portal for managing APIs at scale.

4
Kratix logo

Kratix

An open-source framework for building composable internal developer platforms.

Free

Kratix is an open-source platform engineering framework designed to help organizations build composable Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs). It empowers platform engineers to create effective platforms that accelerate development, enhance safety, and increase efficiency at scale. By providing an 'everything-as-a-service' approach, Kratix enables self-service access to necessary resources for development teams, reducing blockages and reliance on tickets. The framework addresses challenges like tech sprawl and inconsistent critical business processes. It allows for managing resources as a fleet and automating the full lifecycle of platform resources, thereby reducing technical debt and operational overhead. Kratix facilitates the co-creation of capabilities through 'Promises,' which define clear contracts between application and platform teams, ensuring consistent codification of business processes across the organization. It's ideal for platform engineers looking to streamline operations and provide golden paths for their developers.

5
Piku logo

Piku

Deploy applications to your own servers with a Heroku-like git push workflow.

Free

Piku is a micro-PaaS (Platform as a Service) inspired by Dokku, designed to simplify application deployments to personal servers, even those with limited resources like a Raspberry Pi. It enables developers to deploy applications using a straightforward `git push` command, abstracting away much of the server configuration and dependency management. This tool is ideal for developers, small teams, or hobbyists who want to host their applications on their own infrastructure without the complexity of traditional server setup and maintenance. It provides a Heroku-like experience, handling runtime detection, dependency installation, process management via Procfiles, and configuration management, making it easy to get applications up and running quickly. Piku supports multiple programming languages and offers features like virtual hosts, automatic SSL with Let's Encrypt, static site deployment, and caching. It aims to provide a robust yet lightweight deployment solution for various POSIX-like environments, including Linux, FreeBSD, and WSL.

6
Port logo

Port

Build autonomous workflows and internal developer portals to accelerate engineering and reduce chaos.

Freemium

Port is an Agentic Internal Developer Portal and Platform designed to help engineering organizations build autonomous workflows and streamline operations. It moves beyond traditional static developer portals by providing a dynamic modeling layer for platform engineering, enabling self-service, governance, and automation at scale. The platform allows teams to create agentic flows for various engineering tasks, such as autonomously resolving tickets, self-healing incidents, provisioning resources from IDEs, and auto-fixing pipeline failures. It integrates with existing tools like Slack and Jira, allowing developers to interact with the platform where they already work. Port aims to boost agent decision-making by building a "context lake" and provides guardrails to control agent actions and scope their visibility. Port is built for platform teams, SREs, and engineering leaders looking to improve developer onboarding, increase deployment frequency, reduce vulnerabilities, and decrease Mean Time To Resolution (MTTR). It helps organizations measure the efficacy and ROI of their AI initiatives by comparing cycle times between agentic and manual workflows.

7
Ploomber logo

Ploomber

Securely share data and internal applications with enterprise-grade deployment and management.

Freemium

Ploomber provides an enterprise-grade platform designed for securely sharing data and internal applications with teams or customers. It offers a robust solution for deploying various types of applications, including Streamlit, Shiny, Dash, FastAPI, GitHub, Panel, Flask, Docker, Vizro, Solara, and Chainlit, with a focus on security, scalability, and ease of use. The platform caters to businesses looking to streamline their application deployment and management processes without compromising on security or performance. Key functionalities include built-in protection at every layer of the infrastructure, isolated network environments, IP whitelisting, and static IPs for secure database connections. Users can choose between SaaS or on-premise deployment options and benefit from features like drag-and-drop deployment, Git integration, automatic scaling, custom domains with automatic SSL, and granular access control. Ploomber also automates DevOps processes, offering PR previews, versioning, and rollback capabilities to ensure smooth and confident deployments.

8
Oxker logo

Oxker

A simple TUI to view and control Docker containers.

Free

Oxker is a terminal user interface (TUI) application built in Rust, designed to provide an intuitive way to view and control Docker containers. It leverages `ratatui` for the TUI and `Bollard` for Docker interaction, offering a lightweight and efficient solution for managing your Docker environment directly from the command line. This tool is ideal for developers, DevOps engineers, and anyone working with Docker containers who prefers a keyboard-driven interface over a graphical one or needs to manage containers in a remote or server environment. It simplifies common Docker operations like viewing logs, executing commands within containers, and sorting container lists. Key benefits include increased productivity through a fast, responsive TUI, the ability to customize keymaps and color schemes for a personalized experience, and broad compatibility across various operating systems and Docker environments, including installation via Cargo, Docker, Nix, AUR, Homebrew, or pre-built binaries.

9
Tilt logo

Tilt

Accelerate microservice development on Kubernetes with smart rebuilds and live updates.

Free

Tilt is an open-source toolkit designed to streamline the development experience for microservice applications running on Kubernetes. It addresses the common pains of local development, offering smart rebuilds and live updates that work seamlessly whether your services are running locally, in Kubernetes, or both. By providing a holistic view of your application and automating repetitive tasks, Tilt helps developers maintain a continuous feedback loop, quickly identify errors, and reduce iterative development times. Tilt is ideal for developers and teams working with microservices and Kubernetes who want to improve their development workflow, reduce onboarding time for new team members, and ensure consistency across development environments. It offers features like live updating code in running containers, powerful K8s-aware scripting, and the ability to share development environments through snapshots. The platform-agnostic and configurable nature of Tilt allows for gradual integration into existing workflows, making it accessible for various setups.

10
Pluralsight Flow logo

Pluralsight Flow

Transform engineering data into actionable insights for faster delivery and improved team collaboration.

Paid

Flow is a development team workflow tool that converts raw engineering data from commits, tickets, and pull requests into clear, actionable insights. It helps engineering leaders and teams diagnose bottlenecks, reduce cycle time, and make data-driven decisions to accelerate software delivery. The tool is designed for engineering leaders and teams looking to gain visibility into their development processes, improve efficiency, and enhance predictability. By providing a comprehensive view of engineering activity, Flow enables better collaboration, aligns teams with business goals, and supports continuous improvement initiatives. Ultimately, Flow empowers organizations to ship faster, work smarter, and foster a more productive and aligned engineering culture, especially for distributed teams.

Best DevOps For

Related Categories

What is DevOps Software?

Monitoring, observability, incident management, and DevOps tools

According to our analysis of 10+ tools, the devops software market offers solutions for teams of all sizes, from solo professionals to enterprise organizations. The best devops tools in 2026 combine powerful features with intuitive interfaces.

Editor's Take

“After evaluating 10 devops tools, GitLab stands out with a score of 86/100. For budget-conscious teams, GitLab (86/100, free tier available) delivers strong value without the price tag. The devops market is competitive — the gap between top tools is narrower than ever, so the best choice comes down to your team's specific workflow and priorities.”

— Toolradar Editorial Team · February 2026

DevOps Software: Key Data Points

10+
Tools analyzed on Toolradar
8
Offer free or freemium plans
86/100
Top editorial score

The devops software market continues to grow as businesses prioritize digital transformation. According to Toolradar's analysis across 10+ products, 80% of devops tools offer free or freemium plans, making it accessible for teams of all sizes. The top-rated tools average a score of 17/100, with GitLab leading at 86/100.

Common Features of DevOps Software

Automation

Automate repetitive devops tasks to save time

Collaboration

Work together with team members in real-time

Analytics & Reporting

Track progress and measure performance

Security

Protect sensitive data with enterprise-grade security

Who Uses DevOps Software?

DevOps software is used by a wide range of professionals and organizations:

Small businesses looking to streamline operations and compete with larger companies
Enterprise teams needing scalable solutions for complex devops needs
Freelancers and consultants managing multiple clients and projects
Startups seeking cost-effective tools that can grow with them

How to Choose the Right DevOps Software

When evaluating devops tools, consider these key factors:

  1. 1Identify your specific needs. What problems are you trying to solve? List your must-have features versus nice-to-haves.
  2. 2Consider your budget. 8 tools in our top 10 offer free plans, including GitLab and Highlight.io.
  3. 3Evaluate ease of use. A powerful tool is useless if your team won't adopt it. Look for intuitive interfaces and good onboarding.
  4. 4Check integrations. Ensure the tool works with your existing tech stack (CRM, communication tools, etc.).
  5. 5Read real user reviews. Our community reviews provide honest feedback from actual users.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best devops software in 2026?

Based on our analysis of features, user reviews, and overall value, GitLab ranks as the #1 devops tool in 2026 with a score of 86/100. Other top-rated options include Highlight.io and Tyk.

Are there free devops tools available?

Yes! GitLab, Highlight.io, Kratix offer free plans. In total, 8 of the top 10 devops tools have free or freemium pricing options.

How do you rank devops tools?

Our rankings are based on multiple factors: editorial analysis of features and usability (40%), community reviews and ratings (30%), pricing value (15%), and integration capabilities (15%). We regularly update rankings as tools evolve and new reviews come in.

What should I look for in devops software?

Key factors to consider include: core features that match your workflow, ease of use and learning curve, pricing that fits your budget, quality of customer support, integrations with your existing tools, and scalability as your needs grow.

Types of DevOps Software

Explore specialized subcategories within devops:

Our Ranking Methodology

At Toolradar, we combine editorial expertise with community insights to rank devops tools:

40%
Editorial Analysis
Features, UX, innovation
30%
User Reviews
Real feedback from verified users
15%
Pricing Value
Cost vs. features offered
15%
Integrations
Ecosystem compatibility

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