AWS CodeBuild vs Visual Studio App Center

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AWS CodeBuild

475
477
+ 1
43
Visual Studio App Center

117
232
+ 1
4
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AWS CodeBuild vs Visual Studio App Center: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this comparison, we will explore the key differences between AWS CodeBuild and Visual Studio App Center. Both are popular tools for continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) processes, but they have distinct features and capabilities.

  1. Pricing Model: AWS CodeBuild offers a pay-per-use pricing model, where you pay for the duration it takes to build and test your code. On the other hand, Visual Studio App Center follows a tiered pricing model, offering different plans based on usage and features. This difference in pricing models allows you to choose the most cost-effective option based on your specific needs.

  2. Supported Platforms: AWS CodeBuild is a cloud-based service that supports a wide range of platforms, including popular programming languages like Java, Python, Ruby, etc. It also integrates with other AWS services seamlessly. In contrast, Visual Studio App Center primarily focuses on mobile application development, supporting platforms like iOS, Android, Xamarin, React Native, etc. This difference makes CodeBuild more suitable for a broader range of projects, while App Center specializes in mobile app development.

  3. Build Environments: AWS CodeBuild provides a fully managed build environment, where you can configure your project's specific requirements like operating system, runtime, tools, etc. It allows for customization and flexibility by supporting your custom Docker images. On the other hand, Visual Studio App Center offers pre-configured build environments optimized for mobile app development. It simplifies the setup process, particularly for teams primarily focused on mobile development.

  4. Integration with Development Tools: AWS CodeBuild integrates seamlessly with various development tools and services, including AWS CodeCommit, AWS CodePipeline, and third-party tools like GitHub, Bitbucket, etc. It provides flexibility in building your CI/CD workflow. Visual Studio App Center, as the name suggests, is tightly integrated with the Visual Studio IDE, as well as other collaboration tools like GitHub, Azure DevOps, Slack, etc. This difference makes App Center more suitable for developers who predominantly use Visual Studio and other Microsoft tools.

  5. Testing and Deployment Capabilities: AWS CodeBuild mainly focuses on building and testing your code. It provides integration with popular testing frameworks and allows you to execute custom scripts for testing. However, it does not directly offer deployment capabilities, and you need to integrate with other deployment tools like AWS CodeDeploy. Visual Studio App Center, on the other hand, provides a comprehensive solution for building, testing, and deploying mobile applications. It offers features like automated UI testing, crash reporting, and distribution of apps for testing or production deployment.

  6. Analytics and Monitoring: AWS CodeBuild provides detailed build logs, allowing you to monitor the progress and troubleshoot any issues efficiently. It integrates with AWS CloudWatch for logs and metrics monitoring, providing valuable insights into your build process. Visual Studio App Center also provides logs and diagnostics information for build and testing processes. It offers additional features like crash analytics, performance monitoring, and engagement metrics for mobile apps. This difference makes App Center a more comprehensive solution for monitoring and analyzing the performance of mobile applications.

In Summary, AWS CodeBuild offers greater platform flexibility, customization options, and integration with various development tools, making it suitable for a wide range of projects. Visual Studio App Center focuses on mobile app development, provides pre-configured environments, tight integration with Visual Studio, and comprehensive testing and deployment features. The choice between these tools depends on your specific project requirements and development focus.

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Pros of AWS CodeBuild
Pros of Visual Studio App Center
  • 7
    Pay per minute
  • 5
    Parameter Store integration for passing secrets
  • 4
    Integrated with AWS
  • 3
    Streaming logs to Amazon CloudWatch
  • 3
    Bit bucket integration
  • 2
    GitHub Webhooks support
  • 2
    AWS Config and Config rule integration for compliance
  • 2
    VPC PrivateLinks to invoke service without internet
  • 1
    Windows/.NET support
  • 1
    Jenkins plugin integration
  • 1
    Ondemand scaling of build jobs
  • 1
    Scheduled builds with CloudWatch Events integration
  • 1
    Local build debug support
  • 1
    Native support for accessing Amazon VPC resources
  • 1
    Docker based build environment
  • 1
    Support for bringing custom Docker images
  • 1
    Fully managed (no installation/updates, servers to mai
  • 1
    PCI, SOC, ISO, HIPAA compliant
  • 1
    Full API/SDKs/CLI support
  • 1
    YAML based configuration
  • 1
    Great support (forums, premium support, SO, GitHub)
  • 1
    Perpetual free tier option (100 mins/month)
  • 1
    GitHub Enterprise support
  • 1
    Show error issues for mobile devices
  • 1
    Slack integration
  • 1
    Bug tracking integration
  • 1
    For Mobile apps diagnostics and tracking

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Cons of AWS CodeBuild
Cons of Visual Studio App Center
  • 2
    Poor branch support
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    What is AWS CodeBuild?

    AWS CodeBuild is a fully managed build service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages that are ready to deploy. With CodeBuild, you don’t need to provision, manage, and scale your own build servers.

    What is Visual Studio App Center?

    Automate the lifecycle of your iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS apps. Connect your repo and within minutes build in the cloud, test on thousands of real devices, distribute to beta testers and app stores, and monitor real-world usage with crash and analytics data. All in one place.

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    What tools integrate with AWS CodeBuild?
    What tools integrate with Visual Studio App Center?

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    What are some alternatives to AWS CodeBuild and Visual Studio App Center?
    Jenkins
    In a nutshell Jenkins CI is the leading open-source continuous integration server. Built with Java, it provides over 300 plugins to support building and testing virtually any project.
    AWS CodePipeline
    CodePipeline builds, tests, and deploys your code every time there is a code change, based on the release process models you define.
    Apache Maven
    Maven allows a project to build using its project object model (POM) and a set of plugins that are shared by all projects using Maven, providing a uniform build system. Once you familiarize yourself with how one Maven project builds you automatically know how all Maven projects build saving you immense amounts of time when trying to navigate many projects.
    GitLab CI
    GitLab offers a continuous integration service. If you add a .gitlab-ci.yml file to the root directory of your repository, and configure your GitLab project to use a Runner, then each merge request or push triggers your CI pipeline.
    AWS CodeDeploy
    AWS CodeDeploy is a service that automates code deployments to Amazon EC2 instances. AWS CodeDeploy makes it easier for you to rapidly release new features, helps you avoid downtime during deployment, and handles the complexity of updating your applications.
    See all alternatives