In 30 seconds
- Continuous delivery: every change is releasable; a person decides to release.
- Continuous deployment: every passing change goes live automatically.
- Deployment needs strong automated tests and monitoring.
Pick continuous delivery when…
- Releases need business timing, approvals or customer coordination
- Regulation requires a human sign-off
- Automated test coverage is still growing
Pick continuous deployment when…
- Automated tests and monitoring are strong
- Rollback is fast and safe
- You want the shortest path from commit to customer
Side by side
| Continuous delivery | Continuous deployment | |
|---|---|---|
| Every change releasable | Yes | Yes |
| Release step | Manual decision | Automatic |
| Release frequency | When chosen | Every passing change |
| Main requirement | Reliable pipeline | Pipeline plus strong tests and monitoring |
See also release on demand.
Myth vs reality
Myth · They're the same thing.
Reality · The difference is whether a person presses release.
Myth · Continuous deployment is reckless.
Reality · With good tests and monitoring, small changes are low risk.
Myth · You need one before the other.
Reality · Continuous delivery is the usual stepping stone.
FAQ
Where does continuous integration fit?
It comes first: merging and testing changes many times a day.
Can feature toggles help?
Yes; deploy continuously, release features when ready.
How do we measure progress?
Deployment frequency and lead time for changes are common measures.