Top 10 DevOps Tools for 2025 - Must-Have for Developers and Engineers

AI & DevOps - Smarter Workflows with Fabric#

It’s no secret that AI is everywhere right now. Whether it’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or GitHub Copilot, developers are increasingly using AI-powered tools to boost productivity. But AI is only as good as the prompts you give it, and that’s where Fabric comes in.

Fabric helps you craft better AI prompts, leading to more accurate and useful responses. Instead of tweaking prompts manually every time, Fabric provides ready-to-use patterns that help AI understand what you actually need.

If you rely on AI in your DevOps workflows, Fabric is a simple but powerful tool to add to your setup.

CI/CD Evolution - Why Devbox Stands Out#

Speaking of automation, let’s move on to CI/CD.

CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, and Argo Workflows haven’t changed much over the years. But what has changed is how we manage development environments. That’s why my top pick in this category isn’t another workflow engine—it’s Devbox.

Devbox, powered by Nix packages, makes it incredibly easy to define and install dependencies across different environments—whether you’re working locally, in a CI/CD pipeline, or inside a containerized setup.

Instead of dealing with version mismatches and missing dependencies, you can spin up a fully configured development environment in seconds. It’s portable, lightweight, and a game-changer for developers who work across multiple machines.

Containers - Security First with Chainguard Images#

Now, since we’re talking about containers, let’s move on to the next tool.

Containers have been the backbone of modern DevOps for years, and by now, most of us don’t even think about which runtime we’re using—Docker, Podman, Rancher—they all do the job. But Docker does it better.

One thing that definitely matters is security. That’s why my pick for 2025 is Chainguard Images. These lightweight, secure container images are designed to eliminate common security risks while keeping the image size as small as possible. If you want to build safer, more efficient containers, switching to Chainguard is an easy win.

Developer Portals - A Better Alternative to Backstage#

Of course, containers are only part of the story. Let’s talk about Developer Portals.

With the rise of platform engineering, companies are investing in developer portals to help teams collaborate and streamline workflows. For a long time, Backstage has been the go-to choice, but let’s be real—it’s complex and expensive to manage.

That’s why my recommendation is Port. Port takes a data-first approach, allowing teams to visualize services, dependencies, and internal tools without the headache of maintaining Backstage. It integrates smoothly with Kubernetes and cloud platforms, making it an ideal choice for platform teams.

GitOps - The Clear Winner is Argo CD#

Speaking of Kubernetes, let’s talk about GitOps.

If you’ve been following the GitOps space, you know there has been a long-standing debate between Argo CD and Flux. But at this point, it’s safe to say that Argo CD has won.

While Flux had great architecture, it lost a lot of momentum after WeaveWorks shut down. Meanwhile, Argo CD continues to grow, backed by Intuit, Red Hat, and many others. If you’re managing Kubernetes with GitOps, Argo CD is the best choice in 2025—no question.

Infrastructure as Code - The Future is Control Planes#

But managing Kubernetes doesn’t stop at GitOps. Let’s talk about infrastructure.

Terraform and Ansible have been DevOps staples for years. But the next evolution of Infrastructure as Code is control planes—and my pick for this category is Crossplane.

Crossplane allows you to define infrastructure as APIs, so instead of applying raw Terraform manifests, you can build internal cloud platforms that are fully API-driven. This approach streamlines infrastructure management and makes it easier for teams to consume infrastructure as a service.

Manifest Management - Why I Switched to KCL#

Of course, with all this infrastructure, managing manifests is a big deal. That brings us to the next tool.

Kubernetes manifests are often written in Helm, Kustomize, or plain YAML—but these formats have scalability issues.

That’s why I switched to KCL. KCL is a powerful configuration language that makes managing Kubernetes manifests cleaner and more maintainable. If you’ve ever struggled with complex YAML files, KCL is worth checking out.

The Terminal Game-Changer - Nushell#

Now, let’s shift gears and talk about something we all use daily—the terminal.

If you spend a lot of time in the terminal, you need to check out Nushell. Unlike Bash or Zsh, Nushell treats everything as structured data—which makes filtering, processing, and scripting so much easier.

Since switching, I’ve rewritten all my scripts in Nushell, and I don’t see myself going back. It’s fast, intuitive, and perfect for modern DevOps workflows.

A Hidden Gem - Why You Should Use NATS#

Speaking of underrated tools, here’s one that deserves more attention.

NATS is a lightweight, high-performance pub/sub messaging system that many DevOps engineers overlook.

It’s often used as the backend for other tools, but it’s just as powerful when used directly. If you’re dealing with event-driven architectures or microservices, NATS is a fantastic alternative to Kafka.

Kubernetes Networking - Why Cilium is a Must-Have#

And now, let’s talk about one of the most important tools in Kubernetes networking.

Networking in Kubernetes can be complicated, but Cilium simplifies everything by using eBPF. It improves performance, enhances security, and even eliminates the need for traditional service meshes in some cases. Many Kubernetes clusters already use Cilium by default.

If you haven’t looked into it yet, now’s the time.

Final Thoughts - What Should You Try First?#

So there you have it—10 DevOps tools that are shaping 2025:

• Fabric - AI-powered prompt optimization
• Devbox - Simplified CI/CD environments
• Chainguard Images - Secure container images
• Port - Lightweight developer portal
• Argo CD - The definitive GitOps tool
• Crossplane - API-driven infrastructure management
• KCL - A better way to manage Kubernetes manifests
• Nushell - A modern terminal shell
• NATS - High-performance pub/sub messaging
• Cilium - The future of Kubernetes networking

Thank you for reading! Don’t forget to check out the video version for additional insights and visuals.

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Tools I Personally Trust#

If you’re building things, breaking things, and trying to keep your digital life a little saner (like every good DevOps engineer), these are two tools that I trust and use daily:

🛸 Proton VPN - My shield on the internet. It keeps your Wi-Fi secure, hides your IP, and blocks those creepy trackers. Even if I’m hacking away on free café Wi-Fi, I know I’m safe.

🔑 Proton Pass - My password vault. Proper on-device encryption, 2FA codes, logins, secrets - all mine and only mine. No compromises.

These are partner links - you won’t pay a cent more, but you’ll be supporting DevOps Compass. Thanks a ton - it helps me keep this compass pointing the right way 💜

Gear & Books I Trust#

📕 Essential DevOps books
🖥️ Studio streaming & recording kit
📡 Streaming starter kit

Social Channels#

🎬 YouTube
🐦 X (Twitter)
🎨 Instagram
🐘 Mastodon
🧵 Threads
🎸 Facebook
🦋 Bluesky
🎥 TikTok
💻 LinkedIn
📣 daily.dev Squad
✈️ Telegram
🐈 GitHub

Community of IT Experts#

👾 Discord

Refill My Coffee Supplies#

💖 PayPal
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🍪 Ko-fi
💎 GitHub
⚡ Telegram Boost

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Is this content AI-generated?

No. Every article on this blog is written by me personally, drawing on decades of hands-on IT experience and a genuine passion for technology.

I use AI tools exclusively to help polish grammar and ensure my technical guidance is as clear as possible. However, the core ideas, strategic insights, and step-by-step solutions are entirely my own, born from real-world work.

Because of this human-and-AI partnership, some detection tools might flag this content. You can be confident, though, that the expertise is authentic. My goal is to share road-tested knowledge you can trust.