intro
Let’s dive into a curated selection of the top database CI/CD and schema change tools available today.
The database schema is a fundamental part of any software system and must be carefully managed and monitored across deployments. Over the years, many vendors have developed database schema change tools that integrate directly into CI/CD pipelines.
Those solutions simplify the process of applying database changes across different environments, making it quick, reliable, and secure. In this article, we will highlight, compare, and analyze some of the most effective tools for managing database schema changes within CI/CD pipelines.
What Is a Database CI/CD Tool?
A database CI/CD tool automates the integration, testing, and deployment of database changes within CI/CD pipelines. That is why these tools are also referred to as database schema change tools.
More specifically, a database CI/CD (or schema change) tool enables you to apply database updates more frequently, reliably, and with less manual intervention. The end goal is to accelerate the software delivery lifecycle.
What to Look for in Database CI/CD and Schema Change Solutions
With the growing adoption of CI/CD pipelines to deploy application code, driven by their well-known benefits to the software development process, tools for managing database changes within CI/CD workflows have also become popular.
To choose the right tool for your needs, there are a few important factors to keep in mind. These have been summarized in the following table:
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Nature | Whether the solution is proprietary, open-source, freeware, premium, or a mix. |
| Features | Highlights key features the tool offers for managing database changes within CI/CD pipelines. |
| Supported CI/CD integrations | Lists which CI/CD pipelines (like Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions, etc.) the tool can integrate with. |
| Supported databases | The database technologies the tool can track changes for (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB). |
| Migration formats | Indicates support for migration formats such as SQL scripts, Bash scripts, PowerShell, and more. |
| Extensibility | Availability of plugins, integrations, or hooks to customize and extend the solution. |
| Free trial | Whether the tool offers a free trial on paid plans. |
| Pricing | The pricing models available. |
| User reviews | Average user review scores on TrustRadius. |
Top Database Schema Change Tools for CI/CD Pipelines
See the top database schema change tools for CI/CD integrations currently available on the market, selected based on the criteria outlined above.
Note: This list is not a ranking, but rather a collection of the best database schema change tools presented in no particular order.
Liquibase
Liquibase is a widely adopted open-source solution with a Pro cloud version. It lets you manage database schema changes as code. More specifically, it provides version control features and integrates into CI/CD pipelines for repeatable deployments. Liquibase supports a wide range of databases and helps prevent database schema drift.
Nature: Proprietary, but with an open-source core.
Features:
Supported CI/CD integrations: Jenkins, GitLab, GitHub, Azure, CircleCI, Bamboo, TeamCity, and others.
Supported databases: Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Snowflake, DB2, Redshift, CockroachDB, and many others.
Migration formats: Scripts in SQL, XML, YAML, and JSON.
Extensibility: Yes, via a plugin system, APIs for custom extensions, integrations with ticketing and SCM tools, and more.
Free trial: Yes, a 30-day free trial is available for companies.
Pricing: Open source:
Liquibase Pro:
User reviews: 8.1/10 (115 reviews)
Redgate Flyway
Redgate Flyway is a database migration tool that helps automate and manage database schema changes across various environments. It simplifies the process of evolving database schemas, helping you deploy database changes more efficiently and securely. Flyway supports multiple databases and is available as a community open-source version and a cloud platform.
Nature: Both an open-source edition and a premium version for enterprises.
Features:
Supported CI/CD integrations: GitHub, Azure, GitLab, Jenkins, TeamCity, and Octopus Deploy.
Supported databases: SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MariaDB, Google Cloud Spanner, CockroachDB, Redshift, DB2, H2, SQLite, SAP HANA, Sybase ASE, Phoenix, Firebird, and many others.
Migration formats: SQL, Bash, Batch, PowerShell, Python, and Java scripts.
Extensibility: Yes, via plugins for Maven, Gradle, Docker, Spring Boot, Ant, Grunt, SBT, and more.
Free trial: Yes, a free trial is available for enterprises.
Pricing:
User reviews: 8.5/10 (13 reviews)
Atlas
Atlas is a database CI/CD DevOps tool to manage and migrate database schemas as code. It fosters a modern approach to database management, helping schema changes to be planned, reviewed, and deployed consistently and automatically.
Nature: Core engine is open-source under Apache 2.0, with a premium Atlas Cloud offering.
Features:
Supported CI/CD integrations: GitHub, GitLab, CircleCI, Bitbucket Pipelines, and others.
Supported databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, ClickHouse, Redshift, and more.
Migration formats: HCL declarative schemas, SQL migration files.
Extensibility: Yes, via integrations with Terraform, Kubernetes, ArgoCD, JetBrains, VSCode, GORM, Sequelize, Django ORM, SQLAlchemy, Hibernate, and more.
Free trial: Yes, a 30-day free trial is available for new users of the Cloud version.
Pricing: Open-source version:
Cloud version:
User reviews: — (0 reviews)
Bytebase
Bytebase is a database CI/CD and DevOps tool with an open-source nature. In its Pro version, it equips you with a centralized platform for managing database schema changes, SQL queries, and access control. In other words, it acts as a GitHub equivalent for database management.
Nature: Open-source core with premium self-hosted and cloud options.
Features:
Supported CI/CD integrations: GitLab, GitHub, Bitbucket, Azure, and integrates with CI/CD workflows via GitOps and VCS triggers.
Supported databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, Redis, Redshift, and more.
Migration formats: SQL scripts and database schema diffs, with support for online schema changes.
Extensibility: Yes, via APIs, public SDKs, webhooks, and GitOps workflows.
Free trial: Yes, a 14-day free trial is available only for enterprises.
Pricing:
User reviews: — (0 reviews)
Prisma Migrate
Prisma Migrate is a proprietary tool within the Prisma ecosystem. It functions as a database schema migration solution that manages schema changes in a version-controlled way. It helps you evolve your database incrementally over time by defining and applying successive updates.
Nature: Prisma Migrate is a proprietary tool developed by Prisma (which offers an open-source ORM).
Features:
Supported CI/CD integrations: GitHub, CircleCI, AWS CDK, and more.
Supported databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, CockroachDB, SQLite, AWS Aurora, Azure SQL, MongoDB Atlas, and more.
Migration formats: SQL schema migration scripts.
Extensibility: Yes, via client extensions in Prisma.
Free trial: No, but a free plan is available.
Pricing:
User reviews: — (0 reviews)
DBmaestro
DBmaestro is a database DevOps platform that automates, secures, and governs database CI/CD pipelines. It allows you to optimize database development, improve release velocity, and enhance security and compliance. In detail, DBmaestro focuses on integrating database changes into the overall application development and release process.
Nature: Proprietary enterprise platform available as both SaaS and on-premises solution.
Features:
Supported CI/CD integrations: Jenkins, GitLab, GitHub, Azure, CircleCI, and more
Supported databases: Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, MySQL, MariaDB, Redshift, RDS, and more.
Migration formats: SQL schema migration scripts.
Extensibility: Yes, via integrations with Ansible, Kubernetes, Docker, Chef, Puppet, Jira, UrbanCode, JFrog, and many others.
Free trial: No, but you can schedule a demo.
Pricing: Pricing not publicly disclosed for any of the three plans (Dev, Sec, and Ops).
User reviews: 8.0/10 (5 reviews)
Harness Database DevOps
Harness Database DevOps is a module within the Harness software delivery platform that integrates database changes into CI/CD pipelines. It automates schema management and governance, providing visibility into database changes across environments.
Nature: Proprietary enterprise solution with both SaaS and on-premises options.
Features:
Supported CI/CD integrations: GitHub, GitLab CI, Azure, CircleCI, Bitbucket Pipelines, and more.
Supported databases: SQL Server, MongoDB, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and more.
Migration formats: SQL migration scripts, Git-managed schema-as-code via SQL files or GUI/Codified pipeline steps
Extensibility: Yes, via integrations with Flyway, Liquibase, Kubernetes Operator, Terraform, and ArgoCD, and many others.
Free trial: No, but possibility to request a demo.
Pricing: Available only for enterprise customers through a sales inquiry.
User reviews: 7.9/10 (9 reviews)
Honorable Mentions
Discover other interesting tools in the realm of database schema changes.
DbVisualizer
DbVisualizer is a highly rated database client that runs on all major operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) and supports more than 50 databases.
As of version 25.2, DbVisualizer offers built-in Git integration. This allows you to safely track and share changes to your database schema generation and migration scripts. You can clone remote repositories or connect existing ones, switch branches, push commits, pull updates, and browse commit history. All that, directly within the database client's intuitive GUI.
This feature lets you integrate Git workflows to track database changes right as you develop, directly within your database client, without having to wait for CI/CD pipelines.
Snowkflake schemachange
schemachange is an open-source, lightweight Python tool for managing Snowflake objects. Inspired by Flyway, it takes an imperative approach to database change management.
schemachange lets you approve and deploy database changes through modern CI/CD pipelines. It has over 500 stars on GitHub.
Best Database CI/CD and Schema Change Tools: Summary Table
Compare the database change tools with CI/CD integrations highlighted in this article using the summary table below:
| Tool | Open source | GitHub stars | Premium features | Supported CI/CD pipelines | Supported databases | Migration formats | Free trial | TrustRadius score (reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquibase | ✅ | 5.1k+ | ✅ | Jenkins, GitLab, GitHub, Azure, CircleCI, Bamboo, TeamCity, more | Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Snowflake, DB2, Redshift, CockroachDB, more | SQL, XML, YAML, JSON | ✅ | 8.1/10 (115 reviews) |
| Redgate Flyway | ✅ | 8.9k+ | ✅ | GitHub, Azure, GitLab, Jenkins, TeamCity, Octopus Deploy | SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MariaDB, Spanner, CockroachDB, Redshift, DB2, H2, SQLite, SAP HANA, Sybase, Firebird, more | SQL, bash, batch, PowerShell, Python, Java | ✅ | 8.5/10 (13 reviews) |
| Atlas | ✅ | 7k+ | ✅ | GitHub, GitLab, CircleCI, Bitbucket, more | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, ClickHouse, Redshift, more | HCL, SQL | ✅ | — (0 reviews) |
| Bytebase | ✅ | 12.7k+ | ✅ | GitLab, GitHub, Bitbucket, Azure, via GitOps | MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, Redis, Redshift, more | SQL, schema diffs | ✅ | — (0 reviews) |
| Prisma Migrate | ❌ | — | ✅ | GitHub, CircleCI, AWS CDK, more | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, CockroachDB, SQLite, Aurora, Azure SQL, MongoDB Atlas, more | SQL | ❌ (but free plan available) | — (0 reviews) |
| DBmaestro | ❌ | — | ✅ | Jenkins, GitLab, GitHub, Azure, CircleCI, more | Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, MySQL, MariaDB, Redshift, RDS, more | SQL schema migration scripts | ❌ (but possibility to request a demo) | 8.0/10 (5 reviews) |
| Harness Database DevOps | ❌ | — | ✅ | GitHub, GitLab CI, Azure, CircleCI, Bitbucket, more | SQL Server, MongoDB, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, more | SQL scripts, schema-as-code via Git/GUI | ❌ (but possibility to request a demo) | 7.9/10 (9 reviews) |
Conclusion
In this blog post, we explored some of the best database schema change tools that you can integrate into your CI/CD pipelines to improve the database side of your software development process.
With so many database CI/CD solutions available on the market, evaluating them all can be both time-consuming and costly. Thankfully, we have done the research for you, so you do not have to!
We highlighted the top database CI/CD and schema change tools, summarizing their key features and aspects. If you have updates to suggest, are interested in having your tool featured, or would like to explore collaboration opportunities, feel free to reach out.
