Introduction
When it comes to deploying Power Platform solutions automatically, you have two main options: Power Platform Pipelines and Azure DevOps Pipelines. Each has its strengths, and knowing the right one to use can help your deployment strategy.
In this post, I’ll compare the two main options and highlight when one might be preferable over the other.
There is also a third option that you could consider: deploying with Github Actions. This could be preferable as an alternative to Azure DevOps Pipelines, particularly if you have used Github before and are familiar with it.
Why Use Automated Pipelines?
Let’s face it—manually deploying solutions is tedious and error-prone. After deploying a solution manually, who hasn’t sometimes thought “I did import that into Test and not Prod, didn’t I?” 😊. It’s also slow, and nobody has time for that. Automated pipelines streamline deployments by ensuring consistency, reducing human error, and accelerating the process.
Pipelines also come with Git Integration light, Git integration heavy or even no Git integration at all, depending on your needs and preference. I’ll discuss this too.
Power Platform Pipelines
Power Platform Pipelines are the “plug-and-play” option for Power Platform deployments. Designed with low-code users in mind, they are easier to set up but come with some trade-offs.
The key point about Power Platform Pipelines is that the pipeline source is the Power Platform development environment itself. While Power Platform Pipelines allow optional Git integration via the preview source control feature, this is not fully production ready yet: Git integration .
If your multi-developer team requires Git with robust version control with proper branching and merging, this option is unlikely to be sufficient.
Strengths
- ✅ Minimal setup & ease of use – Ideal for those who don't want to tangle with YAML files, command line interfaces, or DevOps & Git complexities. Power Platform Pipelines can be given to citizen developers to deploy their Power Platform projects.
- ✅ Integrated within Power Platform – Works directly from Power Platform environments without requiring external tools.
- ✅ Solution management – Each time a pipeline is deployed, an unmanaged version of the solution is automatically generated and saved.
- ✅ Manual deployment flexibility – You can manually push deployments when needed, which can be useful to get around some of the limitations, for example, to increment to a specific version number.
Weaknesses
- ❌ Single version – As this option deploys directly from the Power Platform development environment and not from a Git repo, only one version of the solution can be worked on and deployed at a time.
- ❌ Limited Git support – Basic source control can be performed using the preview source control feature, but full Git functionality is not yet available.
- ❌ Challenging for multiple developers – Without robust branching and merging support, managing multiple contributors working in their own development environments is much more difficult compared to Azure DevOps Pipelines.
Azure DevOps Pipelines
Azure DevOps Pipelines provide a more powerful and flexible deployment approach, especially suited for larger teams and complex projects.
They use an Azure DevOps Project Repo as the source for the pipeline deployment, not the Power Platform environment as is the case with Power Platform Pipelines
Strengths
- ✅ Branching and version control – Pulls deployment code from the Azure DevOps repo, with full support for branching.
- ✅ CI/CD support – Fully automated workflows, supporting continuous integration and parallel development.
- ✅ Granular control – More robust deployment management, validation, and rollback mechanisms.
- ✅ Ideal for larger teams – Much better integration for multiple developers working in their own environments.
Weaknesses
- ❌ Steeper learning curve – Requires knowledge of Azure DevOps, YAML, and some DevOps wizardry.
- ❌ Management overhead – Needs careful setup and maintenance, unlike the less complex Power Platform Pipelines.
- ❌ Cost overhead - May introduce additional DevOps licensing costs, especially if you require premium DevOps features. Power Platform Pipelines, by contrast, are included with the Power Platform at no extra cost.
A Typical Power Platform Pipelines Project
So let’s get specific and think about the typical project for Power Platform Pipelines. I’d suggest a good candidate project would be one with the following attributes:
- ✅ The project is small with a single developer or at most two or maybe three developers.
- ✅ All the developers will work in the same Power Platform development environment.
- ✅ The Power Platform project can be split into distinct solutions and developers can work individually on solutions. If this is not possible, then at least developers can work on separate components, for example, different flows in the same solution.
- ✅ Git is either not required or can be kept very simple by using the preview source control feature integrating the development environment with an Azure DevOps repository.
- ✅ It is fine to deploy to test/prod directly from the environment, rather than from a Git repository.
- ✅ A sprint-based approach (dev > test > prod) will be used for the project, rather than CI/CD (continuous integration / continuous deployment).
If any of the above is not appropriate, and in particular if you want to have fully fledged source control with makers/developers working in their own development environments, and maybe using Visual Studio Code too, then Power Platform Pipelines is not for your project.
| Aspect | Power Platform Pipelines | Azure DevOps Pipelines |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | No-code setup, integrated into Power Platform | Requires YAML, Git, and DevOps expertise |
| Source Control | Optional, limited Git integration (preview feature) | Full Git integration, repo-driven deployments |
| Branching Support | Limited support | Fully supports branching (e.g., dev, test, prod) |
| Automation | Manual or environment-based actions | Full CI/CD, automated workflows |
| Scalability | Best for small teams/projects | Best for larger teams and enterprise projects |
| Testing Flexibility | Sprint-based, requires manual coordination | Automated testing and integration |
| Rollback | Manual re-syncing required | Version control enables easy rollback |
| Multi-Developer Support | Limited, requires careful coordination | Robust branching and merging support |
| Usability | Can be used by capable citizen developers | Requires specific skills & knowledge |
Conclusion
If you need a quick and easy deployment solution for a smallish projects, Power Platform Pipelines are a great choice. But if you’re working with a larger team, require advanced version control, or want full CI/CD capabilities, Azure DevOps Pipelines are the way to go.
Think of it like this: Power Platform Pipelines are the automatic coffee machine at the office—quick, simple, and gets the job done. Azure DevOps Pipelines, on the other hand, are like a full-scale barista setup—more effort to master, but capable of producing top-tier results.
Choose wisely, and may your deployments be smooth and error-free!