When people talk about Azure DevOps, they often mean different things – boards, pipelines, repos, or even third-party tools that plug into the ecosystem. That can make it hard to understand what actually belongs in an Azure DevOps setup and which tools teams really rely on day to day.
This article breaks things down into a clear, practical list of Azure DevOps tools. Instead of theory or marketing talk, the focus is on the tools themselves and how they fit into real development workflows. Whether a team is planning work, shipping code, or keeping releases under control, this list is meant to show what is commonly used and why it matters.
AppFirst – Application-Centered Infrastructure for Azure DevOps Workflows
AppFirst focus on removing the day to day work of building and maintaining cloud infrastructure. Instead of asking teams to write and maintain Terraform, CDK, or custom frameworks, they let developers describe what an application needs in practical terms like compute, storage, or networking. From there, the platform handles provisioning, security standards, logging, monitoring, and cost visibility behind the scenes. The idea is to keep infrastructure decisions consistent without turning every engineer into a cloud specialist.
In the context of Azure DevOps tools, they fit into the broader delivery pipeline rather than replacing it. Teams using Azure DevOps for planning, code, and pipelines can use AppFirst to reduce the operational load that usually follows deployment. It supports Azure alongside other clouds, which makes it useful for teams that want to keep Azure DevOps workflows intact while simplifying how environments are created and managed after code leaves the pipeline.
Exploring the Top Azure DevOps Tools
1. Azure Boards
Provide the planning and tracking layer inside Azure DevOps. Work items, backlogs, sprint boards, and Kanban views all live in one place, making it easier for teams to see what is being worked on and why. Discussions, updates, and changes stay close to the work itself, which helps avoid the usual disconnect between planning tools and actual development.
Within a list of Azure DevOps tools, Azure Boards often acts as the starting point. It connects planning directly to code changes, builds, and releases, so teams can trace work from an idea all the way to production. This tight link makes it easier to understand how delivery decisions affect timelines without adding extra tools or processes.
Key Highlights:
- Sprint planning and backlog management
- Scrum and Kanban support
- Work items linked to code and pipelines
- Dashboards for project visibility
- Collaboration through comments and discussions
Who it’s best for:
- Teams running agile or hybrid workflows
- Projects needing traceability from idea to release
- Developers and product roles working closely together
- Azure DevOps users centralizing planning
Contact information:
- Website: azure.microsoft.com
- Twitter: x.com/azure
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/microsoft-azure
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/microsoftazure
2. Azure Repos
Handle source control inside Azure DevOps, supporting Git and centralized version control. Teams can host private repositories, review code through pull requests, and enforce branch rules to keep changes controlled. Reviews are threaded and connected to builds, which helps catch issues early without slowing collaboration.
As part of an Azure DevOps tools setup, Azure Repos ties code directly into the rest of the delivery flow. Changes can trigger pipelines automatically, link back to work items, and follow the same governance rules across teams. This makes it easier to keep code, planning, and delivery aligned without juggling separate systems.
Key Highlights:
- Git and centralized version control support
- Pull requests with built-in code reviews
- Branch policies for quality control
- Integration with pipelines and work items
- Works with common editors and IDEs
Who it’s best for:
- Teams wanting code and delivery in one platform
- Projects with structured review processes
- Developers working closely with CI and planning tools
- Organizations standardizing on Azure DevOps
Contact information:
- Website: azure.microsoft.com
- Twitter: x.com/azure
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/microsoft-azure
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/microsoftazure
3. Azure Pipelines
Handle the build and delivery part of Azure DevOps workflows. Teams use them to automate how code is built, tested, and deployed across different environments. Pipelines can run on Linux, macOS, or Windows and support a wide range of languages and frameworks, which makes them flexible enough for mixed stacks. Most setups rely on pipelines to remove manual steps between code changes and deployments.
Within a list of Azure DevOps tools, they usually sit at the center of delivery. Pipelines connect closely with repos, test tools, and artifact storage so changes move through the system in a predictable way. Teams often use them to define repeatable workflows that stay consistent across projects while still allowing room for customization when needed.
Key Highlights:
- Automated build and deployment workflows
- Supports multiple languages and platforms
- Runs on cloud-hosted or self-hosted agents
- Integrates with containers and Kubernetes
- Works across different cloud environments
Who it’s best for:
- Teams automating build and release processes
- Projects with frequent code changes
- Mixed technology stacks
- Azure DevOps users centralizing CI and CD
Contact information:
- Website: azure.microsoft.com
- Twitter: x.com/azure
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/microsoft-azure
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/microsoftazure
4. Azure Test Plans
Focus on the testing side of delivery, especially where automated tests are not enough. Test Plans support manual and exploratory testing by letting teams create test cases, run sessions, and capture issues as they are found. Results stay linked to work items, which helps keep testing aligned with development goals.
In an Azure DevOps tools setup, they are often used alongside pipelines rather than instead of them. While pipelines handle automated checks, Test Plans help teams validate behavior, edge cases, and user flows that require human input. This makes them useful for teams that want structured testing without moving outside the DevOps workflow.
Key Highlights:
- Manual and exploratory test support
- Test cases linked to work items
- Session-based defect capture
- Works across web and desktop apps
- Integrated with Azure DevOps tracking
Who it’s best for:
- Teams relying on manual or exploratory testing
- Projects with complex user flows
- QA roles working closely with developers
- Azure DevOps users tracking quality in one place
Contact information:
- Website: azure.microsoft.com
- Twitter: x.com/azure
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/microsoft-azure
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/microsoftazure
5. Azure Artifacts
Provide a way to store and share packages used during builds and releases. Teams can host common package types like npm, Maven, NuGet, Python, and others in a central place. This avoids pulling dependencies directly from public sources every time and keeps internal packages easier to manage.
As part of Azure DevOps tools, Artifacts help stabilize pipelines by making dependencies predictable. Packages stored there can be pulled directly into builds and deployments, which reduces surprises and keeps versions consistent across teams. This is especially helpful when multiple projects depend on shared libraries or components.
Key Highlights:
- Central storage for common package types
- Private and shared package feeds
- Direct integration with pipelines
- Versioned package management
- Works with standard tooling
Who it’s best for:
- Teams sharing libraries across projects
- Organizations managing internal packages
- Pipelines needing stable dependencies
- Azure DevOps users reducing external reliance
Contact information:
- Website: azure.microsoft.com
- Twitter: x.com/azure
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/microsoft-azure
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/microsoftazure
6. Azure DevOps MCP Server
Act as a local bridge between Azure DevOps and AI assistants like GitHub Copilot. The MCP Server runs inside the development environment and exposes real project context such as work items, pull requests, test plans, builds, releases, and wiki content to the AI. This allows assistants to respond with answers that are grounded in the actual state of a team’s Azure DevOps setup rather than generic assumptions.
In an Azure DevOps tools list, they fit into teams experimenting with AI-assisted workflows without sending internal data outside their environment. By keeping the server local, teams can safely use AI to generate test cases, summarize work items, or explore project history while staying within existing DevOps processes. It adds an intelligence layer on top of Azure DevOps rather than changing how teams plan or ship code.
Key Highlights:
- Local server that provides Azure DevOps context to AI tools
- Access to work items, repos, tests, builds, and releases
- Runs inside the developer environment
- Designed for use with GitHub Copilot
- Keeps project data within internal systems
Who it’s best for:
- Teams exploring AI-assisted DevOps workflows
- Developers using Copilot with Azure DevOps
- Organizations cautious about data exposure
- Projects needing context-aware automation
Contact information:
- Website: devblogs.microsoft.com
7. GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps
Bring application security checks directly into Azure DevOps repositories. The focus is on finding issues early by scanning code, dependencies, and secrets as part of normal development work. Instead of relying on separate security tools, results appear where developers already review code and manage changes.
Within Azure DevOps tools, they support teams aiming to include security without slowing delivery. Secret scanning helps catch exposed credentials, dependency scanning highlights risky libraries, and code scanning flags common coding issues. All of this stays close to pull requests and repos, making security part of everyday development rather than a late-stage review.
Key Highlights:
- Secret scanning in Azure Repos
- Dependency scanning for open-source libraries
- Static code analysis during development
- Results visible inside Azure DevOps
- Fits into existing DevOps workflows
Who it’s best for:
- Teams building security into daily development
- Projects with shared or open-source dependencies
- Developers handling sensitive configuration
- Azure DevOps users avoiding separate security tools
Contact information:
- Website: azure.microsoft.com
8. Managed DevOps Pools
Provide managed build agents for running Azure DevOps pipelines with more control over performance and cost. Teams can choose agent sizes, disk types, regions, and provisioning behavior to better match how their pipelines run. This replaces fully shared agents with pools that are tuned to specific workloads.
As part of an Azure DevOps tools setup, they help teams stabilize pipeline performance. By adjusting agent capacity, disk usage, and startup behavior, teams can reduce wait times and avoid overprovisioning. This makes them useful for organizations running heavy or frequent pipelines that need predictable execution without managing agents manually.
Key Highlights:
- Managed build agent pools
- Configurable VM sizes and disk options
- Regional placement to reduce latency
- Support for standby and stateful agents
- Integrated with Azure DevOps pipelines
Who it’s best for:
- Teams running resource-heavy pipelines
- Projects needing consistent build performance
- Organizations managing pipeline costs
- Azure DevOps users avoiding custom agent setup
Contact information:
- Website: learn.microsoft.com
9. Unito
Focus on keeping work in sync across different collaboration and delivery tools without requiring custom scripts or code. The platform supports two-way synchronization, meaning updates made in one system can appear in another while preserving structure and key fields. Teams typically use it to reduce duplicate work and keep planning, tracking, and execution tools aligned.
In an Azure DevOps tools context, they are often used to connect Azure DevOps with external systems such as product management, support, or collaboration platforms. This helps teams that rely on Azure DevOps for delivery but still need to coordinate work across other tools. Instead of forcing everyone into one system, Unito allows Azure DevOps to stay part of a broader workflow while keeping data consistent.
Key Highlights:
- Two-way sync between Azure DevOps and other tools
- No-code configuration with rule-based mappings
- Supports multiple work item and field types
- Keeps updates aligned across systems
- Designed for ongoing, bidirectional syncing
Who it’s best for:
- Teams using Azure DevOps alongside other work tools
- Organizations reducing manual status updates
- Distributed teams with mixed tool stacks
- Projects needing consistent cross-tool visibility
Contact information:
- Website: unito.io
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/unito-
10. Jenkins Integration
Represent a way to connect Azure DevOps with Jenkins rather than a standalone Azure DevOps feature. Using service hooks, teams can trigger Jenkins builds when events happen in Azure DevOps, such as code changes or completed pipeline stages. This allows both systems to work together instead of replacing one with the other.
Within an Azure DevOps tools setup, this integration is usually chosen by teams that already rely on Jenkins for continuous integration. Azure DevOps can manage code, planning, and orchestration, while Jenkins handles part or all of the build process. This setup supports gradual transitions or hybrid pipelines where different tools are responsible for different stages.
Key Highlights:
- Service hooks to trigger Jenkins builds
- Works with Git and TFVC repositories
- Supports hybrid CI workflows
- No custom integration code required
- Fits alongside Azure Pipelines if needed
Who it’s best for:
- Teams already using Jenkins for CI
- Projects combining Azure DevOps and external tools
- Organizations migrating pipelines gradually
- Setups with split build responsibilities
Contact information:
- Website: learn.microsoft.com
Conclusion
Azure DevOps tools work best when they are treated as a connected set rather than a checklist of features. Some teams lean heavily on planning and code management, others care more about pipelines, testing, or integrations with tools they already use. The flexibility of the ecosystem is what makes it practical in real projects, not the idea that every team should use everything the same way.
What usually matters most is choosing tools that reduce friction instead of adding process. When planning, code, builds, testing, security, and integrations fit together naturally, teams spend less time managing the workflow and more time actually shipping software. Azure DevOps tools tend to fade into the background when they are set up well, and that is often the clearest sign they are doing their job.
