CI vs CD (Continuous Integration vs Continuous Deployment) — What's the Difference?

Continuous Integration (CI) automatically builds and tests code every time changes are pushed; Continuous Deployment (CD) automatically releases code that passes those checks straight to production without manual steps.

Why they differ

• CI catches integration problems early by running the test suite on every change, rather than only occasionally
• CD removes manual release steps entirely, so passing code reaches users automatically — a related but distinct term, Continuous Delivery, keeps a manual approval gate before the final release

How to choose

• Set up CI first — automated builds and tests on every push — even before considering automated deployment
• Only adopt full continuous deployment once your test suite is trustworthy enough that a passing build reliably means it's safe for production

FAQ

Is Continuous Delivery the same as Continuous Deployment?

They're often confused — Continuous Delivery means every change is release-ready and could be deployed with one click, while Continuous Deployment goes further and releases automatically with no manual approval step.