AWS CodePipeline

What AWS CodePipeline is

AWS CodePipeline is a cloud CI/CD service for structuring and automating release workflows for application and infrastructure updates. A pipeline contains stages such as build, test, and deploy, with actions arranged within each stage. Build, test, and deployment actions can run in parallel. CodePipeline can get source code from AWS CodeCommit, GitHub, Amazon ECR, or Amazon S3. It works with CodeBuild for builds and unit tests, and supports deployment through CodeDeploy, Elastic Beanstalk, ECS, or Fargate. Other developer tools, including Jenkins, can be used, and custom systems can connect through registered actions and the open source agent.

Pipeline structure can be described in declarative JSON, including templates for creating pipelines. IAM users, roles, and SAML-integrated directories control who can change or operate a workflow. Pipeline event notifications can be sent through Amazon SNS with a status message and a link to related resources. CodePipeline encrypts data at rest with AWS KMS keys, stores code artifacts in a customer-owned S3 bucket, and supports private communication through VPC endpoints powered by AWS PrivateLink. Pricing depends on pipeline version: V1 charges per active pipeline, while V2 charges per action execution minute and must be explicitly selected. Unspecified pipelines default to V1.

Who it suits

AWS CodePipeline suits teams that want to define release workflows across build, test, and deployment stages, including teams using AWS services alongside GitHub, Jenkins, or custom tools. It is a fit for groups that want pipeline definitions in JSON, parallel actions, and access controls through IAM or SAML-integrated directories.

Limits

V2 includes 100 free action execution minutes per month shared across V2 pipelines in the account; usage is then billed at $0.002 per action execution minute, rounded up to the nearest minute. V1 provides one free active pipeline per month, and pipelines are free for the first 30 days after creation; no charge applies to pipelines with no code changes running that month.

Getting started

1. Open the AWS CodePipeline website.
2. Choose a source from CodeCommit, GitHub, Amazon ECR, or Amazon S3.
3. Define stages and actions, using declarative JSON if desired.
4. Connect build and deployment actions such as CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, Elastic Beanstalk, ECS, or Fargate.
5. Select V2 explicitly if you want its action execution minute billing model; unspecified pipelines default to V1.

Verdict

Choose AWS CodePipeline if you need a cloud release workflow with AWS source, build, and deployment connections, parallel actions, and pipeline as code. Check the version’s billing model before creating a pipeline: V1 charges per active pipeline, while V2 charges by action execution minute and must be selected explicitly.