Platform Engineering vs. DevOps: Complementary or Competing?

In recent years, Platform Engineering has gained attention as a structured way to improve developer experience and operational efficiency. But does it compete with DevOps, or do they complement each other? To answer this, let's understand their goals and differences.

What is DevOps?

DevOps is a set of practices that bridge development and operations. It focuses on automation, collaboration, and continuous improvement to speed up software delivery. DevOps engineers often work with CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and monitoring tools to ensure smooth builds, tests and deployments, and system reliability.

What is Platform Engineering?

Platform Engineering builds self-service platforms to simplify infrastructure and workflows for developers. Instead of configuring environments manually, developers use predefined services and tools. This approach improves standardization, security, and scalability, allowing teams to focus on coding, rather than managing infrastructure.

Key Differences and Overlaps

While DevOps promotes culture and automation, Platform Engineering delivers a centralized platform that enforces best practices. DevOps engineers often create automation scripts, but Platform Engineers design entire systems that developers use effortlessly. GitOps, Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs), and Kubernetes are some of the key areas where these roles intersect.

Do We Still Need DevOps?

Absolutely! Platform Engineering does not replace DevOps—it builds on its principles. A strong DevOps culture is essential for maintaining collaboration and automation, while Platform Engineering ensures developers have the tools they need without friction. Together, they enhance efficiency, reliability, and scalability.

Conclusion

Rather than choosing between DevOps and Platform Engineering, organizations should leverage both. DevOps sets the foundation for automation and collaboration, while Platform Engineering provides the structure for seamless developer workflows. By combining both approaches, companies can accelerate innovation and improve software quality.

What do you think—will Platform Engineering reshape the future of DevOps, or are they destined to work hand in hand? Add your opinion in the comments!