GitLab vs. Atlassian: Which DevOps Stock Should Investors Buy Now?

GitLab GTLB and Atlassian TEAM sit at the center of the enterprise DevSecOps and software-workflow landscape. Both platforms help engineering teams plan, build, secure and ship software at scale, and both have become essential as AI reshapes how code is created and managed. GitLab delivers a unified end-to-end DevSecOps platform that integrates source code, CI/CD, security and compliance into a single workflow. Atlassian offers a broad suite of developer-workflow tools, anchored by Jira, Confluence and Bitbucket, that streamline planning, collaboration and code management. Their overlap lies squarely in orchestrating software lifecycles, coordinating developer workflows and embedding automation and security into everyday development.

Per Research Nester, the DevSecOps market is valued at $10 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $37 billion by 2035, witnessing a 14% CAGR as enterprises accelerate secure software delivery and AI-driven development pipelines. That shift suggests how quickly secure, integrated, automation-heavy DevOps tooling is becoming foundational rather than optional. Both GitLab and Atlassian stand to benefit as companies modernize development practices, automate code workflows and adopt AI-enhanced engineering models.

Let’s delve deep to determine which one is a better investment now.

The case for GTLB

GitLab stands out by delivering a unified, security-native DevSecOps platform that brings source code, CI/CD automation, vulnerability scanning, policy enforcement and deployment into one end-to-end environment. Its architecture eliminates the multi-tool sprawl that many enterprises face, allowing development, security and operations teams to work from a single system of record. This contrasts with Atlassian’s broader collaboration suite and has appealed to organizations prioritizing secure-by-default pipelines and tighter governance across software lifecycles.

GitLab’s advantage has expanded with deeper AI integration across the DevSecOps chain. GitLab Duo now supports agentic automation, contextual code suggestions and AI-driven security remediation directly inside CI/CD pipelines. These capabilities reduce manual steps, strengthen compliance and accelerate secure releases without requiring additional tools or integrations. The platform’s design embeds AI at the point where code changes meet security and operational controls, a critical differentiator as enterprises modernize toward AI-assisted development.

Adoption patterns reflect this shift toward integrated, security-heavy DevSecOps. Enterprises in banking, telecom, public sector and highly regulated industries continue consolidating onto GitLab to unify developer productivity with embedded security and governance. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GTLB’s fiscal 2026 EPS is pegged at 83 cents, indicating a 12.16% year-over-year increase, reflecting confidence in GitLab’s seat expansion and rising demand for integrated DevSecOps automation.

GitLab Inc. Price and Consensus

GitLab Inc. price-consensus-chart | GitLab Inc. Quote

The case for TEAM

Atlassian participates in the DevSecOps landscape from a different but complementary angle to GitLab. Whereas GitLab delivers an end-to-end, security-embedded pipeline, Atlassian anchors the coordination, governance and workflow-orchestration layer that surrounds those pipelines. Jira structures planning, compliance tracking and change governance; Bitbucket provides source control, code review and pipeline automation; and Confluence centralizes documentation and security-relevant knowledge. Together, these tools frame the operational environment in which DevSecOps practices are planned, audited and executed, providing the oversight that complements GitLab’s integrated execution model.

Atlassian’s recent AI enhancements strengthen this positioning. Automated issue detection, intelligent escalation, workflow optimization and improved auditability help teams surface risks earlier and maintain governance across fast-moving development cycles. As AI accelerates coding and increases the volume of changes flowing through CI/CD, Atlassian’s coordination layer becomes more important for maintaining cross-team accountability, security sign-offs and policy adherence, areas where GitLab focuses on embedded controls and Atlassian focuses on visibility and structured alignment.

Cloud migrations have accelerated as enterprises seek a unified environment for tracking secure development activities and coordinating DevSecOps governance. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TEAM’s fiscal 2026 EPS is pegged at $4.70, up 13% over the past 30 days and indicating a 27.72% year-over-year increase, reinforcing confidence in Atlassian’s role as the workflow and governance backbone within modern DevSecOps programs.

Atlassian Corporation PLC Price and Consensus

Atlassian Corporation PLC price-consensus-chart | Atlassian Corporation PLC Quote

Price Performance and Valuation of GTLB and TEAM

In the year-to-date (YTD) period, GTLB shares have declined 24.5%, while TEAM has plunged 40.8%. Atlassian’s deeper pullback reflects the volatility of its broader collaboration suite, whereas GitLab’s smaller decline points to steadier demand for security-native DevSecOps platforms. Even in a softer software tape, GitLab’s focus on secure CI/CD and embedded governance has proven comparatively more resilient than Atlassian’s wider, multi-product footprint.

GTLB vs TEAM YTD Performance

GitLab trades at 6.5X forward twelve-month price-to-sales, slightly above Atlassian’s 5.64X. This modest premium aligns with GitLab’s tighter focus on end-to-end DevSecOps, stronger AI monetization potential inside CI/CD and more concentrated exposure to mission-critical security workflows. Atlassian’s lower multiple reflects its broader suite and more distributed growth drivers, making GitLab the cleaner way to capture core DevSecOps demand.

GTLB vs TEAM Valuation

Conclusion

Both GTLB and TEAM benefit from rising DevSecOps adoption, but GitLab aligns more directly with the secure, automation-heavy workflows enterprises are prioritizing. Atlassian remains valuable for coordination and governance, yet its wider product mix and sharper YTD decline make its outlook more sensitive to spending cycles. GitLab’s unified architecture, deeper AI integration and more resilient positioning give it an edge at this stage. Gitlab and Atlassian currently carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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