Introduction to CI/CD
Imagine this: you push your code to GitHub, grab a coffee, and by the time you’re back, your app is built, tested, and ready for distribution. That’s the power of CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery).
Publishing your first app is exciting, but the real challenge begins when you need to release frequent updates with bug fixes and new features. For teams, distributing builds for internal testing can add even more complexity. Yet, manually releasing builds is time-consuming, error-prone, and simply doesn’t scale.
The good news? Tools like Codemagic and GitHub Actions let you automate the entire build and deployment process. Once configured, CI/CD saves you time, reduces human error, and allows you to focus on what matters most: building great apps.
Why CI/CD is a Must-Have
Setting up CI/CD might seem like a hassle at first, but modern tools make it straightforward—and the payoff is massive.
Here are just a few things you can accomplish with CI/CD:
- Automatically run static analysis and your test suite every time you push your code.
- Generate nightly builds for internal testing.
- Customize workflows to automate repetitive tasks, such as publishing to stores.
- Catch regressions early by running integration and end-to-end tests across multiple devices and environments.
- Ensure consistent environments by building and testing in clean, isolated virtual machines, reducing the risk of “it works on my machine” issues.
When Should You Set Up CI/CD?
If you’re wondering when is the right time to do this, here’s my rule of thumb:
- Set up CI/CD as soon as you need to distribute your second build—whether for internal testing or end users.
Not convinced? Let’s break it down:
- Initial CI Setup: ~60 minutes
- Manual release: ~60 minutes
- Release with CI: ~15 minutes
As this chart shows, the initial CI setup pays off as soon as you need to make your second build:
Plus, automating your workflow reduces stress and ensures consistency.
Even if manual releases take less than an hour for you, the principle remains: your time is better spent improving your app, not managing builds.
Choosing a CI/CD System
As a Flutter developer, there are a few popular CI/CD tools to consider:
Personally, I’ve used Codemagic and GitHub Actions in many projects, and I recommend both depending on your needs:
- Use Codemagic if you want to get up and running quickly.
- Use GitHub Actions if you need more control and plan to create complex or highly scalable pipelines.
Both tools have a free plan that is sufficient for most small apps. So don’t hesitate and start automating your builds today! ✅
Feature Comparison
Here’s a quick breakdown of how Codemagic and GitHub Actions stack up:
| Feature | Codemagic | GitHub Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Beginner-friendly | Steeper learning curve |
| Workflow | Visual workflow editor, basic YAML workflows | Powerful YAML workflows with templates |
| Integrations | Dozens of integrations | Hundreds of integrations via GitHub Marketplace |
| Pricing | Free up to 500 min/month, then $0.045/min (Linux) or $0.095/min (macOS) | Free up to 2000 min/month, then $0.008/min (Linux) or $0.08/min (macOS) |
| Repositories | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Team members | Unlimited on team plan | Unlimited for public repos, $4/user/month for private repos |
| Self-hosted option | No | Yes |
| Best For | Quick setup | Advanced pipelines |
If you’re new to CI/CD, Codemagic is the clear choice—it’s designed with Flutter in mind and offers a streamlined setup process.
What You’ll Learn in This Module
In this module, we’ll focus on setting up CI/CD for your Flutter app using Codemagic. By the end, you’ll have a fully automated pipeline that builds, tests, and distributes your app.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Differences Between Local and CI Builds: Understand what’s unique about CI builds and why that matters.
- Getting Started with Codemagic: Setting up an account and connecting to your GitHub repositories.
- Workflow Editor vs YAML Configuration: Learn the tradeoffs and which one to choose.
- Configuring Your First Workflow: Set up environment variables, custom steps, and build your app.
- iOS and Android Code Signing and Distribution: Handle platform-specific signing to ensure smooth distribution.
- Uploading Debug Symbols: Learn how to generate and upload debug symbols to Sentry as part of your CI/CD workflow.
This module isn’t about repeating every feature from the Codemagic docs. Instead, it’s a streamlined, step-by-step guide to help you automate your app releases as quickly as possible (a handy checklist is also included 🙂).
Once you’re familiar with the process, you’ll be able to add CI/CD your apps in less than 1 hour. 🚀
What’s Not Covered
This module focuses on the core features that most developers will use. Advanced topics and edge cases will not be covered here, such as:
- Creating and managing teams.
- Connecting apps that aren’t hosted on GitHub.
- YAML-based workflows (we’ll focus on the visual editor).
- Code signing for platforms other than iOS and Android.
- Publishing to platforms other than the App Store and Google Play.
- Notifications.
- Advanced debugging and troubleshooting.
Along the way, I’ll share links to the relevant Codemagic docs so you can explore these features further if needed.
Resources
Here are some resources you may want to bookmark: