Comparison
Stella Ops vs Harness
Harness is a cloud-native CI/CD platform.
Stella Ops is a self-hosted release control plane with reachability analysis and audit-ready evidence.
Harness
- • Cloud-native CI/CD platform
- • SaaS-first (self-hosted available)
- • Kubernetes-focused deployment
- • Security scanning (STO module)
- • AI-powered insights
Stella Ops Suite
- • Release orchestration control plane
- • 100% self-hosted, air-gap ready
- • Non-Kubernetes first
- • Reachability-aware scanning
- • Deterministic, auditable decisions
Feature Comparison
| Capability | Harness | Stella Ops |
|---|---|---|
| CI/CD pipelines | Yes | Yes (release-focused) |
| Environment management | Yes | Yes (promotion graphs) |
| Approval workflows | Yes | Yes (cryptographic) |
| Security scanning | STO module | Built-in |
| Reachability analysis | No | Yes (hybrid 3-layer) |
| Decision Capsules | No | Yes |
| Deterministic replay | No | Yes |
| 100% offline operation | No (SaaS-first) | Yes ((Offline Kit)) |
| Non-K8s deployment | Secondary | Primary |
| Data sovereignty | Depends on tier | Full (self-hosted) |
The Evidence Gap
Harness can log what happened. Stella Ops proves why it was safe with exportable, replayable evidence.
Harness Audit
"Pipeline deployed version 2.3.1 with security scan passing."
Scan details not preserved, can't replay.
Stella Ops Audit
"Version 2.3.1 deployed with Decision Capsule containing: SBOM, 12 reachable CVEs, policy verdict, approval signatures."
Replay decision 6 months later: identical result.
Deployment Capabilities
Both platforms deploy, but Stella is built for non-Kubernetes estates:
Deployment Targets
- → Docker Compose deployments
- → Docker Swarm clusters
- → AWS ECS / Fargate
- → HashiCorp Nomad
- → Scripted deployments (.NET 10)
Infrastructure Integration
- → SSH/WinRM agentless deployment
- → HashiCorp Vault for secrets
- → HashiCorp Consul for service registry
- → Environment promotions (Dev→Stage→Prod)
- → Approval workflows
Pricing Comparison
Harness Pricing
- • Free tier with limits
- • Team/Enterprise: Per-developer pricing
- • Modules purchased separately
- • SaaS + self-hosted options
Costs scale with team size and modules
Stella Ops Pricing
- • Free: 3 environments, 999 scans/month
- • Plus: $299/month — all features
- • Pro: $999/month — scale
- • Unlimited deployment targets
No per-seat, no module licensing
When to Use Which
Choose Harness if...
- • Kubernetes is your primary target
- • SaaS-first is acceptable
- • AI-powered insights are valuable
- • Audit evidence isn't a hard requirement
Choose Stella Ops if...
- • Non-Kubernetes is your primary estate
- • 100% self-hosted is required
- • Air-gap deployment is needed
- • Auditors need replayable evidence
- • Reachability analysis matters
Methodology: This comparison is based on publicly available documentation, release notes, and hands-on evaluation as of January 2026. Features and capabilities change over time. We encourage you to verify current capabilities with each vendor's official documentation.
Stella Ops is committed to accurate, fair comparisons. If you believe any information is outdated or incorrect, please contact hello@stella-ops.org.
Evidence-grade releases, fully self-hosted
Reachability analysis + audit evidence + unlimited targets.