Azure DevOps and Team Foundation Server (TFS) are both Microsoft products that provide tools for managing the software development lifecycle and supporting collaborative development efforts. However, there are some key differences between them:

1. Name and Branding:

   • Team Foundation Server (TFS): This was the original product name for Microsoft’s application lifecycle management (ALM) solution. TFS provided features for version control, work item tracking, build automation, release management, and more.

   • Azure DevOps: In September 2018, Microsoft rebranded and expanded TFS into Azure DevOps. Azure DevOps includes a suite of services that cover the entire software development process, including Azure Boards (work item tracking), Azure Repos (version control), Azure Pipelines (build and release automation), Azure Test Plans (test management), and Azure Artifacts (package management).

2. Deployment and Hosting:

   • TFS: Traditionally, TFS was an on-premises solution. Organizations would set up and manage their own TFS servers within their infrastructure.

   • Azure DevOps: Azure DevOps offers both cloud-hosted and self-hosted options. The cloud-hosted option is a service provided by Microsoft in the Azure cloud, while the self-hosted option allows you to set up Azure DevOps server components within your own environment.

3. Scalability and Maintenance:

   • TFS: Organizations using TFS were responsible for managing the hardware, maintenance, and scalability of their TFS servers. This could be more complex and resource-intensive, especially for larger teams.

   • Azure DevOps: The cloud-hosted version of Azure DevOps removes much of the infrastructure management burden, as Microsoft takes care of the hardware, updates, and scalability. This can be beneficial for teams that want to focus more on development and less on infrastructure.

4. Integration with Azure Services:

   • Azure DevOps: As part of the rebranding, Azure DevOps became tightly integrated with various Azure services, enabling seamless integration with cloud-based resources like Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and more.

5. Continuous Integration and Deployment:

   • Azure DevOps Pipelines: Azure DevOps Pipelines provides a powerful platform for setting up continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. It supports building, testing, and deploying applications across different platforms and environments.

6. Licensing and Pricing:

   • Azure DevOps: Azure DevOps offers a tiered pricing model, with free options for smaller teams and paid plans with additional features and capacity. Pricing may vary based on the number of users and resources you require.