GitLab 18.0 Released: Next-Level AI, Secure CI/CD and Optimised Performance

GitLab 18.0: A New Era of Software Development Efficiency

GitLab 18.0 has arrived, marking a significant milestone in DevSecOps platform evolution. This major release introduces powerful AI-backed capabilities, improved integration flows, and long-awaited usability enhancements—empowering teams to collaborate faster, deploy more confidently, and innovate securely.

AI-Driven Innovation with GitLab Duo

The new GitLab Duo Experience is now generally available. Featuring AI-assisted code explanations, intelligent test generation, vulnerability summaries, and suggested reviewers, this marks a leap in collaborative development and secure coding. Designed with privacy at the forefront, GitLab Duo ensures that your proprietary code never leaves the platform.

Versioned CI/CD Templates

Custom CI/CD templates can now be versioned in GitLab groups using semantic versioning—offering safer, traceable, and more efficient process standardisation across teams. This change supports faster onboarding and predictable automation pipelines.

Comprehensive Code Coverage Visualisation

Achieving test reliability just got easier. Merge request diffs now include visual indicators showing which lines are covered by tests and which are not. This immediate insight helps developers improve test quality before merging any change into production, ensuring better application resilience.

Security Breakthrough: Dynamic Analysis for JavaScript SPAs

GitLab 18.0 expands its Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) to fully support single-page applications (SPAs) built using JavaScript. This milestone allows modern frontend applications to be tested thoroughly and automatically, reducing vulnerabilities and improving compliance posture at speed and scale.

Smart Pipelines: Optimisation for Scale

Parent-child pipeline updates can now use rules instead of only/except, unlocking more granular logic and reduced execution overhead. Additionally, a new CI linting engine improves pre-flight pipeline verification, cutting costs and latency across large deployments.

Set Yourself Up for Success

GitLab 18.0 also brings exciting UI updates, including redesigned job traces and easier configuration for Compliance Frameworks. With PostgreSQL 16 now supported, performance and data integrity see further gains for enterprise users.

Whether you're a startup team or a global enterprise, GitLab 18.0 sets your delivery culture up for long-term success. We invite clients across the UK, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, and beyond to explore our GitLab consulting services and licences. Leverage over a decade of experience from IDEA GitLab Solutions—your trusted GitLab Select Partner.

To fully benefit from the latest features, review upgrade guidelines and ensure compatibility with your current deployment setup.