Gerrit Code Review vs Review Board: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Gerrit Code Review and Review Board are both popular tools used for code review in software development. While they serve the same purpose, there are several key differences between them that developers and teams should be aware of. Here are six specific differences between Gerrit Code Review and Review Board.

1. Workflow: Gerrit Code Review follows a "change-based" workflow, where each code change is submitted as a separate entity. This allows for precise tracking and management of individual changes. On the other hand, Review Board follows a "review-request-based" workflow, where code changes are grouped into review requests, which can include multiple changes related to a specific feature or bug fix.

2. Integration with Version Control Systems (VCS): Gerrit Code Review has tight integration with Git, making it the preferred choice for projects that use Git as their version control system. In contrast, Review Board supports a wide range of VCS such as Git, Mercurial, Subversion, and Perforce, providing more flexibility for teams using different VCS.

3. User Interface (UI): Gerrit Code Review has a primarily web-based UI that is focused on providing a streamlined code review experience. It offers features such as inline commenting, side-by-side diff view, and a searchable change history. Review Board, on the other hand, provides a more comprehensive web-based UI with additional features like file attachment, discussion threads, and user dashboards.

4. Extensibility and Plugin Ecosystem: Gerrit Code Review provides a robust plugin ecosystem, allowing users to customize and extend its functionalities as per their requirements. It also has integration capabilities with popular development tools like Jenkins for continuous integration. Review Board, although it supports plugins, does not have as extensive an ecosystem as Gerrit Code Review.

5. Permission and Access Control: Gerrit Code Review offers fine-grained access control, allowing administrators to define access rules based on user roles, project ownership, and branch permissions. This ensures that only authorized users can approve and merge code changes. Review Board also provides access control features but may not offer the same level of granularity as Gerrit Code Review.

6. Code Hosting Options: Gerrit Code Review is typically self-hosted, meaning it requires installation and maintenance on the user's infrastructure. In contrast, Review Board offers both self-hosted and cloud-hosted options. This makes Review Board a more convenient choice for teams that do not want the hassle of managing their own infrastructure.

In summary, Gerrit Code Review and Review Board differ in their workflow approach, integration with VCS, user interface, extensibility, permission control, and hosting options. Developers and teams should consider these differences while choosing a code review tool that aligns with their specific needs and requirements.