Add CD tool comparisons

docs/INDEX.md

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ This index provides a complete map of documentation organized by audience and to
 |----------|---------|
 | [product/](product/) | Product strategy and positioning hub |
 | [product/competitive-landscape.md](product/competitive-landscape.md) | 15-vendor competitive analysis |
+| [product/competitive-landscape.md#direct-comparisons-vs-cd-tools](product/competitive-landscape.md#direct-comparisons-vs-cd-tools) | Comparisons vs GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins, Harness |
 | [product/decision-capsules.md](product/decision-capsules.md) | Decision Capsules concept |
 | [product/moat-strategy-summary.md](product/moat-strategy-summary.md) | Strategic positioning |
 

docs/product/competitive-landscape.md

@@ -44,6 +44,54 @@ Source: internal advisories "23-Nov-2025 - Stella Ops vs Competitors" and "09-Ja
 
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+## Direct Comparisons vs CD Tools
+
+These comparisons focus on where release governance, evidence export, and audit replay are required in addition to pipeline automation.
+
+### Stella Ops Suite vs GitLab CI/CD
+
+**Where GitLab excels:** pipeline automation, source control integration, developer workflow.
+
+**Where Stella Ops Suite differs:**
+- **Release authority** is centralized and environment-aware; not just a pipeline stage.
+- **Evidence export** (Decision Capsules) is built-in and replayable months later.
+- **Non‑K8s estates** are first‑class (Compose, VM/SSH targets, air‑gapped deployments).
+
+**Bottom line:** GitLab runs pipelines; Stella Ops governs promotions with proof.
+
+### Stella Ops Suite vs GitHub Actions
+
+**Where GitHub excels:** PR automation, CI visibility, marketplace actions.
+
+**Where Stella Ops Suite differs:**
+- **Promotion rules** and approvals are explicit, audited, and bound to artifact digests.
+- **Deterministic replay** lets auditors re-verify release decisions.
+- **Offline/sovereign** operation is supported without external SaaS dependencies.
+
+**Bottom line:** Actions automate builds; Stella Ops enforces release decisions with audit-grade evidence.
+
+### Stella Ops Suite vs Jenkins
+
+**Where Jenkins excels:** flexible CI, on‑prem extensibility.
+
+**Where Stella Ops Suite differs:**
+- **Release orchestration** includes environment graphs, approvals, and rollback semantics.
+- **Evidence-grade gating** ties reachability, VEX, and policy to each promotion.
+- **Exportable proof** makes compliance verification deterministic.
+
+**Bottom line:** Jenkins executes pipelines; Stella Ops provides release governance with proof.
+
+### Stella Ops Suite vs Harness
+
+**Where Harness excels:** deployment automation, feature flags, multi‑cloud rollout UX.
+
+**Where Stella Ops Suite differs:**
+- **Security evidence is a gate**, not an afterthought, and is bound to the artifact digest.
+- **Decision Capsules** provide verifiable, portable audit packets.
+- **Non‑K8s container estates** are a primary target, not a secondary path.
+
+**Bottom line:** Harness automates delivery; Stella Ops governs releases and their evidence trail.
+
 ## Security Positioning (Original Analysis)
 
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