Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Backstage vs Chartio

Backstage logo

Backstage

Developer Tools

Open source internal developer portal framework created and open sourced by Spotify

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BackstageFull review
Chartio logo

Chartio

Business Intelligence

Cloud-based data exploration (discontinued)

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit ChartioFull review

The short version

  • Both are free.
  • Only Backstage lists software catalogue; only Chartio lists visual Query Builder.
  • Where Chartio falls short: product was discontinued and sunset on March 1, 2022 after company acquisition by Atlassian.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backstage and Chartio actually diverge.

Attributes where Backstage and Chartio differ
AttributeBackstageChartio
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, LinuxWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsBusiness Intelligence

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Chartio, founded for Backstage.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Backstage

  • Software catalogue
  • Software templates
  • TechDocs
  • Plugin architecture
  • Kubernetes plugin
  • Search
  • Entity ownership model
  • Auth provider integrations

Only in Chartio

  • Visual Query Builder
  • Interactive Dashboards
  • Data Blending
  • Collaboration
  • Embedding
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Redshift

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Backstage

  • An engineering organisation past roughly a hundred services where nobody can reliably answer who owns a given service at two in the morningnot Chartio
  • A platform team enforcing golden paths, so a new service is scaffolded with logging, CI and security defaults already wired innot Chartio
  • A company consolidating scattered READMEs and Confluence pages into docs that live beside the code and cannot silently rot unnoticednot Chartio
  • A regulated business that needs an auditable register of every running service, its owner and its data classificationnot Chartio

Chartio

  • Drag and drop chart building over SQL databasesnot Backstage
  • Shared business dashboards for non-technical teamsnot Backstage
  • Exploring warehouse data without writing SQLnot Backstage

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Backstage

  • Backstage is a framework rather than a product: there is no supported turnkey install, so getting to a usable portal means a TypeScript and React project your team owns, hosts and upgrades forever
  • Upstream releases move quickly and plugin APIs have broken across major versions, so a customised deployment accumulates upgrade debt and teams routinely fall months behind on versions they cannot cheaply catch up on
  • The catalogue is only as good as the YAML descriptors engineers remember to write; without enforcement the register drifts out of date, and a developer portal nobody trusts is abandoned faster than one that never existed
  • Community plugin quality varies sharply, with many unmaintained or pinned to old core versions, so the plugin that made the business case may be the one blocking your next upgrade
  • Spotify Portal, the packaged commercial route, publishes no price at all and is quoted as a custom annual subscription, so the only cost you can actually forecast up front is the self-hosted one, which is the option with the largest hidden staffing bill

Chartio

  • Product was discontinued and sunset on March 1, 2022 after company acquisition by Atlassian
  • No current pricing available as service no longer operates
  • Users were migrated to alternative Atlassian solutions

Pricing, plan by plan

Backstage

Free
  • Backstage (open source)Free
    • Apache 2.0 licence
    • Software catalogue, templates, TechDocs and search
    • Full plugin ecosystem
  • Spotify Portal for BackstageOn request
    • Packaged commercial distribution from Spotify
    • Spotify premium plugins including Soundcheck and Insights
    • Simplified setup and managed upgrade path

Chartio

On request
  • DiscontinuedFree
    • Service ended March 2022

Which should you pick?

Choose Backstage if

  • You need software catalogue.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Linux.
  • You also want software templates.
Backstage review

Choose Chartio if

  • You need visual query builder.
  • You also want interactive dashboards.
Chartio review

Questions people ask

Is Backstage or Chartio better?
Neither clearly leads. Backstage starts at Free and Chartio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backstage or Chartio?
Backstage has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Backstage and On request for Chartio.
Does Backstage or Chartio run on more platforms?
Backstage runs on Web, Self-hosted, Linux. Chartio runs on Web.
Can I use Backstage for free?
Yes. Backstage has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Chartio starts at On request.
What is Backstage best used for?
Backstage is most often used for an engineering organisation past roughly a hundred services where nobody can reliably answer who owns a given service at two in the morning, a platform team enforcing golden paths, so a new service is scaffolded with logging, ci and security defaults already wired in, a company consolidating scattered readmes and confluence pages into docs that live beside the code and cannot silently rot unnoticed, a regulated business that needs an auditable register of every running service, its owner and its data classification. Of those, an engineering organisation past roughly a hundred services where nobody can reliably answer who owns a given service at two in the morning and a platform team enforcing golden paths, so a new service is scaffolded with logging, ci and security defaults already wired in are not what Chartio is typically brought in for.
What can Backstage do that Chartio cannot?
Backstage covers Software catalogue, Software templates, TechDocs, Plugin architecture. Chartio covers Visual Query Builder, Interactive Dashboards, Data Blending, Collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Backstage: Is Backstage free?

The project is Apache 2.0 with no licence fee. The real cost is engineering time; teams commonly dedicate one to two engineers permanently to running it.

Chartio: Is Chartio still available?

No, Chartio was discontinued on March 1, 2022. The product was acquired by Atlassian and the service was shut down. Users were offered migration to alternative solutions.

Source
Backstage: Do I need to write code to use it?

Yes. Configuring and extending a Backstage application is a TypeScript and React project. This is the single most common misjudgement buyers make.

Chartio: What should I use instead of Chartio after its discontinuation?

Atlassian, which acquired Chartio, recommends users migrate to other data visualization and business intelligence tools within the Atlassian ecosystem or compatible alternatives.

Source
Backstage: What is Spotify Portal for Backstage?

A commercial distribution from Spotify with premium plugins and support, generally available since October 2025 and sold as a quoted annual subscription with no published price.

Chartio: Can I still access Chartio's pricing information?

No, historical pricing is not relevant as Chartio ceased operations in March 2022. Any archived pricing information would not reflect current market options.

Source
Backstage: Who owns the project?

Spotify created and open sourced it; it is now a CNCF project, so the upstream roadmap is not solely Spotify controlled.

Share

Related pages

More on Backstage

More on Chartio

Keep looking

Other head to heads