Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Backstage vs IDnow

Backstage logo

Backstage

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
IDnow logo

IDnow

Cybersecurity

Identity verification and qualified electronic signature for regulated European markets

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Backstage has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; IDnow agent-led video identification costs several times an automated check and depends on agent availability, so peak-time queues push abandonment up at exactly the moment conversion matters.
  • They diverge on capability: Backstage covers Software catalogue, IDnow covers VideoIdent.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backstage and IDnow actually diverge.

Attributes where Backstage and IDnow differ
AttributeBackstageIDnow
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Linux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, iOS, Android, API
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 IDnow

  • VideoIdent
  • AutoIdent
  • eSign
  • eID and NFC
  • Bank identification
  • EU data processing

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 IDnow
  • A platform team enforcing golden paths, so a new service is scaffolded with logging, CI and security defaults already wired innot IDnow
  • A company consolidating scattered READMEs and Confluence pages into docs that live beside the code and cannot silently rot unnoticednot IDnow
  • A regulated business that needs an auditable register of every running service, its owner and its data classificationnot IDnow

IDnow

  • A German bank opening regulated accounts where BaFin requires a recognised identification methodnot Backstage
  • An insurer needing a qualified electronic signature that will survive challenge in a European courtnot Backstage
  • A telecom operator meeting national SIM registration identity rules across several EU statesnot Backstage
  • A lender wanting automated checks for low-risk applicants and video identification only for high-value casesnot 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.

IDnow

  • Agent-led video identification costs several times an automated check and depends on agent availability, so peak-time queues push abandonment up at exactly the moment conversion matters.
  • Pricing is quoted with an annual volume commitment, so the accreditation advantage comes with a floor you pay whether or not you use it.
  • The product is optimised for European regulatory regimes, so buyers verifying users in North America, Asia or Africa will find coverage and cost less competitive than global specialists.
  • Qualified electronic signature is a separate licence from identity verification, which surprises buyers who assumed the accredited identity check made the signature capability included.
  • Integration for the regulated flows is heavier than a simple SDK drop-in because the compliant journey, including consent and recording requirements, constrains the user experience you can build.

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 Backstage$undefined/year
    • Packaged commercial distribution from Spotify
    • Spotify premium plugins including Soundcheck and Insights
    • Simplified setup and managed upgrade path

IDnow

On request
  • IDnow Platform$undefined/year
    • Per-identification pricing that differs sharply between automated and agent-led methods
    • Annual volume commitment typically required
    • Qualified electronic signature licensed separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Backstage if

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

Choose IDnow if

  • You need videoident.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want autoident.
IDnow review

Questions people ask

Is Backstage or IDnow better?
Neither clearly leads. Backstage starts at Free and IDnow at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backstage or IDnow?
Backstage has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Backstage and On request for IDnow.
Does Backstage or IDnow run on more platforms?
Backstage runs on Web, Self-hosted, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. IDnow runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use Backstage for free?
Yes. Backstage has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IDnow 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 IDnow is typically brought in for.
What can Backstage do that IDnow cannot?
Backstage covers Software catalogue, Software templates, TechDocs, Plugin architecture. IDnow covers VideoIdent, AutoIdent, eSign, eID and NFC.

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.

IDnow: Why choose it over a cheaper automated vendor?

Because in some European regimes the cheaper vendor is not legally permitted for the transaction. This is an eligibility question, not a quality one.

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.

IDnow: Is the electronic signature included?

No. Qualified electronic signature under eIDAS is licensed separately from identity verification.

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.

IDnow: Where is the data processed?

In European data centres, which is a requirement rather than a preference for many of its regulated customers.

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 IDnow

Keep looking

Other head to heads