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Developer Tools · head to head

Backstage vs Wiz

Backstage logo

Backstage

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Wiz logo

Wiz

Cloud

Cloud and AI security platform unifying code, cloud, and runtime protection.

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.; Wiz no public pricing; licensing requires a custom quote based on workloads and sensors.
  • They diverge on capability: Backstage covers Software catalogue, Wiz covers Cloud security posture management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backstage and Wiz actually diverge.

Attributes where Backstage and Wiz differ
AttributeBackstageWiz
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, Linux, Docker, Kubernetesweb, api
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCloud

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 Wiz

  • Cloud security posture management
  • Code security (Wiz Code)
  • Runtime threat detection (Wiz Defend)
  • AI security agents
  • AI workload protection
  • Attack path analysis

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

Wiz

  • Identifying cloud misconfigurations across multi-cloud environmentsnot Backstage
  • Securing code from IDE through CI/CD deploymentnot Backstage
  • Detecting and responding to active threats at runtimenot Backstage
  • Governing AI workloads and models in the cloudnot Backstage
  • Prioritizing risk with cross-environment attack path analysisnot 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.

Wiz

  • No public pricing; licensing requires a custom quote based on workloads and sensors.
  • Modular licensing across Cloud, Code, Defend, and Sensor products can complicate cost planning.
  • Full runtime protection value depends on deploying Wiz Sensor agents, adding operational overhead.
  • Primarily aimed at mid-to-large enterprises despite the smaller Wiz Go bundle.

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

Wiz

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Wiz review.

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 Wiz if

  • You need cloud security posture management.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want code security (wiz code).
Wiz review

Questions people ask

Is Backstage or Wiz better?
Neither clearly leads. Backstage starts at Free and Wiz at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backstage or Wiz?
Backstage has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Backstage and On request for Wiz.
Does Backstage or Wiz run on more platforms?
Backstage runs on Web, Self-hosted, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Wiz runs on web, api.
Can I use Backstage for free?
Yes. Backstage has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wiz 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 Wiz is typically brought in for.
What can Backstage do that Wiz cannot?
Backstage covers Software catalogue, Software templates, TechDocs, Plugin architecture. Wiz covers Cloud security posture management, Code security (Wiz Code), Runtime threat detection (Wiz Defend), AI security agents.

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.

Wiz: How much does Wiz cost?

Wiz does not publish standard pricing. The platform uses modular licensing based on workloads, active developers, log ingestion, or sensors. All pricing requires requesting a custom quote directly from the company.

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.

Wiz: Does Wiz offer a free trial?

No free trial information is mentioned on Wiz's pricing page. Pricing is determined by custom quote based on organizational needs.

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.

Wiz: What products does Wiz offer?

Wiz provides five modular licensing options: Wiz Cloud, Wiz Code, Wiz Defend, Wiz Sensor, and Wiz Go Bundle for SMBs, allowing organizations to scale based on specific security requirements.

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.

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