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Developer Tools · head to head

Cortex vs Craft Docs

Cortex logo

Cortex

Developer Tools

Internal developer portal that scores service ownership and maturity rather than just cataloguing services

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit CortexFull review
Craft Docs logo

Craft Docs

Project Management

Beautiful document and note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Craft DocsFull review

The short version

  • Craft Docs is free; Cortex prices on request.
  • Only Cortex lists service catalogue; only Craft Docs lists rich document editing.
  • Where Craft Docs falls short: primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; limited support for Windows or Android.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cortex and Craft Docs actually diverge.

Attributes where Cortex and Craft Docs differ
AttributeCortexCraft Docs
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIiOS, macOS, Web
CategoryDeveloper ToolsProject Management

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Craft Docs, founded for Cortex.

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 Cortex

  • Service catalogue
  • Scorecards
  • Initiatives
  • Self-service templates
  • Query language
  • Eng intelligence
  • Integrations layer
  • On-call and ownership mapping

Only in Craft Docs

  • Rich document editing
  • Beautiful templates
  • Collaboration in real-time
  • Comments and discussions
  • iCloud sync
  • Powerful search
  • Dark and light themes
  • File attachments

What people use each for

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

Cortex

  • A platform team that needs to prove to leadership how far a Kubernetes or framework migration has actually progressed across hundreds of servicesnot Craft Docs
  • An organisation where ownership of production services is genuinely unknown after reorganisations or acquisitionsnot Craft Docs
  • Enforcing production readiness standards on new services at creation time rather than at incident reviewnot Craft Docs
  • Replacing a self-hosted Backstage that is consuming a full-time engineer or two just to stay upgradednot Craft Docs

Craft Docs

  • Productivitynot Cortex
  • Collaborationnot Cortex
  • Task managementnot Cortex
  • Organizationnot Cortex

Where each one falls short

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

Cortex

  • Pricing is quote only, so a platform team cannot build a business case or compare against the true cost of self-hosted Backstage without entering a sales cycle first
  • The catalogue is only as accurate as the metadata you supply, so an organisation with inconsistent repository conventions spends its first quarter cleaning data before any scorecard means anything
  • Scorecards create political friction: publishing a per-team grade turns an engineering standard into a performance metric, and teams will game the rules rather than fix the underlying issue
  • It is closed source and hosted, so organisations with strict data residency or air-gap requirements have limited options compared with running Backstage themselves
  • Value scales with organisation size, so a company with fifty engineers and thirty services will find the catalogue tells them nothing they did not already know while still paying an enterprise contract

Craft Docs

  • Primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; limited support for Windows or Android
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Notion or Obsidian
  • Collaboration features less mature than dedicated team document platforms
  • Requires learning Craft-specific formatting and structure

Pricing, plan by plan

Cortex

On request
  • CortexOn request
    • Service catalogue and ownership mapping
    • Scorecards and initiatives
    • Self-service templates

Craft Docs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Craft Docs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Cortex if

  • You need service catalogue.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want scorecards.
Cortex review

Choose Craft Docs if

  • You need rich document editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, macOS, Web.
  • You also want beautiful templates.
Craft Docs review

Questions people ask

Is Cortex or Craft Docs better?
Neither clearly leads. Cortex starts at On request and Craft Docs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cortex or Craft Docs?
Craft Docs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cortex and Free for Craft Docs.
Does Cortex or Craft Docs run on more platforms?
Cortex runs on Web, API. Craft Docs runs on iOS, macOS, Web.
Can I use Craft Docs for free?
Yes. Craft Docs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cortex starts at On request.
What is Cortex best used for?
Cortex is most often used for a platform team that needs to prove to leadership how far a kubernetes or framework migration has actually progressed across hundreds of services, an organisation where ownership of production services is genuinely unknown after reorganisations or acquisitions, enforcing production readiness standards on new services at creation time rather than at incident review, replacing a self-hosted backstage that is consuming a full-time engineer or two just to stay upgraded. Of those, a platform team that needs to prove to leadership how far a kubernetes or framework migration has actually progressed across hundreds of services and an organisation where ownership of production services is genuinely unknown after reorganisations or acquisitions are not what Craft Docs is typically brought in for.
What can Cortex do that Craft Docs cannot?
Cortex covers Service catalogue, Scorecards, Initiatives, Self-service templates. Craft Docs covers Rich document editing, Beautiful templates, Collaboration in real-time, Comments and discussions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cortex: How is Cortex different from Backstage?

Backstage is an open source framework you build and staff. Cortex is a hosted product with scorecards and initiatives out of the box and no platform team required to keep it running.

Craft Docs: What platforms does Craft Docs support?

Craft Docs is available on iOS, iPad, and Mac, with deep integration into Apple's ecosystem. A web version is also available.

Source
Cortex: Is pricing published?

No. Cortex requires a sales conversation and prepares a custom proposal.

Craft Docs: Can you collaborate on documents in Craft Docs?

Yes. Craft Docs supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit documents simultaneously.

Source
Cortex: Can it self-host?

It is offered as a hosted product; on-premise arrangements are handled through sales rather than published.

Craft Docs: Does Craft Docs have AI features?

Yes. Craft Docs includes AI-powered writing assistance and editing features.

Source
Cortex: What is the main adoption risk?

Bad or missing service metadata. The catalogue and every scorecard on top of it inherit whatever quality your repositories already have.

Craft Docs: Can you use Craft Docs offline?

Yes. Craft Docs allows offline editing with synchronization when connectivity is restored.

Source
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