Developer Tools · head to head
Cortex vs IDnow
Cortex
Developer Tools
Internal developer portal that scores service ownership and maturity rather than just cataloguing services
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
IDnow
Cybersecurity
Identity verification and qualified electronic signature for regulated European markets
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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.; 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: Cortex covers Service catalogue, IDnow covers VideoIdent.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cortex and IDnow actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Cortex
- Service catalogue
- Scorecards
- Initiatives
- Self-service templates
- Query language
- Eng intelligence
- Integrations layer
- On-call and ownership mapping
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.
Cortex
- A platform team that needs to prove to leadership how far a Kubernetes or framework migration has actually progressed across hundreds of servicesnot IDnow
- An organisation where ownership of production services is genuinely unknown after reorganisations or acquisitionsnot IDnow
- Enforcing production readiness standards on new services at creation time rather than at incident reviewnot IDnow
- Replacing a self-hosted Backstage that is consuming a full-time engineer or two just to stay upgradednot IDnow
IDnow
- A German bank opening regulated accounts where BaFin requires a recognised identification methodnot Cortex
- An insurer needing a qualified electronic signature that will survive challenge in a European courtnot Cortex
- A telecom operator meeting national SIM registration identity rules across several EU statesnot Cortex
- A lender wanting automated checks for low-risk applicants and video identification only for high-value casesnot 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.
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
Cortex
On request- Cortex$undefined/year
- Service catalogue and ownership mapping
- Scorecards and initiatives
- Self-service templates
IDnow
On request- IDnow Platform$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 Cortex if
- You need service catalogue.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want scorecards.
Choose IDnow if
- You need videoident.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- You also want autoident.
Questions people ask
- Is Cortex or IDnow better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cortex starts at On request and IDnow at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cortex or IDnow?
- Cortex starts at On request and IDnow at On request.
- Does Cortex or IDnow run on more platforms?
- Cortex runs on Web, API. IDnow runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- 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 IDnow is typically brought in for.
- What can Cortex do that IDnow cannot?
- Cortex covers Service catalogue, Scorecards, Initiatives, Self-service templates. IDnow covers VideoIdent, AutoIdent, eSign, eID and NFC.
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.
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.
Cortex: Is pricing published?
No. Cortex requires a sales conversation and prepares a custom proposal.
IDnow: Is the electronic signature included?
No. Qualified electronic signature under eIDAS is licensed separately from identity verification.
Cortex: Can it self-host?
It is offered as a hosted product; on-premise arrangements are handled through sales rather than published.
IDnow: Where is the data processed?
In European data centres, which is a requirement rather than a preference for many of its regulated customers.
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.
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