Developer Tools · head to head
Cortex vs Maze
Cortex
Developer Tools
Internal developer portal that scores service ownership and maturity rather than just cataloguing services
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Only Maze has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.; Maze maze publishes no prices on its pricing page; every plan routes to contact sales, so pricing is by quote only with no published rate or minimum
- They diverge on capability: Cortex covers Service catalogue, Maze covers Prototype testing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cortex and Maze actually diverge.
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 Cortex
- Service catalogue
- Scorecards
- Initiatives
- Self-service templates
- Query language
- Eng intelligence
- Integrations layer
- On-call and ownership mapping
Only in Maze
- Prototype testing
- Usability testing
- Card sorting
- Tree testing
- Surveys
- 5-second tests
- A/B testing
- Analytics dashboard
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 Maze
- An organisation where ownership of production services is genuinely unknown after reorganisations or acquisitionsnot Maze
- Enforcing production readiness standards on new services at creation time rather than at incident reviewnot Maze
- Replacing a self-hosted Backstage that is consuming a full-time engineer or two just to stay upgradednot Maze
Maze
- User research and testingnot Cortex
- AI-powered moderation featuresnot Cortex
- Prototype and website testingnot Cortex
- User feedback panelsnot 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.
Maze
- Maze publishes no prices on its pricing page; every plan routes to contact sales, so pricing is by quote only with no published rate or minimum
- The AI study builder, AI moderated interviews and moderated interview studies are Enterprise only
- Mobile testing and testing through the Maze mobile app are Enterprise only
- Interview scheduling, card sorting and information architecture testing are Enterprise only
- Role-based access, SSO and compliance controls are Enterprise only
- Panel recruitment is available on all plans but with stated limits, and prototype testing carries limits below Enterprise
- Qualitative analysis of clip recordings, interview transcription and automated theme analysis are Enterprise only
Pricing, plan by plan
Cortex
On request- Cortex$undefined/year
- Service catalogue and ownership mapping
- Scorecards and initiatives
- Self-service templates
Maze
Free- FreeFree
- 1 active project
- Preview link testing
- Basic analytics
- Starter$75/month
- 3 active projects
- Unlimited responses
- Advanced analytics
- Team$150/month
- Unlimited projects
- Team collaboration
- Custom branding
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Team
- SSO
- Dedicated CSM
Which should you pick?
Choose Cortex if
- You need service catalogue.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want scorecards.
Choose Maze if
- You need prototype testing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
- You also want usability testing.
Questions people ask
- Is Cortex or Maze better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cortex starts at On request and Maze at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cortex or Maze?
- Maze has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cortex and Free for Maze.
- Does Cortex or Maze run on more platforms?
- Cortex runs on Web, API. Maze runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
- Can I use Maze for free?
- Yes. Maze 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 Maze is typically brought in for.
- What can Cortex do that Maze cannot?
- Cortex covers Service catalogue, Scorecards, Initiatives, Self-service templates. Maze covers Prototype testing, Usability testing, Card sorting, Tree testing.
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.
Maze: Does Maze offer a free trial or freemium tier?
Maze site indicates 'Try Maze for free' option, suggesting free tier or trial availability, but specific terms and limitations not stated on main page.
SourceCortex: Is pricing published?
No. Cortex requires a sales conversation and prepares a custom proposal.
Maze: Can I request a custom demo if standard plans don't fit my needs?
Yes, Maze offers 'Request a demo' option, indicating willingness to discuss custom requirements and potentially custom pricing arrangements.
SourceCortex: Can it self-host?
It is offered as a hosted product; on-premise arrangements are handled through sales rather than published.
Maze: What testing capabilities does Maze include in paid plans?
Maze features AI Moderator, prototype testing, panel recruitment, and website testing capabilities across plans, but specific feature tiers and pricing not disclosed publicly.
SourceCortex: 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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