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Developer Tools · head to head

Cortex vs Ninox

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
Ninox logo

Ninox

Databases

The database for teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit NinoxFull review

The short version

  • Ninox starts at €25/mo; Cortex prices on request.
  • Where Ninox falls short: free plan limited to 5 users and 5,000 records.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cortex and Ninox actually diverge.

Attributes where Cortex and Ninox differ
AttributeCortexNinox
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelQuoteFreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

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 Ninox

Nothing recorded that Cortex does not also cover.

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 Ninox
  • An organisation where ownership of production services is genuinely unknown after reorganisations or acquisitionsnot Ninox
  • Enforcing production readiness standards on new services at creation time rather than at incident reviewnot Ninox
  • Replacing a self-hosted Backstage that is consuming a full-time engineer or two just to stay upgradednot Ninox

Ninox

  • No-code database solutions for small to medium teamsnot Cortex
  • Workflow automation and process managementnot Cortex
  • Customer data and project tracking with custom viewsnot 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

Ninox

  • Free plan limited to 5 users and 5,000 records
  • API call limits restrict automation on lower tiers (1,000/month free, 10,000/month team)
  • Only 7-day history on free plan vs. unlimited on Business

Pricing, plan by plan

Cortex

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

Ninox

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • 100 MB storage
    • Up to 5,000 records
  • Team€25/mo
    • 5 GB storage per user
    • 50,000 records per user
    • 10,000 API calls per user per month
  • Business€40/mo
    • 10 GB storage per user
    • 250,000 records per user
    • 50,000 API calls per user per month
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Custom pricing available
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom solutions and governance

Which should you pick?

Choose Cortex if

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

Choose Ninox if

  • You want to start without paying.
Ninox review

Questions people ask

Is Cortex or Ninox better?
Neither clearly leads. Cortex starts at On request and Ninox at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cortex or Ninox?
Ninox has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cortex and Free for Ninox.
Does Cortex or Ninox run on more platforms?
Cortex runs on Web, API. Ninox runs on Web.
Can I use Ninox for free?
Yes. Ninox 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 Ninox is typically brought in for.
What can Cortex do that Ninox cannot?
Cortex covers Service catalogue, Scorecards, Initiatives, Self-service templates.

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.

Ninox: How much does Ninox cost?

Ninox is free for individuals with up to 5 users. Team plan is 25 EUR per user per month (billed annually), and Business plan is 40 EUR per user per month (billed annually). Enterprise plans have custom pricing.

Source
Cortex: Is pricing published?

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

Ninox: Is Ninox free?

Yes, Ninox offers a free plan for up to 5 users with 100 MB storage and 5,000 records. No payment required to start, and includes all core views: table, form, chart, kanban, maps, and calendar.

Source
Cortex: Can it self-host?

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

Ninox: What is Ninox Team plan pricing?

The Team plan costs 25 EUR per user per month (billed annually). It includes 5 GB storage per user, 50,000 records, 10,000 API calls per month per user, and 30-day history. Annual billing is required.

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.

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