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Developer Tools · head to head

Cortex vs Sketch

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
Full reviewWebsite
Sketch logo

Sketch

Technology

The digital design toolkit

From
$12/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Sketch macOS-only for editing, blocking Windows and Linux users from accessing design features
  • They diverge on capability: Cortex covers Service catalogue, Sketch covers Vector editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cortex and Sketch actually diverge.

Attributes where Cortex and Sketch differ
AttributeCortexSketch
Starting priceOn request$12/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, APImacOS, Web, iOS, iPad
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: 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 Sketch

  • Vector editing
  • Symbols & components
  • Prototyping
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Developer handoff
  • Plugins ecosystem
  • Cloud sync
  • Version history

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

Sketch

  • UI designnot Cortex
  • Mobile app designnot Cortex
  • Web designnot Cortex
  • Design systemsnot Cortex
  • Prototypingnot 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.

Sketch

  • macOS-only for editing, blocking Windows and Linux users from accessing design features
  • Real-time collaboration feels less seamless than Figma with occasional sync delays
  • Limited built-in image editing capabilities, requiring external software for bitmap work
  • Subscription required for cloud features and collaboration, losing access if subscription lapses

Pricing, plan by plan

Cortex

On request
  • Cortex$undefined/year
    • Service catalogue and ownership mapping
    • Scorecards and initiatives
    • Self-service templates

Sketch

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • Real-time collaboration
    • Unlimited documents
    • Unlimited free viewers
  • Professional$24/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Single Sign-On (SSO)
    • Project archiving
  • Enterprise$44/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • SCIM provisioning
    • BYOK encryption
  • Mac-only License$120/perpetual
    • Native Mac app
    • Offline access
    • Local file saving

Which should you pick?

Choose Cortex if

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

Choose Sketch if

  • You need vector editing.
  • You work on macOS, Web, iOS, iPad.
  • You also want symbols & components.
Sketch review

Questions people ask

Is Cortex or Sketch better?
Neither clearly leads. Cortex starts at On request and Sketch at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cortex or Sketch?
Cortex starts at On request and Sketch at $12/month.
Does Cortex or Sketch run on more platforms?
Cortex runs on Web, API. Sketch runs on macOS, Web, iOS, iPad.
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 Sketch is typically brought in for.
What can Cortex do that Sketch cannot?
Cortex covers Service catalogue, Scorecards, Initiatives, Self-service templates. Sketch covers Vector editing, Symbols & components, Prototyping, Real-time collaboration.

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.

Sketch: Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux?

No. Sketch is macOS-only for the design and prototyping features. Web and mobile apps provide viewing and collaboration, but editing requires macOS 14.0 or later.

Source
Cortex: Is pricing published?

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

Sketch: Does Sketch offer a free trial?

Yes. Sketch provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. You can also purchase a one-time Mac-only license for $120 per seat instead of subscribing.

Source
Cortex: Can it self-host?

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

Sketch: What collaboration features does Sketch include?

Sketch supports real-time collaboration, unlimited document sharing, unlimited viewers, and version history on all paid subscription plans (Standard $12/month, Professional $24/month, Enterprise $44/month).

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.

Sketch: Can I use Sketch offline?

Yes. The one-time Mac-only license ($120) allows you to use Sketch offline and save files locally, but it excludes cloud collaboration and iOS previewing features.

Source
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