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No-Code · head to head

Appian vs Corteza

Appian logo

Appian

No-Code

Low-code process automation platform priced per user, per app, per month, with tier limits on data and AI volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Corteza logo

Corteza

No-Code

Apache-licensed open source low-code platform, formerly Crust, positioned against Salesforce

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Corteza has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Appian cost multiplies on three axes at once, users, apps and month, so deploying several apps to overlapping user populations produces a bill that is not obvious from any single per-user headline figure.; Corteza planet Crust is a small company of roughly a dozen or so people, so the entire commercial support capability behind Corteza is thin and a large deployment can outgrow the vendors ability to respond.
  • They diverge on capability: Appian covers Low-code process designer, Corteza covers Corteza Low Code.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Appian and Corteza actually diverge.

Attributes where Appian and Corteza differ
AttributeAppianCorteza
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user, per app, per month, escalating across Standard, Advanced and Premium tiersOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (No-Code).

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 Appian

  • Low-code process designer
  • Robotic process automation
  • AI process automation
  • Data fabric
  • Portals
  • Process mining

Only in Corteza

  • Corteza Low Code
  • Automation and workflow
  • Bundled CRM
  • Case management
  • Federation
  • Role-based access control
  • Corteza Messaging and integrations
  • Self-hosted deployment

What people use each for

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

Appian

  • A regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trailnot Corteza
  • A company deploying RPA bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platformnot Corteza
  • An organisation whose process data volume is large enough that the Standard tier's 4 million row cap is a real constraint worth planning fornot Corteza
  • A business wanting embedded AI actions inside workflow steps rather than bolted on separatelynot Corteza

Corteza

  • A European public body that needs a case management system on servers inside its own jurisdiction with an auditable licence and no per-seat vendor feenot Appian
  • An NGO replacing a Salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring costnot Appian
  • An integrator building a regulated vertical application it intends to resell, requiring a permissive licence it can ship commerciallynot Appian
  • A mid-size European company that wants one platform for internal applications and a sales pipeline without paying per seat as headcount growsnot Appian

Where each one falls short

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

Appian

  • Cost multiplies on three axes at once, users, apps and month, so deploying several apps to overlapping user populations produces a bill that is not obvious from any single per-user headline figure.
  • Each tier has hard caps on data rows, RPA bots and monthly AI actions, so a workload can force a tier upgrade purely from data or automation volume growth, independent of user count.
  • No dollar figures are published anywhere on Appian's own site; every real price point comes from a sales negotiation, making early-stage budget comparison against OutSystems or Mendix difficult.
  • The platform's strength in process orchestration and case management is less useful for teams that mainly want simple departmental data apps, where the pricing and capability are overkill.
  • Exceeding the 200,000 (Standard) or 1,000,000 (Premium) monthly AI action allowance requires a renegotiation, so AI-heavy workflows carry real usage risk beyond the base subscription.

Corteza

  • Planet Crust is a small company of roughly a dozen or so people, so the entire commercial support capability behind Corteza is thin and a large deployment can outgrow the vendors ability to respond.
  • No pricing is published for Planet Crusts support, hosting or implementation services, so the true running cost of a supported deployment cannot be estimated without a sales conversation.
  • The connector ecosystem is small compared with commercial low-code platforms, so integrations with common SaaS tools usually mean writing against the REST API rather than installing something.
  • Hiring is hard: almost nobody has Corteza on a CV, so you are training internal developers on a niche platform and you cannot easily replace them.
  • The bundled CRM is a starting point rather than a mature product, and teams that expect Salesforce-equivalent sales functionality out of the box will spend months building the gap themselves.

Pricing, plan by plan

Appian

On request
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • 4 million data row capacity
    • 5 RPA bots included
  • Advanced$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • Higher data row capacity than Standard
    • More RPA bots than Standard
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Per user, per app, per month
    • 50 million data row capacity
    • Unlimited RPA bots

Corteza

Free
  • Corteza communityFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed with no feature gating
    • Low-code builder, workflow engine, CRM and case management included
    • Self-hosted on your own infrastructure
  • Planet Crust support and services$undefined/year
    • Commercial support, hosting and implementation from Planet Crust
    • Custom application development
    • Training

Which should you pick?

Choose Appian if

  • You need low-code process designer.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want robotic process automation.
Appian review

Choose Corteza if

  • You need corteza low code.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want automation and workflow.
Corteza review

Questions people ask

Is Appian or Corteza better?
Neither clearly leads. Appian starts at On request and Corteza at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Appian or Corteza?
Corteza has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Appian and Free for Corteza.
Does Appian or Corteza run on more platforms?
Appian runs on Web, iOS, Android. Corteza runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use Corteza for free?
Yes. Corteza has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Appian starts at On request.
What is Appian best used for?
Appian is most often used for a regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trail, a company deploying rpa bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platform, an organisation whose process data volume is large enough that the standard tier's 4 million row cap is a real constraint worth planning for, a business wanting embedded ai actions inside workflow steps rather than bolted on separately. Of those, a regulated enterprise (financial services, government, insurance) automating case management processes that need a full audit trail and a company deploying rpa bots alongside low-code apps and wanting both in one licensed platform are not what Corteza is typically brought in for.
What can Appian do that Corteza cannot?
Appian covers Low-code process designer, Robotic process automation, AI process automation, Data fabric. Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, Automation and workflow, Bundled CRM, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Appian: Does Appian publish its prices?

No dollar figures are public. It discloses the pricing mechanism, per user per app per month across three tiers, but actual rates are negotiated.

Corteza: Is Corteza the same thing as Crust?

Yes. The project was branded Crust and renamed Corteza in 2019 when Crust Technology donated it to the Commons Conservancy.

Appian: What happens if we exceed the data row cap?

Exceeding a tier's data row, RPA bot or AI action cap requires upgrading to the next tier or negotiating an add-on, regardless of user count.

Corteza: Who owns the code?

The Commons Conservancy, a Dutch foundation. Planet Crust in Cork is the primary developer and sells commercial services around it.

Appian: Is Appian a general app builder like OutSystems?

It can build general apps but is oriented more toward process automation and case management, with RPA and AI embedded as core features.

Corteza: Is there a paid enterprise edition?

No. Corteza is Apache 2.0 with no feature gating. Planet Crust sells support, hosting and development instead of a restricted edition.

Corteza: Can it genuinely replace Salesforce?

For case management and a straightforward sales pipeline on a self-hosted footprint, yes. For a large sales organisation relying on AppExchange products and a mature ecosystem, no.

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