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No-Code · head to head

Corteza vs Kintone

Corteza logo

Corteza

No-Code

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kintone logo

Kintone

No-Code

Customizable workplace platform by Cybozu for no-code data, task and team management

From
$24/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Corteza has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Kintone minimum order of 5 users required ($120/month floor)
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Corteza and Kintone actually diverge.

Attributes where Corteza and Kintone differ
AttributeCortezaKintone
Starting priceFree$24/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, DockerWeb

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 Corteza

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

Only in Kintone

Nothing recorded that Corteza does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

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 Kintone
  • An NGO replacing a Salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring costnot Kintone
  • An integrator building a regulated vertical application it intends to resell, requiring a permissive licence it can ship commerciallynot Kintone
  • A mid-size European company that wants one platform for internal applications and a sales pipeline without paying per seat as headcount growsnot Kintone

Kintone

  • Low-code business application developmentnot Corteza
  • Workflow automationnot Corteza
  • Team collaboration and project managementnot Corteza

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Kintone

  • Minimum order of 5 users required ($120/month floor)
  • API calls limited to 10,000 per day

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Kintone

$24/month
  • Standard$24/month
    • Minimum 5 users ($120/month minimum)
    • 900 apps
    • 300 spaces

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Kintone if

Nothing in the data separates Kintone from Corteza on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Kintone review

Questions people ask

Is Corteza or Kintone better?
Neither clearly leads. Corteza starts at Free and Kintone at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Corteza or Kintone?
Corteza has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Corteza and $24/month for Kintone.
Does Corteza or Kintone run on more platforms?
Corteza runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker. Kintone runs on Web.
Can I use Corteza for free?
Yes. Corteza has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kintone starts at $24/month.
What is Corteza best used for?
Corteza is most often used for 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 fee, an ngo replacing a salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring cost, an integrator building a regulated vertical application it intends to resell, requiring a permissive licence it can ship commercially, a mid-size european company that wants one platform for internal applications and a sales pipeline without paying per seat as headcount grows. Of those, 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 fee and an ngo replacing a salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring cost are not what Kintone is typically brought in for.
What can Corteza do that Kintone cannot?
Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, Automation and workflow, Bundled CRM, Case management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Kintone: How much does Kintone cost per user?

Kintone costs $24/user/month with a minimum of 5 users required, totaling $120/month minimum. All features are included in the single tier.

Source
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.

Kintone: Are there different pricing tiers for Kintone?

No, Kintone offers one unified pricing model at $24/user/month with all features included. No tiered plans at different price points.

Source
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.

Kintone: Does Kintone offer pricing for nonprofits?

Yes, special pricing is available for 501(c)3 nonprofits, educational institutions, and government organizations. Contact Kintone for details.

Source
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.

Kintone: What are Kintone's storage and API limits?

Each user gets 5GB storage. Accounts include 10,000 API calls per day, 900 apps, 300 spaces, and up to 50,000 records per app.

Source
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