No-Code · head to head
Corteza vs Refact
Corteza
No-Code
Apache-licensed open source low-code platform, formerly Crust, positioned against Salesforce
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Refact
Developer Tools
Autonomous AI coding agent for development tasks
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- 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.; Refact requires configuration for optimal performance
- They diverge on capability: Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, Refact covers Autonomous agent workflows.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Corteza and Refact actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 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 Refact
- Autonomous agent workflows
- IDE chat
- Real-time code completions
- GitHub integration
- Database integration
- On-premise deployment
- Multi-LLM support
- 25+ language support
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 Refact
- An NGO replacing a Salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring costnot Refact
- An integrator building a regulated vertical application it intends to resell, requiring a permissive licence it can ship commerciallynot Refact
- A mid-size European company that wants one platform for internal applications and a sales pipeline without paying per seat as headcount growsnot Refact
Refact
- Autonomous code generation for development tasksnot Corteza
- End-to-end bug fixes and refactoringnot Corteza
- Multi-language software development accelerationnot Corteza
- Enterprise development with data privacy requirementsnot 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.
Refact
- Requires configuration for optimal performance
- On-premise deployment adds operational complexity
- Free tier limited by daily agent request quota
- Coin system adds complexity to cost calculation
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
Refact
Free- FreeFree
- Limited daily agent usage
- Unlimited completions
- 2,000 coins for agent and chat
- Pro$10/month
- 40 daily agent requests
- 64k context window
- 10,000 coins monthly
- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- On-premise deployment
- Custom coin allocation
- Fine-tuning support
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.
Choose Refact if
- You need autonomous agent workflows.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on VS Code, Web.
- You also want ide chat.
Questions people ask
- Is Corteza or Refact better?
- Neither clearly leads. Corteza starts at Free and Refact at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Corteza or Refact?
- Corteza starts at Free and Refact at Free.
- Does Corteza or Refact run on more platforms?
- Corteza runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker. Refact runs on VS Code, Web.
- Can I use Corteza for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Refact is typically brought in for.
- What can Corteza do that Refact cannot?
- Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, Automation and workflow, Bundled CRM, Case management. Refact covers Autonomous agent workflows, IDE chat, Real-time code completions, GitHub integration.
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.
Refact: How many programming languages does Refact support?
Refact supports 25+ programming languages including Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust, Java, C++, and many others.
SourceCorteza: Who owns the code?
The Commons Conservancy, a Dutch foundation. Planet Crust in Cork is the primary developer and sells commercial services around it.
Refact: Can I deploy Refact on-premises?
Yes. Refact offers on-premise deployment options for organizations requiring complete data control and privacy.
SourceCorteza: 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.
Refact: What LLMs does Refact support?
Refact works with multiple LLMs including Claude, GPT-4, and open-source models, giving you flexibility in model selection.
SourceCorteza: 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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