Mobile Development · head to head
Kotlin Multiplatform vs Steampipe
Kotlin Multiplatform
Mobile Development
JetBrains-funded technology for sharing Kotlin business logic across iOS, Android, web, desktop and server
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Steampipe
Developer Tools
Query cloud APIs, SaaS tools and code with SQL, with no extract or load step
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Kotlin Multiplatform it shares logic, not UI, by default, so a team expecting a Flutter-style single UI codebase has to also adopt Compose Multiplatform, which is newer and less proven on iOS than on Android.; Steampipe aGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.
- They diverge on capability: Kotlin Multiplatform covers Shared Kotlin logic, Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Kotlin Multiplatform and Steampipe actually diverge.
| Attribute | Kotlin Multiplatform | Steampipe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open source, no licence fee | Open source, with paid hosting through Turbot Pipes |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web | macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web |
| Category | Mobile Development | Developer Tools |
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 Kotlin Multiplatform
- Shared Kotlin logic
- Native UI retained
- Compose Multiplatform (optional)
- IDE tooling
- Gradle-based builds
- Incremental adoption
Only in Steampipe
- SQL over live APIs
- Wide plugin set
- Embedded Postgres
- Compliance benchmarks
- Joins across providers
- Hosted option
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Kotlin Multiplatform
- A company with existing separate native iOS and Android codebases wanting to stop duplicating business logic and networking codenot Steampipe
- A team that wants shared logic but is not willing to compromise on fully native UI per platformnot Steampipe
- An organisation already using Kotlin on the backend that wants to reuse the same models and validation on mobile clientsnot Steampipe
- A team evaluating Compose Multiplatform for UI sharing but wanting the option to fall back to native UI per screennot Steampipe
Steampipe
- Security teams answering posture questions against live cloud accounts rather than a nightly exportnot Kotlin Multiplatform
- Compliance evidence gathering where the answer must reflect the account at the moment it is askednot Kotlin Multiplatform
- Inventory and drift questions spanning several cloud providers in one querynot Kotlin Multiplatform
- Engineers who would rather write SQL than learn each provider command line toolnot Kotlin Multiplatform
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Kotlin Multiplatform
- It shares logic, not UI, by default, so a team expecting a Flutter-style single UI codebase has to also adopt Compose Multiplatform, which is newer and less proven on iOS than on Android.
- iOS interop relies on Kotlin/Native compiling to a framework consumed from Swift, and debugging across that boundary is more friction than debugging pure Swift or pure Kotlin.
- Because logic-sharing is the whole premise, teams still need genuine iOS and Android UI expertise on staff; it does not reduce the native skills bar the way a full cross-platform UI framework aims to.
- Build times and tooling maturity for multiplatform Gradle projects lag behind single-platform Kotlin or Swift projects, and multiplatform-specific build errors are less well documented.
- JetBrains funds it as part of the broader Kotlin investment, so its roadmap priority competes internally with IntelliJ, Android Studio and other JetBrains commitments rather than having dedicated headcount the way Flutter has at Google.
Steampipe
- AGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.
- Dashboards, benchmarks and mods were removed from Steampipe entirely at version 1.0 in October 2024 and now live in a separate product, so pre-2024 documentation and tutorials describe commands that no longer exist.
- Live querying is bound by cloud provider API rate limits and keeps no persistent store by default, which is why a separate DuckDB-backed product exists for log volumes and why large accounts return slowly.
- The company is fifteen people and bootstrapped, maintaining four command line tools plus a hosted service plus two further products, and the newer tools have thin community traction relative to that surface area.
- Hosted tiers include only three users regardless of tier, with additional Enterprise users charged separately, so a team of thirty costs an order of magnitude more than the headline figure before compute and storage are counted.
Pricing, plan by plan
Kotlin Multiplatform
Free- Kotlin MultiplatformFree
- Apache 2.0 licensed, unlimited apps
- IDE tooling in the free Android Studio and free-tier IntelliJ IDEA Community
- No paid Kotlin Multiplatform edition exists
Steampipe
Free- Steampipe CLIFree
- AGPL-3.0
- All plugins
- No user or query limits
- Pipes DeveloperFree
- One user
- 400 compute minutes
- 3GB storage
- Pipes Team$49/month
- Three users
- 2,000 compute minutes
- 20GB storage
- Pipes Enterprise$249/month
- Three users
- 10,000 compute minutes
- 100GB storage
Which should you pick?
Choose Kotlin Multiplatform if
- You need shared kotlin logic.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
- You also want native ui retained.
Choose Steampipe if
- You need sql over live apis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web.
- You also want wide plugin set.
Questions people ask
- Is Kotlin Multiplatform or Steampipe better?
- Neither clearly leads. Kotlin Multiplatform starts at Free and Steampipe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Kotlin Multiplatform or Steampipe?
- Kotlin Multiplatform starts at Free and Steampipe at Free.
- Does Kotlin Multiplatform or Steampipe run on more platforms?
- Kotlin Multiplatform runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web. Steampipe runs on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web.
- Can I use Kotlin Multiplatform for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Kotlin Multiplatform best used for?
- Kotlin Multiplatform is most often used for a company with existing separate native ios and android codebases wanting to stop duplicating business logic and networking code, a team that wants shared logic but is not willing to compromise on fully native ui per platform, an organisation already using kotlin on the backend that wants to reuse the same models and validation on mobile clients, a team evaluating compose multiplatform for ui sharing but wanting the option to fall back to native ui per screen. Of those, a company with existing separate native ios and android codebases wanting to stop duplicating business logic and networking code and a team that wants shared logic but is not willing to compromise on fully native ui per platform are not what Steampipe is typically brought in for.
- What can Kotlin Multiplatform do that Steampipe cannot?
- Kotlin Multiplatform covers Shared Kotlin logic, Native UI retained, Compose Multiplatform (optional), IDE tooling. Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs, Wide plugin set, Embedded Postgres, Compliance benchmarks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Kotlin Multiplatform: Does Kotlin Multiplatform replace my native UI code?
Not by default. It shares business logic and data layers; UI stays native per platform unless you separately adopt Compose Multiplatform.
Steampipe: When did Steampipe become AGPL?
May 2021, about four months after the project went public. It is a settled licence rather than a recent change, and predates the Business Source Licence wave it is often confused with.
Kotlin Multiplatform: Is there a paid version?
No. It is Apache 2.0 licensed and free, funded by JetBrains as part of the Kotlin project.
Steampipe: Where did the dashboards and benchmarks go?
Into Powerpipe. They were deprecated in March 2024 and removed from Steampipe at version 1.0 in October 2024, so the check, dashboard, mod and variable commands are gone.
Kotlin Multiplatform: Do I need Compose Multiplatform to use it?
No, they are separate. You can share only logic and keep fully native UI on each platform indefinitely.
Steampipe: Is it fast on a large cloud estate?
Not always. Queries call provider APIs at request time, so rate limits rather than query planning set the pace, and there is no persistent store by default.
Steampipe: Does the AGPL affect internal use?
Running it internally for your own analysis is fine. Putting a web interface in front of it that other people use is where the network clause becomes a question for your legal team.
Steampipe: Is a bootstrapped vendor a risk?
It cuts both ways. There is no investor pressure toward a licence change or an exit, and there are also fifteen people supporting a large product surface.
Related pages
More on Kotlin Multiplatform
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- Steampipe vs Git
- Steampipe vs GoLand
- Steampipe vs Hookdeck
- Steampipe vs JFrog Artifactory
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