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Developer Tools · head to head

OpsLevel vs Zeplin

OpsLevel logo

OpsLevel

Developer Tools

Internal developer portal that scores service ownership and production readiness

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit OpsLevelFull review
Zeplin logo

Zeplin

Design

Design handoff and developer collaboration

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ZeplinFull review

The short version

  • Zeplin is a collaboration tool for designers and developers.
  • Zeplin starts at $19/mo; OpsLevel prices on request.
  • Only OpsLevel lists service catalogue; only Zeplin lists design specs.
  • Where Zeplin falls short: the free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpsLevel and Zeplin actually diverge.

Attributes where OpsLevel and Zeplin differ
AttributeOpsLevelZeplin
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelQuoteSubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDesign

Not yet recorded: founded for OpsLevel.

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 OpsLevel

  • Service catalogue
  • Scorecards and rubric
  • Checks
  • Campaigns
  • Self-service actions
  • Slack and Teams integration
  • Catalogue auto-enrichment
  • Deployment on request

Only in Zeplin

  • Design specs
  • Asset export
  • Code snippets
  • Design tokens
  • Comments
  • Version control
  • Handoff workflow
  • Accessibility checks

What people use each for

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

OpsLevel

  • A platform team that needs to prove every production service has a named owner and an on-call rota before an auditnot Zeplin
  • Driving a fleet-wide migration such as a runtime upgrade across 400 services with a deadline and visible progressnot Zeplin
  • Giving developers a paved road to create a new service from a template without waiting on the platform teamnot Zeplin
  • An organisation where an incident took an hour to route because nobody could identify the owning teamnot Zeplin

Zeplin

  • Handing off design specs from Figma or Sketch to developersnot OpsLevel
  • Sharing screens, assets and style guides with an engineering teamnot OpsLevel
  • Reviewing and commenting on design versionsnot OpsLevel

Where each one falls short

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

OpsLevel

  • OpsLevel does not publish prices at all, not even a starting figure, so you cannot size a budget or compare against Backstage's zero licence cost without entering a sales cycle
  • The Standard plan caps at 50 users, which is below the size at which service ownership becomes a real problem, so most genuine buyers land on Enterprise and its unpublished pricing
  • Scores are only as honest as the metadata teams maintain; where ownership records go stale the rubric produces confident numbers about a catalogue that no longer reflects reality, and leadership acts on them
  • It reports on quality rather than producing it, so it can generate friction between platform teams who set the rubric and product teams who see it as a scoreboard imposed on them without extra headcount to fix the findings
  • As a hosted product it needs read access to source control, cloud accounts and observability tooling, which is a meaningful vendor review in regulated environments; on-premises exists but only on the Enterprise tier

Zeplin

  • The free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace
  • Free plan AI reviews are capped at 3 per week
  • Role based permissions require the Advanced plan or higher
  • Single sign on, multi factor authentication, activity logs and invoiced billing are Enterprise only
  • Priority 24 hour support is Enterprise only
  • Basic plan caps screens at 1,000 per project and is priced per project rather than per seat
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

OpsLevel

On request
  • StandardOn request
    • Up to 50 users
    • Unlimited catalogued components
    • Scorecards, campaigns and the global rubric
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom integrations
    • Customisable dashboards

Zeplin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 project
    • 1 workspace
    • Basic specs
  • Starter$19/mo
    • Unlimited projects
    • Multiple workspaces
    • Advanced specs
  • Professional$49/mo
    • Everything in Starter
    • Team collaboration
    • Admin controls

Which should you pick?

Choose OpsLevel if

  • You need service catalogue.
  • You also want scorecards and rubric.
OpsLevel review

Choose Zeplin if

  • You need design specs.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want asset export.
Zeplin review

Questions people ask

Is OpsLevel or Zeplin better?
Neither clearly leads. OpsLevel starts at On request and Zeplin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpsLevel or Zeplin?
Zeplin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for OpsLevel and Free for Zeplin.
Does OpsLevel or Zeplin run on more platforms?
OpsLevel runs on Web. Zeplin runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Zeplin for free?
Yes. Zeplin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OpsLevel starts at On request.
What is OpsLevel best used for?
OpsLevel is most often used for a platform team that needs to prove every production service has a named owner and an on-call rota before an audit, driving a fleet-wide migration such as a runtime upgrade across 400 services with a deadline and visible progress, giving developers a paved road to create a new service from a template without waiting on the platform team, an organisation where an incident took an hour to route because nobody could identify the owning team. Of those, a platform team that needs to prove every production service has a named owner and an on-call rota before an audit and driving a fleet-wide migration such as a runtime upgrade across 400 services with a deadline and visible progress are not what Zeplin is typically brought in for.
What can OpsLevel do that Zeplin cannot?
OpsLevel covers Service catalogue, Scorecards and rubric, Checks, Campaigns. Zeplin covers Design specs, Asset export, Code snippets, Design tokens.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpsLevel: How much does OpsLevel cost?

It does not publish pricing. Billing is per developer using the portal, with volume discounts, and a quote requires a sales conversation.

Zeplin: How much does Zeplin Advanced cost?

Advanced costs $12 per seat per month when paid annually, with annual subscriptions offering 2 months off versus monthly rates.

Source
OpsLevel: How does it compare with Backstage?

Backstage has no licence fee but you staff a team to build and run it. OpsLevel is hosted with checks, campaigns and scorecards out of the box, and you pay per developer instead.

Zeplin: What's the difference between Free and Basic plans?

Free covers 1 project with 100 screens and 30-day version history. Basic offers 1-12 projects with practically unlimited screens per project and 1-year version history.

Source
OpsLevel: Does it require writing catalogue YAML by hand?

No. It auto-discovers and enriches entries from connected systems, though teams still curate ownership and metadata.

Zeplin: Can I add unlimited team members?

Yes, Free and Basic plans allow unlimited team members. Advanced/Enterprise assign roles with Reviewers being free and unlimited.

Source
OpsLevel: Can it run on premises?

Yes, but only on the Enterprise plan.

Zeplin: What can Reviewers do?

Reviewers can view designs and documentation and approve requests, but lack access to developer specs.

Source
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