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No-Code · head to head

Corteza vs OutSystems

Corteza logo

Corteza

No-Code

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OutSystems logo

OutSystems

No-Code

Enterprise low-code platform priced by application complexity units, not just users

From
On request
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.; OutSystems application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • They diverge on capability: Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, OutSystems covers Visual application modelling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Corteza and OutSystems actually diverge.

Attributes where Corteza and OutSystems differ
AttributeCortezaOutSystems
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeApplication Object consumption plus internal and external user packs
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, DockerWeb, iOS, Android

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 OutSystems

  • Visual application modelling
  • Generated deployable code
  • One-click deployment
  • AI-assisted development
  • Application Object governance
  • Prebuilt integrations

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

OutSystems

  • An enterprise replacing custom .NET or Java application development with a governed low-code platform at scalenot Corteza
  • A company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal usersnot Corteza
  • An IT department that wants generated, inspectable code rather than a proprietary black-box runtimenot Corteza
  • An organisation with a large existing application portfolio needing centralised governance across many apps built by different teamsnot 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.

OutSystems

  • Application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • Internal users are sold in packs of 100 and external users in packs of 10,000, so a company just over a pack boundary in either category pays for a full additional pack rather than a handful of extra seats.
  • Entry-level ODC pricing starts around 36,300 US dollars a year before any AO overage or extra user packs, which puts it out of reach for smaller teams evaluating low-code options.
  • Cloud infrastructure and hosting costs are frequently separate from the platform licence, so the all-in bill is higher than the headline subscription figure suggests.
  • Migrating a large application portfolio off OutSystems once built is difficult, since the generated code and platform-specific patterns are not designed for a clean export to standard frameworks.

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

OutSystems

On request
  • ODC Entry$undefined/year
    • Entry-level Application Object allowance included
    • Internal users sold in packs of 100
    • External users sold in packs of 10,000
  • ODC Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom AO, user pack and environment volumes
    • Negotiated multi-year enterprise agreements
    • Premium support and dedicated infrastructure options

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 OutSystems if

  • You need visual application modelling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want generated deployable code.
OutSystems review

Questions people ask

Is Corteza or OutSystems better?
Neither clearly leads. Corteza starts at Free and OutSystems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Corteza or OutSystems?
Corteza has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Corteza and On request for OutSystems.
Does Corteza or OutSystems run on more platforms?
Corteza runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker. OutSystems runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Corteza for free?
Yes. Corteza has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OutSystems starts at On request.
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 OutSystems is typically brought in for.
What can Corteza do that OutSystems cannot?
Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, Automation and workflow, Bundled CRM, Case management. OutSystems covers Visual application modelling, Generated deployable code, One-click deployment, AI-assisted development.

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.

OutSystems: What is an Application Object?

A unit OutSystems uses to measure application complexity, counting elements such as screens, database tables and exposed APIs; more AOs mean a bigger licence requirement.

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.

OutSystems: Is there a free tier?

OutSystems has offered free or trial tiers historically for evaluation, but production use at any scale runs on paid ODC plans.

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.

OutSystems: How does external user pricing work?

External users, typically customers or partners, are sold in packs of 10,000 at roughly a hundredth of the per-seat cost of internal (employee) user packs.

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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