Side by side
Backstage vs Cycloid
Both stand on internal developer platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Backstage brings a software catalog, documentation, templates, search, and integrations into a customizable developer portal. Organizations should plan for self-hosting and a protected deployment environment.
Visit Backstage
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
Cycloid combines developer self-service with infrastructure orchestration and governance across several deployment models. Teams should check plan limits and note that Infra Import is beta and outside the standard support SLA.
Visit CycloidThe facts
| Backstage | Cycloid | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Advanced: $45 a month |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | backstage.io | cycloid.io |
| On internal developer platforms | #1 of 27 | #2 of 27 |
Backstage: what it does well
- Free, open-source framework.
- Catalog tracks software ownership and metadata.
- Templates publish generated projects to GitHub or GitLab.
- TechDocs keeps documentation close to code.
- Kubernetes feature aggregates service deployments.
What to know first
- Self-hosted deployment required.
- Standalone demo setup is not production-ready.
- Minimum requirements include 20 GB disk and 6 GB memory.
- Denial-of-service protection is described as rudimentary.
Cycloid: what it does well
- Blueprints and Forms standardize infrastructure requests.
- Governance includes approvals and audit trails.
- Supports several CI/CD workflow tools.
- Self-hosted deployments describe air-gapped operation.
What to know first
- Free plan is limited to five users and one workspace.
- Infra Import is beta and excluded from standard support SLA.
- Advanced and Enterprise plans are billed annually.
Alternatives to Backstage Alternatives to Cycloid The whole list