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Head-to-head · Internal Developer Platforms

Atlassian Compass vs Cortex

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Atlassian Compass #2 in Internal Developer Platforms 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 6 features Visit Atlassian
Cortex #8 in Internal Developer Platforms 8.6/10 Pricing on request ✓ 2 of 6 features Visit Cortex

Atlassian Compass leads on 0 checks, Cortex on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAtlassian Compass · 9.2/10
  • Free planonly Atlassian Compass
  • Free trialonly Atlassian Compass
  • Most featuresCortex · 2 of 6

Atlassian Compass scores higher on our rubric for internal developer platforms: 9.2 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #8.

Atlassian Compass is the better fit for teams standardizing component ownership and health. Cortex is the better fit for teams prioritizing scorecards and self-service workflows.

  • Atlassian Compass fits best

    Teams standardizing component ownership and health

  • Cortex fits best

    Teams prioritizing scorecards and self-service workflows

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Atlassian Compass 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Cortex 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.6
Ranking #2 in Internal Developer Platforms #8 in Internal Developer Platforms
Best for Teams standardizing component ownership and health Teams prioritizing scorecards and self-service workflows
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $7.67/user/mo —
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Community, Docs · 24/7 Email, Docs
Integrations 12 integrations 50+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Atlassian Compass 1/6 · Cortex 2/6
Service catalog Not checked yet Not checked yet
Software templates Not checked yet Not checked yet
Engineering scorecards ✓ ✓
Kubernetes support Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Role-based access Not checked yet Not checked yet
Audit logs Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Catalogs unlimited software services on the Free plan
  • Maps dependencies and links components to owners, teams, and repositories
  • Connects health scorecards with deployment, activity, and incident context
  • Catalogs cover services, infrastructure, domains, and teams
  • Scorecards evaluate engineering standards with rules, levels, and points
  • Sequential self-service workflows connect development actions
Cons
  • Free includes only 3 custom fields and scorecards
  • Standard support is limited to 9/5 regional coverage
  • Compass catalog and scorecard functionality is set to transition into the DX app
  • Custom per-seat pricing requires a sales quote
  • Cloud deployment only
  • Broad scope may exceed teams seeking a narrower portal
Our verdict

Atlassian Compass gives engineering organizations a cloud portal for cataloging software components, services, libraries, applications, and teams. Its searchable catalog records ownership, documentation, repositories, and dependencies,…

Read the review →

Cortex is an engineering operations platform for engineering leaders, platform teams, SRE teams, and developers who need a shared view of services, teams, infrastructure, and dependencies. Its catalog records ownership, while scorecards…

Read the review →
  1. Atlassian CompassInternal Developer Platforms 9.2Free plan · 14-day trial
  2. CortexInternal Developer Platforms 8.6Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Atlassian Compass — where it wins

    • Catalogs unlimited software services on the Free plan
    • Maps dependencies and links components to owners, teams, and repositories
    • Connects health scorecards with deployment, activity, and incident context

    Where it doesn't

    • Free includes only 3 custom fields and scorecards
    • Standard support is limited to 9/5 regional coverage
    • Compass catalog and scorecard functionality is set to transition into the DX app

  • Cortex — where it wins

    • Catalogs cover services, infrastructure, domains, and teams
    • Scorecards evaluate engineering standards with rules, levels, and points
    • Sequential self-service workflows connect development actions

    Where it doesn't

    • Custom per-seat pricing requires a sales quote
    • Cloud deployment only
    • Broad scope may exceed teams seeking a narrower portal
  • Atlassian Compass9.2/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A searchable component catalog with ownership, health scorecards, and operational context.

    Visit AtlassianFull verdict →
  • Cortex8.6/10 · Pricing on request

    A broad developer platform for teams standardizing ownership, scorecards, and self-service work.

    Visit CortexFull verdict →

More comparisons

All internal developer platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update