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Head-to-head · Internal Developer Portals

Backstage vs Red Hat Developer Hub

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Backstage #1 in Internal Developer Portals 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Backstage
Red Hat Developer Hub #7 in Internal Developer Portals 8.7/10 Pricing on request · 60-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Red Hat

Backstage leads on 1 check, Red Hat Developer Hub on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreBackstage · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Backstage
  • Free trialonly Red Hat Developer Hub

Backstage scores higher on our rubric for internal developer portals: 9.4 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

Backstage offers free plan; Red Hat Developer Hub doesn't.

Backstage is the better fit for teams wanting a flexible open-source portal. Red Hat Developer Hub is the better fit for openShift enterprises needing governed self-service.

  • Backstage fits best

    Teams wanting a flexible open-source portal

  • Red Hat Developer Hub fits best

    OpenShift enterprises needing governed self-service

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 Backstage 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Red Hat Developer Hub 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.7
Ranking #1 in Internal Developer Portals #7 in Internal Developer Portals
Best for Teams wanting a flexible open-source portal OpenShift enterprises needing governed self-service
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free plan Pricing on request · 60-day trial
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 60 days
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Community, Docs Tickets, Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Integrations 5 integrations 200+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Enterprise, Mid-market
Features Backstage 5/5 · Red Hat Developer Hub 5/5
Software catalog ✓ ✓
Self-service workflows ✓ ✓
Engineering scorecards ✓ ✓
Kubernetes support ✓ ✓
Ownership documentation ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Self-hosted Self-hosted
Our review
Pros
  • Searchable catalog covers services, APIs, libraries, infrastructure, and ownership
  • Templates standardize component creation and repository publishing
  • TechDocs, Kubernetes support, permissions, and plugins support platform teams
  • Centralizes catalogs, documentation, tools, APIs, and platform resources
  • Automates self-service provisioning through templates, Orchestrator, and plugins
  • Adds RBAC, audit logging, scorecards, and global search
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires implementation and ongoing operational effort
  • The broad plugin model can require more configuration than narrower portals
  • Scorecards are available through plugins rather than as a core feature
  • Production pricing requires contacting Red Hat sales
  • No free plan is offered
  • The 60-day trial is self-supported
Our verdict

Backstage is an open-source framework for building internal developer portals. It is aimed at developers, platform engineers, and engineering managers who need a central way to catalog services, APIs, libraries, infrastructure, and…

Read the review →

Red Hat Developer Hub is an enterprise internal developer portal based on Backstage. It brings applications, APIs, libraries, databases, documentation, development tools, and platform resources into a unified interface. Platform teams can…

Read the review →
  1. BackstageInternal Developer Portals 9.4Free plan
  2. Red Hat Developer HubInternal Developer Portals 8.7Pricing on request · 60-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Backstage — where it wins

    • Searchable catalog covers services, APIs, libraries, infrastructure, and ownership
    • Templates standardize component creation and repository publishing
    • TechDocs, Kubernetes support, permissions, and plugins support platform teams

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires implementation and ongoing operational effort
    • The broad plugin model can require more configuration than narrower portals
    • Scorecards are available through plugins rather than as a core feature

  • Red Hat Developer Hub — where it wins

    • Centralizes catalogs, documentation, tools, APIs, and platform resources
    • Automates self-service provisioning through templates, Orchestrator, and plugins
    • Adds RBAC, audit logging, scorecards, and global search

    Where it doesn't

    • Production pricing requires contacting Red Hat sales
    • No free plan is offered
    • The 60-day trial is self-supported
  • Backstage9.4/10 · Free plan

    A flexible self-hosted portal for cataloging software and enabling developer self-service.

    Visit BackstageFull verdict →
  • Red Hat Developer Hub8.7/10 · Pricing on request · 60-day trial

    A governed self-service portal for OpenShift and Kubernetes platform teams.

    Visit Red HatFull verdict →

More comparisons

All internal developer portals comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update