Here’s how building with Backstage open source compares to Spotify Portal, our SaaS version of Backstage, to help you choose the right fit for your organization’s needs and resources.
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Choose what fits you best
product that teams will maintain indefinitely
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FAQs
Everything you need to know about using Backstage and Spotify Portal
Yes. Portal is a cloud-hosted, Spotify-managed IDP built on top of the Backstage open source framework. As an opinionated version of Backstage, it takes the best of open source and combines it with our deep experience and expertise using Backstage inside Spotify and supporting our enterprise customers.
Yes. Portal is a cloud-hosted, Spotify-managed IDP built on top of the Backstage open source framework. As an opinionated version of Backstage, it takes the best of open source and combines it with our deep experience and expertise using Backstage inside Spotify and supporting our enterprise customers.
A completely self-hosted, self-managed Backstage instance is best for organizations that want full control, custom workflows, and the flexibility to extend the portal however they see fit.
Yes. Portal comes with the core Backstage features and plugins preinstalled (including Software Catalog, Scaffolder/Software Templates, and TechDocs), along with our premium, Spotify-built plugins for free (including Soundcheck, RBAC, Skill Exchange, Insights, AiKA, Data Experience, Confidence Flags, and more). You can also add Backstage plugins built by the open source community, third-party service providers, or by your own teams (custom plugins). Additionally, Portal supports no-code plugin installation and management.
Yes. Since both products share the same core foundation, it’s possible to migrate from your existing Backstage instance to a managed Portal instance. Apply to get access to Portal to learn more about how we can help.
Spotify has always prioritized developer experience, which led us to become pioneers in the IDP product category. We developed and used Backstage for years inside Spotify before open sourcing the framework — and we continue to prove its value here every day at Spotify among our own teams, as well as among our enterprise customers. Learn more about how Spotify became the IDP and DevEx experts in this blog post by Tyson Singer, Spotify’s head of technology and platforms.
Yes. The Backstage framework and core features — as well as many community plugins — are open source and free to use. A self-hosted, self-managed Backstage instance requires dedicated engineering effort to install, maintain, and customize.
No. Although Portal is built with the open source framework at its core, it is a commercial SaaS product made to serve the needs of enterprise customers. It includes managed infrastructure, premium plugins, hosting, and onboarding support from Spotify experts. With our platform engineering experience, expertise, and best practices built-in, Portal is designed to reduce time to value and maximize its impact on developer experience and productivity.
Try Portal for free
- If you’re not selected immediately — hold tight, you will still be eligible for future phases of the rollout.
- Five weeks to explore Spotify Portal for Backstage for free
- Dedicated support from Backstage engineers, experts, and customer success team
- Onboarding assistance
- Recommended best practices
- Priority to influence Portal’s product roadmap
If you’re not selected immediately — hold tight, you will still be eligible for future phases of the rollout.
What is Spotify Portal for Backstage?