DX vs Cortex
SaaS platforms like Cortex often bring high costs and low ROI. DX Service Cloud is a focused, standalone IDP—no vendor lock-in.
With Service Cloud, customers get a solution that is:
- Reasonably priced and low-risk.
- Works standalone or with IDPs like Backstage, avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Fast to stand up, but flexible enough to support large companies.
Powering the World's Top Companies
Why companies choose Service Cloud over Cortex
With Service Cloud, DX customers get intelligence into people, teams, and systems—all in one place.
- Flexible scorecards
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Cortex uses CQL (Cortex Query Language), a proprietary query language that comes with its own limitations and learning curve. DX Service Cloud leverages standard SQL for scorecard logic, providing the most flexible and performant engine for defining and measuring software standards.
- Performance at scale
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DX Service Cloud ingests data into a persistent data lake and runs scorecards against stored data for fast, reliable results. Cortex pulls data from APIs during scorecard evaluations, causing slow performance and failures when APIs are down or rate-limited.
- Flexible task completion, not rigid rules
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DX Service Cloud enables end-users to manually mark initiative tasks as completed, preventing team frustration when scorecard reporting has gaps or flaws. Cortex only allows task resolution by fully passing the check or requesting an exemption.
Cortex aims to replace Backstage.
DX offers a flexible, purpose-built solution.
| Capabilities | DX | Cortex |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational capabilities | ||
| Service scorecards | ||
| Software catalog | ||
| Service ownership tracking | ||
| Comparable features | ||
| Initiative tracking | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| Basic integrations | ||
| Unique to DX | ||
| SQL-powered scorecards (vs CQL) | ||
| Persistence model for enterprise performance | ||
| Display outcome or value (vs outcome only) | ||
| Display contextual data on scorecards | ||
| Manual task override for service exceptions | ||
| Bulk Nudge for service teams | ||
| Scorecards, metrics, & tasks in Backstage | ||
| Scorecard-focused product roadmap | ||
| Service improvement initiative workflows | ||
| Automated service catalog sync from 40+ tools | ||
| Service developer sentiment integration | ||
Find out why companies are choosing DX Service Cloud over Cortex
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