The Pain of Backstage Upgrades

The Backstage Upgrade Challenge

Recently, OpsLevel CTO Ken Rose and Senior Developer Mark upgraded our internal Backstage instance, which we use for integration testing our plugins. Even with a relatively “vanilla” setup, the process revealed just how resource-intensive maintaining Backstage can be:

Complexity of Upgrades: Backstage frequently releases updates, often with significant changes. In this case, we had to adapt to a new backend system that altered how plugins integrate with the platform. The process required a full week of dedicated work—just to upgrade our Backstage instance.

Heavy Skill Requirements: Maintaining and customizing Backstage demands expertise in frontend and backend engineering. Teams need engineers who can work across React (Backstage’s frontend), backend integrations, and database setups like PostgreSQL.

Time-Consuming Maintenance: Even with a lightweight setup, keeping Backstage up to date is an ongoing task. Between April and October, our team managed 66 version changes across various packages. For teams with more complex setups, the maintenance burden can quickly become overwhelming.

Hidden Resource Costs: Initial setup might take a week, but integrating authentication systems, building a service catalog, and customizing the portal to meet team needs can extend timelines significantly.

While Backstage offers a high degree of customizability, the trade-off is the substantial investment of time, engineering resources, and effort required to maintain it.

OpsLevel: The Faster, Easier Path to an Internal Developer Portal

At OpsLevel, we believe your time is better spent shipping software—not maintaining infrastructure. That’s why we built OpsLevel as a fully managed internal developer portal designed to provide immediate value with minimal setup.

Here’s how OpsLevel eliminates the challenges of Backstage:

No Maintenance Headaches

OpsLevel takes care of the backend infrastructure, so you don’t have to. Our platform updates seamlessly in the background, ensuring you’re always using the latest version without the need for manual upgrades or troubleshooting.

Faster Time to Value

With OpsLevel, there’s no need to dedicate weeks to building or maintaining a portal. Our automated service catalog engine and pre-configured templates let you start seeing value in days—not months.

Developer-Centric Features

Out of the box, OpsLevel includes everything teams need: a comprehensive service catalog, scorecards to measure production readiness, and developer self-service capabilities. No need to stack plugins or wrestle with version conflicts.

Ease of Use

Unlike Backstage, which often requires full-stack engineering resources to set up and maintain, OpsLevel is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive for developers, platform engineers, and engineering leaders alike.

Integration Flexibility

OpsLevel integrates seamlessly with your existing tools and infrastructure, ensuring smooth workflows without the need for extensive customizations or plugins.

‍

Is Backstage Right for You?

If you have a large team of dedicated engineers and need extensive customizations, Backstage might be a good fit. But for most organizations, the cost of maintaining Backstage often outweighs the benefits.

OpsLevel offers a simpler, more efficient alternative that allows your team to focus on delivering value, not wrestling with infrastructure. Whether you’re struggling with an existing Backstage instance or looking for a better way to implement an IDP, OpsLevel can help.

‍

Ready to Simplify Your Internal Developer Portal?

Don’t let a DIY internal dev portal hold your team back. With OpsLevel, you can reduce complexity, boost productivity, and free your engineers to focus on what they do best: shipping great software.

‍

Reach out to our team to learn more.

‍