Internal Developer Portals vs Platforms

TL;DR: The Internal Developer Portal is the interface to the Internal Developer Platform. That's it. You can go now. When researching Platform Engineering, you'll inevitably come across the acronym IDP. Depending on the source - whether it's a research paper, blog post, or any other piece of content - IDP can refer to either an "Internal Developer Portal" or an "Internal Developer Platform." While these terms are often used interchangeably, they actually describe two distinct things with different purposes and functionalities. To clear up the confusion, I'll show you real-world examples of both an Internal Developer Portal and an Internal Developer Platform so you can see exactly how they differ in practice. Support us We know that Kubernetes can be difficult. That is why we created Cyclops, an open-source framework for building developer platforms on Kubernetes. Abstract the complexities of Kubernetes, and deploy and manage your applications through a customizable UI that you can fit to your needs. We're developing Cyclops as an open-source project. If you're keen to give it a try, here's a quick start guide available on our repository. If you like what you see, consider showing your support by giving us a star ⭐ ⭐ Star Cyclops on GitHub ⭐ What are Internal Developer Platforms? A developer platform is a product built by the platform team to support application developers and the broader engineering organization. Because these platforms are designed for internal use, they’re often referred to as Internal Developer Platforms. An internal developer platform often refers to a multitude of tech and tools that are working together to form golden paths - predefined, opinionated workflows that guide developers toward best practices while abstracting complexity and reducing cognitive load. The platform’s features and use cases should be shaped by what developers actually need, whether that’s provisioning infrastructure, spinning up environments on demand, or maintaining a centralized catalog of services. At its core, a developer platform should be a force multiplier, helping teams ship faster by eliminating friction and optimizing workflows.

Mar 13, 2025 - 12:53

TL;DR: The Internal Developer Portal is the interface to the Internal Developer Platform. That's it. You can go now.

When researching Platform Engineering, you'll inevitably come across the acronym IDP.

Depending on the source - whether it's a research paper, blog post, or any other piece of content - IDP can refer to either an "Internal Developer Portal" or an "Internal Developer Platform." While these terms are often used interchangeably, they actually describe two distinct things with different purposes and functionalities.

To clear up the confusion, I'll show you real-world examples of both an Internal Developer Portal and an Internal Developer Platform so you can see exactly how they differ in practice.

Support us

We know that Kubernetes can be difficult. That is why we created Cyclops, an open-source framework for building developer platforms on Kubernetes. Abstract the complexities of Kubernetes, and deploy and manage your applications through a customizable UI that you can fit to your needs.

We're developing Cyclops as an open-source project. If you're keen to give it a try, here's a quick start guide available on our repository. If you like what you see, consider showing your support by giving us a star ⭐

⭐ Star Cyclops on GitHub ⭐

What are Internal Developer Platforms?

A developer platform is a product built by the platform team to support application developers and the broader engineering organization. Because these platforms are designed for internal use, they’re often referred to as Internal Developer Platforms.

An internal developer platform often refers to a multitude of tech and tools that are working together to form golden paths - predefined, opinionated workflows that guide developers toward best practices while abstracting complexity and reducing cognitive load.

The platform’s features and use cases should be shaped by what developers actually need, whether that’s provisioning infrastructure, spinning up environments on demand, or maintaining a centralized catalog of services.

At its core, a developer platform should be a force multiplier, helping teams ship faster by eliminating friction and optimizing workflows.