Kordiam vs Topic Intelligence in 2026: newsroom story planning vs deep-learning topic analytics
One is a grid-based editorial planner with transparent per-user pricing from $250 a month. The other is a contact-only analytics platform that mines your own site and campaign data to find which topics convert, with no public pricing on any of its three tiers.
Kordiam
Topic Intelligence- Kordiam is execution software for planning and coordinating stories already assigned. Topic Intelligence is analytics software for deciding which topics deserve coverage in the first place, based on your own conversion data.
- Topic Intelligence explicitly does not use an LLM. It runs a deep-learning model over your website and campaign data, a different approach from GPT-based content tools.
- Kordiam publishes exact pricing from $250 to $1,190 a month across five tiers. Topic Intelligence discloses no public pricing on any of its three tiers, including the tier it calls self-serve.
- Topic Intelligence's own testimonials section still contained lorem ipsum placeholder text at the time of review, an early-stage signal worth weighing against its contact-only pricing model.
- Kordiam ships a full read/write API on every tier. Topic Intelligence does not document API access for any of its three tiers.
- Topic Intelligence's managed tiers, Simply Grow and Simply TI, are delivered through a third-party partner, engagesimply, rather than the Topic Intelligence team directly.
Kordiam and Topic Intelligence share a Content Strategy tag and not much else. Kordiam is execution software: a grid-based planner that tracks story assignments, deadlines, and multi-platform publishing coordination for newsrooms and communications teams, priced by user band starting at $250 a month. Topic Intelligence is analytics software: it runs a deep-learning model, explicitly not an LLM, over your website and campaign data to find which content topics actually drive conversions, then maps the user journeys that lead there. Kordiam assumes you already know what to cover and helps you produce it on schedule. Topic Intelligence assumes you do not yet know what converts and tries to tell you before you plan anything. Where Kordiam publishes exact numbers for every tier, Topic Intelligence keeps all three of its tiers, including the one it labels self-serve, behind a sales conversation.
The tools at a glance
Kordiam
Editorial planning tool built for newsrooms: story flow management, staff coordination, and multi-platform publishing in a grid-based workspace
Kordiam is built around story flow rather than generic task lists. A grid-based planning view shows what is assigned, in progress, filed, and published across any given day or cycle, and every story lives in a card that holds tasks, deadlines, attachments, and metadata as one trackable object from pitch to publication.
Multi-platform publishing coordination is the feature that separates Kordiam from a spreadsheet: a single story can be planned for web, social, newsletter, and print at once, each carrying its own deadline and asset checklist inside the same card. Staff coordination adds a capacity view, so editors can spot an overloaded desk and reassign stories without a separate check-in.
Unlike Topic Intelligence, Kordiam publishes exact pricing and ships a working API on every tier, from $250 a month for up to 5 users to $1,190 a month for 41 to 60. What it does not do is any kind of topic or conversion analysis: Kordiam has no opinion on what your team should write about, only on getting what has already been assigned out the door on schedule.
| Feature | Extra-Small $250/month | Small $560/month | Medium $875/month | Large $1,190/month | Enterprise Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users included | Up to 5 | 6-20 | 21-40 | 41-60 | 60+ |
| Grid-based planning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Story cards with task management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-platform coordination | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated onboarding | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Topic Intelligence
Deep-learning topic analytics that maps your highest-converting content themes
Topic Intelligence takes a different approach from most content tools reviewed here: instead of generating suggestions with an LLM, it runs a deep-learning model over your actual website and campaign data to find the topics your specific audience engages with and converts on. That distinction is real: the recommendations come from your own performance history, not from a language model's guess about what should work.
The platform connects across your website, ads, email, and social to build one view of which topics resonate, then maps the user journeys from first topic engagement to conversion. An industry trend analysis feature is on the roadmap but marked coming soon, so it is not live yet. Three tiers exist: a self-serve platform license, and two managed tiers, Simply Grow and Simply TI, delivered through a partner called engagesimply.
The catch is access. All three tiers, including the platform-only license, require a sales conversation before you see a price or get platform access, and there is no self-serve signup live on the site. The testimonials section still shows lorem ipsum placeholder text at the time of this review, which combined with the total absence of public pricing makes Topic Intelligence read as either very early-stage or a deliberately high-touch enterprise product. Either way, evaluating it takes longer than evaluating Kordiam.
| Feature | Data + Platform License Contact for pricing | Simply Grow Contact for pricing | Simply TI Contact for pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform access (self-serve) | Yes | No | No |
| Topic conversion tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-channel integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| User journey mapping | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Strategic advice and support | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fully managed execution | No | No | Yes |
Head-to-head feature comparison
| Feature | Kordiam | Topic Intelligence |
|---|---|---|
| Core function | Execution: plan and coordinate stories | Analytics: identify which topics convert |
| Editorial / story planning grid | Yes | No |
| Multi-platform publishing coordination | Yes | No |
| Topic-to-conversion analytics | No | Yes |
| Cross-channel data integration | No | Yes |
| User journey mapping | No | Yes |
| Uses an LLM | No | No (deep-learning, not LLM-based) |
| API access | Yes | Not documented |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Public pricing | Yes | No |
| Starting price | $250/month | Contact for pricing |
Which should you choose?
KordiamTopic IntelligenceKordiamTopic IntelligenceKordiamKordiamThis is a planning tool against an analytics tool, not two competitors for the same budget line. Kordiam has no opinion on what you should cover; it just makes sure whatever is assigned gets produced and published on schedule. Topic Intelligence has no scheduling or staff-assignment features at all, its entire job is telling you which topics are worth covering based on your own conversion history. A content operation with real scale could use both: Topic Intelligence to decide what to prioritize, Kordiam-style software to execute it. Topic Intelligence's contact-only pricing and still-placeholder testimonials, though, mean it takes real diligence to confirm the product is as mature as the pitch before committing budget.
Bottom line
Pick Kordiam if you need newsroom-grade coordination software with pricing you can see today. Pick Topic Intelligence only after a sales call clarifies actual pricing and you have satisfied yourself that the lorem ipsum testimonials and contact-only model reflect a genuinely funded, working product rather than an early beta; the deep-learning approach to topic-conversion mapping is a real differentiator if the execution matches the pitch. Neither tool replaces the other; they sit at different points in the content pipeline.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Kordiam and Topic Intelligence?
Kordiam is editorial planning software that coordinates who is writing what, for which platform, by when. Topic Intelligence is analytics software that identifies which content topics actually drive conversions for your specific audience, using a deep-learning model on your own site and campaign data. They solve different problems and rarely compete for the same purchase decision.
Does Topic Intelligence use ChatGPT or another LLM to generate its recommendations?
Topic Intelligence does not use ChatGPT or any other LLM to generate its recommendations. The platform explicitly describes its system as a deep-learning model that pattern-matches against your own website and campaign data, rather than a language model predicting what content should work.
Is there a self-serve way to try Topic Intelligence before committing?
Topic Intelligence does not currently offer a self-serve trial or signup, despite one of its three tiers being labeled a platform license. All three tiers, including that one, require a sales conversation to get started, and there is no public pricing anywhere on the site.
How does Kordiam's pricing compare to Topic Intelligence?
Kordiam publishes exact prices from $250 a month for up to 5 users to $1,190 a month for 41 to 60 users, with a custom Enterprise tier above that. Topic Intelligence discloses no pricing at all on any of its three tiers, so comparing cost directly is not possible without going through its sales process first.
Why does Topic Intelligence still show lorem ipsum placeholder text on its site?
The presence of lorem ipsum placeholder text in the testimonials section, observed at the time of this review, suggests the product or its marketing site is still being built out. Combined with the total absence of public pricing and self-serve signup, it is a signal worth weighing before committing budget, though it does not necessarily mean the underlying analytics platform does not work.
Can Kordiam do the kind of topic-conversion analysis that Topic Intelligence does?
Kordiam has no topic analytics or conversion-mapping features of any kind. It is purely a coordination and planning tool: story cards, deadlines, staff assignment, and multi-platform publishing tracking. If you need to know which content topics drive conversions, that is Topic Intelligence's job, not Kordiam's.