Feature flagging software enables developers to empower users with cutting-edge functionalities while maintaining stability and control. 👩💻
It’s an essential tool to stagger feature releases, experiment with different functionalities, and control the user experience.
What is Feature Flagging Software?
Feature flagging or feature flags is a software development technique that enables developers to enable or disable a feature or functionality for their users without modifying existing code or deploying new code.
When picking the right tool to operationalize feature flagging, the multitude of features in feature-flagging software can often overwhelm you. This guide aims to simplify your journey by highlighting the top 10 feature-flagging software solutions available today.
What Should You Look for in Feature Flagging Software?
To guide you in the right direction, we have listed some key factors for you to evaluate while checking out feature flagging tools:
- Ease of use: The software should have a user-friendly dashboard or interface that allows developers and product managers to create, manage, and monitor feature flags easily
- Robust targeting options: Look for software that offers diverse targeting options based on user attributes, behavior, and device characteristics
- Flag configuration: Opt for a tool that lets you set up feature flags with fine-grained control, including options for enabling/disabling features, targeting specific user segments, and configuring rollout percentages
- A/B testing integration: Look for a tool that provides built-in A/B testing capabilities or integrates with popular platforms
- Auditing and rollback functionality: Choose software that offers comprehensive auditing functionality and allows you to return to previous configurations if needed easily
- Integrations and ecosystem: Consider the software’s compatibility with your existing development tools and platforms. Seamless integration with other tools streamlines workflows and enhances efficiency
The 10 Best Feature Flagging Software to Use in 2024
Here’s the list of the top-rated tools for feature flagging in 2024, with their distinct features, limitations, pricing, and ratings.
1. Unleash
This open-source feature flagging platform has a vibrant community and extensive documentation, making it ideal for developers seeking flexibility and customization.
Its self-hosted deployment option offers great control and security.
Unleash best features
- Create feature flags with fine-grained control, enabling developers to toggle features on or off easily
- Keep control of feature flag evaluations and changes through baked-in permissions and four-eye review principles to meet compliance needs
- Release features to the users you choose the second you’re ready, with iterative feedback loops and A/B user testing
- Keep your user data safe through privacy by design, data residency, private instances, and flexible hosting options
- Gain access to easy end-point testing and automated admin-client generation with open-API compatibility
- Monitor the performance of different feature variations and track user engagement
Unleash limitations
- Challenges during implementation
- Limited offline functionality
- Lack of real-time features
Unleash pricing
- Open source: Free
- Pro: $80/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Unleash ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (81+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (5+ reviews)
2. FeatBit
FeatBit is your all-in-one solution for managing feature flags with speed, scalability, and ease.
Built with .NET and designed for self-hosted environments, it lets you release features, experiment and optimize, scale seamlessly, and boost business growth.
FeatBit best features
- Track feature usage, create on-demand experimentation reports, and export data to tools like DataDog and Amplitude for diverse business needs
- Scale horizontally and vertically using a meticulously engineered architecture
FeatBit limitations
- Compared to established feature flag platforms, FeatBit’s community is still relatively small and developing. This can mean fewer readily available resources and troubleshooting support, especially for complex use cases
FeatBit pricing
- Community: Free
- Enterprise Standard: $399/month
- Enterprise Premium: Custom pricing
FeatBit ratings and reviews
- No reviews yet
3. Flagsmith
Flagsmith is a user-friendly open-source feature flagging and remote configuration service that empowers development teams to release features more confidently and efficiently.
It’s noted for a centralized platform for managing feature flags, allowing developers to toggle features on or off for specific users or segments without needing to redeploy code.
Flagsmith best features
- Easily create and manage feature toggles across web, mobile, and server-side applications
- Manage feature flags by the development environment
- Integrate with your existing stack and send flag data to your analytics platform
- Combine the value of feature toggles with the flexibility of remote configuration to test and deploy new features with confidence
- Deploy as a service or host on private cloud or on-premises
Flagsmith limitations
- A steep learning curve for new team members
- Lacks a compact UI
- Requires Slack integration to get more visibility on when feature flags are flipped
Flagsmith pricing
- Free
- Start-Up: $45/month
- Scale-Up: $200/month
Flagsmith ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (22+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3+ reviews)
4. DevCycle
DevCycle emphasizes developer productivity by seamlessly integrating popular development tools and frameworks.
Its built-in code snippets and auto-completion features streamline the implementation of feature flags.
DevCycle best features
- Efficiently create, update, and manage feature flags to control access to new code across different environments
- Harness feature flags to increase deployment speed and measure the performance of feature rollouts once your code is in production
- Track your flags at every stage in your development process with a Global View
- Automate feature flag updates across programming languages with full SDK coverage
- Customize workflows and make instant flag changes
- Use feature toggling to instantly deliver code changes with the flexibility to gradually roll new feature releases out to a subset of end users
DevCycle limitations
- More integrations required
- Glitches in shareable URLs
DevCycle pricing
- Free
- Starter: Starts at $20/month
- Business: Starts at $400/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
DevCycle ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (6+ reviews)
- Product Hunt: 5/5 (9+ reviews)
5. LaunchDarkly
LaunchDarkly offers feature flagging, A/B testing, and analytics capabilities.
Its intuitive interface and powerful targeting features make it a popular choice for large and complex deployments.
LaunchDarkly best features
- Use automation and feature management to maximize the value of every software feature
- Increase the velocity and stability of software releases for customers
- Deliver targeted and personalized experiences without heavy, manual development effort
- Run experiments and optimize product features to drive customer engagement that measurably improves the business
- Manage, control, and optimize in-app mobile experiences while reducing complexity with app store approval processes
LaunchDarkly limitations
- Confusing flag statuses
- Integration challenges
- Requires bug fixes
LaunchDarkly pricing
- Starter: $8.33/seat per month
- Pro: $16.67/seat per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
LaunchDarkly ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (134+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (20+ reviews)
6. Split
Renowned for its user-friendly interface and powerful targeting options, Split is ideal for teams seeking a straightforward solution for managing feature flags and conducting A/B tests.
Split best features
- Launch multiple-component releases with feature flag dependency targeting
- Use percentage rollout to design a multistep release that fits your risk tolerance
- Identify and turn off faulty features instantly, eliminating the need for rollbacks and hotfixes
- Manage feature flags across your frontend, backend, and mobile apps using 14+ open-source SDKs
Split limitations
- The configuration process is a bit complex in the beginning
- Insufficient reporting metrics
Split pricing
- Developer: Free
- Team: $33/seat per month
- Business: $60/seat per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Split ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (122+ reviews)
7. Taplytics
Taplytics helps you manage and control the release of new features to your users. It enables you to create feature flags easily to target specific user segments and track the performance of your features.
It’s handy for experimenting with new features without impacting your entire user base and rolling out features gradually to ensure that they’re stable and well-received.
Taplytics best features
- Roll out products and manage features across web, mobile, OTT, and server-side applications
- Deploy code and fine-tune who gets the feature, whether it’s yourself, internal users, or a clearly defined production audience
- Introduce or hide features on mobile, web, and TV in just one click—without any app store updates
- Launch features immediately, or release them slowly over time to specific segments of your production audience
- Deploy features internally or to production with confidence, at any time
Taplytics limitations
- More integrations required
- Occasionally, the feature flags take some time to propagate to users
Taplytics pricing
- Pro Plan: Starts at $500/month
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing
- Custom Plan: Custom pricing
Taplytics ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (15+ reviews)
- Product Hunt: 4.9/5 (100+ reviews)
8. Optimizely
This feature-rich platform provides a comprehensive suite of tools for feature flagging, personalization, and optimization.
It’s known for its visual experimentation builder and analytics dashboards that empower teams to make data-driven decisions.
Optimizely best features
- Ease the pressure on engineers with sophisticated feature management tools
- Enhance your personalization efforts with targeted, fast, and accurate testing
- Innovate your whole product lifecycle with higher-quality releases, safer tests, and faster feature validations
- Improve experimentation velocity with native planning tools or integrate your chosen workflow tools
Optimizely limitations
- Steep learning curve
- Cumbersome test variation process
- Complex implementation
Optimizely pricing
- Custom pricing
Optimizely ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (75+ reviews)
- Gartner Peer Insights: 4.3/5 (111+ reviews)
9. Flipt
Flipt is an open-source feature management platform that emphasizes speed, scalability, and self-hosting.
It empowers developers to manage feature rollouts, conduct A/B testing, and optimize user experiences with flexibility and control.
Flipt best features
- Manage features, experiments, and rollouts across multiple teams and environments
- Store your feature flags in Git and use your existing CI/CD pipeline to deploy changes
- Create advanced distribution rules to target specific entities based on custom properties
Flipt limitations
- Cluttered interface for large flag sets
- Absence of advanced filtering options based on flag metadata, user segments, or other relevant criteria
Flipt pricing
- Free
Flipt ratings and reviews
- No reviews yet
10. Flipper Cloud
Flipper Cloud’s feature flag management tool provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing feature rollouts, conducting A/B testing, and ensuring a seamless user experience.
It’s notable for minimizing disruption by letting your users decide when they want to get familiar with a drastic interface redesign.
Flipper Cloud best features
- Enable features for everyone, specific actors (eg. users), groups of users, a percentage of actors, or a percentage of time
- Set features in a non-production environment to simply mirror the production setting
- Get honest feedback sooner by shipping new features to production behind a feature flag
- Preview how a change affects real users in production by enabling an experimental feature for a percentage of users and then measure the results
Flipper Cloud limitations
- Insufficient functionality for managing complex teams and granular feature access
Flipper Cloud pricing
- Free
- Standard: $20/seat per month
Flipper Cloud ratings and reviews
- Not listed on review platforms
Other Tools for Dev Teams
While all the feature flagging tools listed above are great, they’re not all the puzzle pieces.
Consider adding a project management tool like Clickup to your arsenal for robust workflows and seamless collaboration. Take your programming and product teams to the next level.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a cloud-based project management tool that helps teams of all sizes organize their work, collaborate effectively, and track progress. ClickUp for agile teams brings your developers to one platform with everything they need to succeed, such as product roadmaps, backlogs, and sprints.
ClickUp for software teams simplifies the development cycle by enabling all functions in one place, with collaboration, tracking, management, and automation. ClickUp’s AI tool also comes in handy during content creation and ideation.
ClickUp even lets non-technical teams connect and work on the same platform. As a result, it becomes easier to break silos and bridge the gap between developers and diverse workflows.
It offers several benefits, such as:
- Tasks and subtasks to break down your work into manageable chunks and track their progress
- Lists and whiteboards to organize your tasks visually and keep track of your workflow
- Improved organization to keep track of your feature flags and see the big picture
- Reduced risk and better control over software development lifecycle with prebuilt custom templates for technical documentation
ClickUp best features
- Create reliable custom status workflows for each project within your workspace
- Use custom fields to add a unique task ID to keep track of scrum points
- Choose from a range of time-tracking options to help you meet your goals, including external integrations and native time tracking in-app or via a Chrome extension
- Seamlessly integrate with Github, Gitlab, and Bitbucket
- Keep track of your backlogs and add tasks to specific Sprints for better organization and reporting
- Effortlessly share information about feature flags across teams to streamline collaboration
- Control how features are rolled out to users
- Test features with a small group of users before rolling them out to everyone
- Automate status changes of your feature flags based on specific events, such as a new release or a bug fix. Also, use automation to notify team members about changes to feature flags
ClickUp limitations
- Some new adopters note a steep learning curve
- ClickUp is not dedicated to feature flagging, although it complements it
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing to match your organizational needs
- ClickUp Brain: Available on all paid plans for $5/Workspace member/month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,201+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,948+ reviews)
Master Feature Flagging with a Comprehensive Platform
While numerous feature flagging solutions exist, many need to focus on more than just the mechanics of feature flags. There’s a need for integration with existing workflows and project management tools to ease developers’ burdens.
ClickUp is a holistic project management tool that does more than just tracking tasks. It improves organization, increases efficiency, and controls the rollout of new features.
ClickUp’s intuitive interface and powerful customization options perfectly fit all project sizes and complexities. 🙌
Moreover, its seamless integration with other ClickUp features, such as task management, communication tools, and reporting dashboards, creates a unified workflow that empowers developers to deliver exceptional software faster and more effectively.
Try ClickUp today to enjoy its benefits!
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