Flagr vs Flipt: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Flagr and Flipt

Introduction

Flagr and Flipt are feature flag management tools that facilitate progressive delivery and experimentation in software development. Here are the key differences between these two tools:

1. Deployment model: Flagr is a self-hosted, on-premise solution that provides full control over data and infrastructure. On the other hand, Flipt is a cloud-based solution hosted by the provider, reducing the overhead of managing servers and infrastructure for the user.

2. Feature toggles: While both Flagr and Flipt offer feature toggles to control the release of features, Flagr primarily focuses on evaluative feature toggles based on conditions, such as percentage rollout, user attributes, or custom logic. Flipt, in addition to evaluative toggles, offers rule-based toggles that enable more complex control flows by combining multiple conditions.

3. Integration capabilities: Flagr offers extensive built-in integrations with popular tools such as Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Grafana, which facilitate seamless incorporation into existing software ecosystems. Flipt, although it provides integrations with a range of tools, focuses more on extensibility by providing a flexible API and SDKs for custom integrations.

4. Experimentation and A/B testing: Flagr excels at experimentation and A/B testing, providing statistical analysis and reporting features that enable you to evaluate the impact of feature changes and make data-driven decisions. Flipt, while it supports A/B testing, places less emphasis on experimentation and statistical analysis and focuses more on feature rollout control.

5. User interface: Flagr offers a comprehensive web-based user interface that provides visualizations, management of feature flags, and result analysis. It aims to provide a user-friendly experience for both technical and non-technical users. Flipt, on the other hand, offers a minimalistic user interface with a narrower focus on configuring feature toggles, targeting, and rules, catering more towards technical users.

6. Pricing model: Flagr follows an open-source model where the core product is free and users have the option to purchase support or additional enterprise features. Flipt, being a cloud-based solution, has a subscription-based pricing model where the cost is based on usage and features required.

In summary, Flagr is a self-hosted, feature-rich solution with a focus on evaluative feature toggles and experimentation, while Flipt is a cloud-based, flexible solution with a focus on rule-based toggles and seamless integrations, providing a more lightweight and extensible approach to feature management.