The Best 5 feature-flag tools for Erlang developers
In the space of Erlang development, controlling feature releases without disrupting users is vital. Feature-flag solutions offer this control, but with so many available, picking the best one can be tricky. This article will guide you through the top 5 feature-flag solutions for Erlang developers, evaluating them based on pricing, ease of use, and the features that set them apart.
Our top pick#1 Tggl.io
We kick off this list with Tggl, a solid option known for its user-friendly design and seamless Erlang integration, achieved with just one API call.
Features
Tggl offers all the essential features you’d expect from a feature flag service, even in its most affordable plan. This makes it an excellent starting point for developers or teams who are new to feature flagging or working with a limited budget. You can easily manage your feature rollouts, conduct A/B tests, plan release dates in advance, and toggle features without needing to upgrade to a higher tier. You get unlimited feature flags and basic monitoring out of the box.
As your requirements become more complex, Tggl’s higher-tier plans offer advanced features such as in-depth analytics, flag change reviews, and server side flag evaluation, giving you more control and insights.
Ease of use
Tggl stands out in our comparison due to its user-friendly design, which places it at the top of our list. We found the interface to be intuitive, and the setup process is quick. To provide a clear example, we recorded a brief video demonstratinghow to activate a flag for 20% of French users. We created similar videos for each service in this article to ensure a fair comparison of their ease of use.
The video highlights Tggl’s ease of use and quick setup process. To provide a more comprehensive evaluation, we’ve also compiled user ratings regarding ease of use and setup time. These ratings come from developers who have interacted with the platform and offer practical insights.
- Setup time: 4.8/5
- Ease of use: 4.9/5
Pricing
In conclusion, Tggl stands out as the most cost-effective option among the feature flag solutions we reviewed, starting at €180/yr for five seats. For smaller teams, pricing is based on the number of seats and request volumes, which helps manage costs effectively. Larger teams, on the other hand, can benefit from a flexible pricing model that allows for unlimited seats while only paying for the volume of requests.
- Price for 5 seats: €180/yr
- Price for 10 seats: €530/yr
#2 Split
Split is the next feature flagging tool we'll explore. Designed with Erlang developers in mind, Split offers a range of functionalities that make it a compelling choice. In the upcoming sections, we'll delve into its features and pricing to better understand its value.
Features
Split provides a comprehensive set of basic features that make it a solid choice for managing feature flags in Erlang projects. With its core offerings, you can easily toggle features on and off. These essential tools are available even on the lower-tier plans, making Split accessible to teams that need robust feature flagging capabilities without breaking the bank.
However, for those seeking more advanced functionalities, you'll need to opt for one of the more expensive plans. Such as unlimited projects, flag scheduling, custom roles or remote config that start at $7 200 a year and audit log that start at $3 960 a year.
Some other features of Split are only available on the highest plan and will require a call with a sales representative (eg. reviews).
Ease of use
To help you compare the ease of use between the tools, we’re recording a video for each one showing how to roll out a feature for 20% of French users. These videos will give you a hands-on look at how Split and the other platforms operate, making it easier to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
Unlike what you might have heard, it is actually not that hard to setup a flag in Split.
To give a better sense of how Split performs in real-world use, we’ve gathered user ratings for two key areas: ease of use and setup time. These ratings, with higher scores indicating better performance, provide insights into how quickly teams can get started with the platform and how intuitive it is to use in day-to-day operations. Let’s take a look at how Split fared in these categories.
Here is what people who are using Split think about the product (the higher the better):
- Setup time: 3.9/5
- Ease of use: 3.5/5
Pricing
Split isn’t the most budget-friendly tool, and the price can climb significantly as the size of your team increases. To give you a sense of how costs can escalate, we’ve included some example pricing based on team size to help you evaluate whether Split fits your financial requirements.
Split is not the cheapest option from this list, especially for larger teams, the price increase can be steep. Here are some prices to give you an idea:
- Price for 5 seats: $3 960/yr
- Price for 10 seats: $3 960/yr
#3 Flagsmith
Next, we have Flagsmith, which is a strong option for managing feature flags in Erlang applications. We'll take a closer look at what Flagsmith brings to the table in terms of features and pricing, helping you determine if it fits your project needs.
Features
Flagsmith offers all the essential features you’d expect from a feature flagging service, making it a reliable choice for most Erlang projects. Its lower-tier plans include key functionalities like feature toggling, ensuring that even teams on a budget can effectively manage their feature deployments.
For those who need more advanced capabilities, however, some features are reserved for the higher-tier plans. Options like flag scheduling or MFA start at $540 a year and reviews, custom roles or audit log start at $2 400 a year.
Ease of use
To showcase Flagsmith's UI, we’ve prepared a short video demonstration. In the video, we’ll walk you through the process of releasing a feature for 20% of French users. Flagsmith may not the most user-friendly tool from this list, but at least it gets the job done fairly quickly.
To provide more insight into Flagsmith's usability, we collected user ratings in two areas: ease of use and setup time. A higher rating indicates a smoother experience, helping gauge how quickly teams can adopt the platform and how intuitive it is. Let’s take a closer look at these ratings to see how Flagsmith measures up.
Here is what people who are using Flagsmith think about the product (the higher the better):
- Setup time: 4.2/5
- Ease of use: 3.4/5
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Flagsmith is not the most affordable option on the list. The cost can rise quickly as your team size grows. While it offers robust capabilities, the pricing may become a concern for smaller teams or those with limited budgets. To give you a better sense of what to expect, we’ve included a few example price points based on team size to help you gauge how costs might scale as your needs evolve.
Flagsmith is not the cheapest option from this list, especially for larger teams, the price increase can be steep. Here are some prices to give you an idea:
- Price for 5 seats: $2 400/yr
- Price for 10 seats: $3 600/yr
#4 LaunchDarkly
LaunchDarkly is the next service we're examining in our comparison. Tailored for Erlang developers, LaunchDarkly provides a robust set of tools for effective feature management. We'll review its features and pricing in detail to see how it stacks up against other options.
Features
LaunchDarkly is equipped with all the fundamental tools necessary for effective feature flag management, making it a strong contender for Erlang developers. The basic plan includes essential features such as feature toggling, offering a solid foundation for most projects.
However, if you’re looking for more advanced features, you’ll need to consider one of the more expensive plans. Those feature include duplicate flags, unlimited projects or reviews which starts at $1 000 a year.
Some other features of LaunchDarkly are only available on the highest plan and will require a call with a sales representative (eg. custom roles and flag scheduling).
Ease of use
We’re creating a video for each feature flagging tool in this article showcasing how to release a feature for 20% of French users. These demonstrations will allow you to easily compare the usability of LaunchDarkly and other platforms to see which one aligns best with your needs.
Here is the recording of the LaunchDarkly's dashboard where we go through the process of updating the flag.
To help evaluate LaunchDarkly's performance, we collected user ratings for both ease of use and setup time. These ratings, where higher numbers reflect better experiences, give a clear picture of how simple it is to get up and running with the platform and how user-friendly it is. Let’s dive into the results to see how LaunchDarkly stacks up.
Here is what people who are using LaunchDarkly think about the product (the higher the better):
- Setup time: 4.1/5
- Ease of use: 3.5/5
Pricing
Pricing is one area where LaunchDarkly can become costly, particularly as team size increases. While it delivers a strong feature set, the pricing structure might be challenging for teams looking to stay within a tight budget. To help you better assess the cost, we’ve provided a few pricing examples based on different team sizes to show how quickly expenses can add up.
LaunchDarkly is not the cheapest option from this list, especially for larger teams, the price increase can be steep. Here are some prices to give you an idea:
- Price for 5 seats: $500/yr
- Price for 10 seats: $2 000/yr
Got to LaunchDarkly pricing page
#5 Unleash
Unleash is the next feature flagging tool we'll explore. Designed with Erlang developers in mind, Unleash offers a range of functionalities that make it a compelling choice. In the upcoming sections, we'll delve into its features and pricing to better understand its value.
Features
Unleash provides a comprehensive set of basic features that make it a solid choice for managing feature flags in Erlang projects. With its core offerings, you can easily toggle features on and off. These essential tools are available even on the lower-tier plans, making Unleash accessible to teams that need robust feature flagging capabilities without breaking the bank.
However, for those seeking more advanced functionalities, you'll need to opt for one of the more expensive plans.
Some other features of Unleash are only available on the highest plan and will require a call with a sales representative (eg. unlimited projects, reviews, custom roles, unlimited environments, unlimited seats and flag scheduling).
Ease of use
We’ve recorded a video for each tool on our list to demonstrate their UI where we release a feature for 20% of French users. This will allow you to directly compare how Unleash handles feature rollouts and how it might fit your workflow.
Unleash takes a bit of time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it you can update flags pretty easily.
We've gathered user feedback on two key aspects of Unleash: ease of use and setup time. The higher the rating, the more favorable the experience, giving us a clear indication of how smoothly the platform works in practice. Next, we’ll review how Unleash performed in these areas based on user input.
Here is what people who are using Unleash think about the product (the higher the better):
- Setup time: 3.8/5
- Ease of use: 3.2/5
Pricing
Unleash isn’t the cheapest option available, and its pricing can increase rapidly as your team size expands. To provide some clarity, we’ve outlined a few example price points based on different team sizes, so you can better understand how Unleash’s pricing might fit your needs.
Unleash is not the cheapest option from this list, especially for larger teams, the price increase can be steep. Here are some prices to give you an idea:
- Price for 5 seats: $960/yr
- Price for 10 seats: $1 860/yr
Conclusion
Selecting the right feature flag tool is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your development workflow and feature deployment strategies. In this article, we compared 5 leading feature flag solutions for Erlang, examining their features, ease of use, and pricing. Through our video demonstrations, we provided practical insights into how each platform operates, allowing you to see firsthand the user experience and setup processes.
When choosing a feature flag solution, consider not only the feature set and pricing but also how the tool fits into your team's existing processes and technical stack. Ease of use can greatly affect adoption and efficiency, so take advantage of trial periods or demos when available.
We hope this comparison has provided valuable insights to help you make an informed decision. By selecting the tool that best matches your requirements, you can streamline your feature management, reduce deployment risks, and ultimately accelerate your development cycle.
