The Best 5 feature-flag tools for Lua developers
When it comes to managing feature rollouts in Lua applications, feature flags are indispensable. They allow developers to experiment and deploy with confidence. However, the variety of available feature-flag solutions can make it tough to choose the right one. In this article, we’ll compare the top 5 feature-flag solutions for Lua developers, considering pricing, ease of use, and the most valuable features each service offers.
Our top pick#1 Tggl.io
First on our list is Tggl, an excellent overall choice thanks to its simplicity and quick integration with Lua, requiring just a single API call.
Features
Tggl makes it easy to get started with feature flagging by offering a low-cost plan that includes all the basic features you’d expect. This plan is ideal for beginners or smaller teams, providing everything needed to control feature releases, conduct A/B tests, and manage feature flags effectively.
For those needing more powerful tools, Tggl’s advanced plans come packed with extra features like detailed analytics, reviews, and technical debt management, designed to meet the needs of more demanding projects.
Ease of use
Tggl takes the top spot in our comparison because it’s particularly easy to use. The setup process is streamlined, and the interface is designed with usability in mind. To give you a practical example, we recorded a short video where we enable a flag for 20% of French users. Similar recordings were made for all the tools in this list, allowing for an objective 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 LaunchDarkly
Next, we have LaunchDarkly, which is a strong option for managing feature flags in Lua applications. We'll take a closer look at what LaunchDarkly brings to the table in terms of features and pricing, helping you determine if it fits your project needs.
Features
LaunchDarkly offers all the essential features you’d expect from a feature flagging service, making it a reliable choice for most Lua 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 duplicate flags, unlimited projects or reviews start 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’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 LaunchDarkly handles feature rollouts and how it might fit your workflow.
LaunchDarkly takes a bit of time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it you can update flags pretty easily.
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
LaunchDarkly 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 LaunchDarkly’s pricing might fit your needs.
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
#3 Unleash
Unleash is the next service we're examining in our comparison. Tailored for Lua developers, Unleash 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
Unleash is equipped with all the fundamental tools necessary for effective feature flag management, making it a strong contender for Lua 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.
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 have recorded a video demonstration to show how to release a feature for 20% of French users using Unleash. This will help you compare the ease of use across different platforms, giving you a better idea of how Unleash and the others handle feature rollouts in practical scenarios.
Unleash's UI should be good enough for anyone to use without too much trouble.
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
In terms of pricing, Unleash tends to be on the higher end, with costs rising quickly as your team size grows. While it offers a range of powerful features, the price may be a limiting factor for smaller teams or projects. To give a clearer picture, we’ve listed a few pricing examples based on various team sizes to illustrate how expenses can scale with growth.
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
#4 Flagsmith
Flagsmith is the next feature flagging tool we'll explore. Designed with Lua developers in mind, Flagsmith 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
Flagsmith provides a comprehensive set of basic features that make it a solid choice for managing feature flags in Lua 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 Flagsmith 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 flag scheduling or MFA that start at $540 a year and reviews, custom roles or audit log that start at $2 400 a year.
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 Flagsmith 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 Flagsmith.
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
Flagsmith 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 Flagsmith fits your financial requirements.
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
#5 Split
Next, we have Split, which is a strong option for managing feature flags in Lua applications. We'll take a closer look at what Split brings to the table in terms of features and pricing, helping you determine if it fits your project needs.
Features
Split offers all the essential features you’d expect from a feature flagging service, making it a reliable choice for most Lua 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 unlimited projects, flag scheduling, custom roles or remote config start at $7 200 a year and audit log 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
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 Split and other platforms to see which one aligns best with your needs.
Here is the recording of the Split's dashboard where we go through the process of updating the flag.
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
Pricing is one area where Split 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.
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
Conclusion
As we conclude this comparison of five feature flag tools for Lua, it’s clear that each has its own strengths. We’ve reviewed them based on features, user experience, and pricing, with video examples to show how they work in real-life scenarios.
The right tool for you will depend on your specific needs and budget, but with the insights provided, you’re better equipped to make an informed choice.
