Top 5 feature-flags services for Python
When it comes to managing feature rollouts in Python 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 Python developers, considering pricing, ease of use, and the most valuable features each service offers.
Our top pick#1 Tggl.io
For the first place we picked Tggl for its great Python SDK and easy to use interface. It probably has the easiest setup process of this list, you simply install the SDK and instantiate it with you API key to get going.
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.
When your project scales or demands more sophisticated capabilities, Tggl’s premium plans introduce advanced features for collaborating like reviews, technical debt management, and server-side flags evaluation, giving you the flexibility to grow with the service.
Ease of use
Tggl ranks first on our list largely because of its ease of use. Its interface is straightforward, and the setup process is simple, making it a practical choice for developers of all experience levels. To illustrate this, we recorded a short video showing how to enable a flag for 20% of French users. We followed the same approach for each tool in this list, allowing for a clear comparison of how easy they are to use.
As shown in the video, Tggl very straight forward. To complement this, we also gathered user ratings on ease of use and setup time. These ratings reflect actual user experiences and offer additional context on how Tggl performs.
- 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
Moving on, we have Split, which comes equipped with a Python SDK to simplify integration into your workflows. We'll discuss Split's features and pricing later, but for now, it’s clear that it’s a strong candidate for developers looking for a flexible feature flag solution.
Features
Split is equipped with all the fundamental tools necessary for effective feature flag management, making it a strong contender for Python 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 unlimited projects, flag scheduling, custom roles or remote config which starts at $7 200 a year and audit log which starts 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 provide more insight into Split'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 Split measures up.
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
#3 LaunchDarkly
Next up is LaunchDarkly, a versatile feature flag service that also offers a Python SDK for easy integration. As we continue, we'll dive into the specifics of LaunchDarkly’s features and pricing, highlighting what sets it apart from the competition.
Features
LaunchDarkly offers all the essential features you’d expect from a feature flagging service, making it a reliable choice for most Python 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 have recorded a video demonstration to show how to release a feature for 20% of French users using LaunchDarkly. This will help you compare the ease of use across different platforms, giving you a better idea of how LaunchDarkly and the others handle feature rollouts in practical scenarios.
LaunchDarkly's UI should be good enough for anyone to use without too much trouble.
We've gathered user feedback on two key aspects of LaunchDarkly: 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 LaunchDarkly performed in these areas based on user input.
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
In terms of pricing, LaunchDarkly 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.
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
#4 Flagsmith
Next in our lineup is Flagsmith, another capable feature flagging service that includes a Python SDK for straightforward integration. We'll cover its features and pricing in the sections that follow, offering a closer look at why Flagsmith deserves consideration.
Features
Flagsmith provides a comprehensive set of basic features that make it a solid choice for managing feature flags in Python 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 help evaluate Flagsmith'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 Flagsmith stacks 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 Unleash
Lets take a look at Unleash, a solid option for feature flag management. With its own Python SDK, Unleash is designed to seamlessly integrate with your Python projects. In the next sections, we'll explore its features and pricing to see how it compares to the other tools on our list.
Features
Unleash is equipped with all the fundamental tools necessary for effective feature flag management, making it a strong contender for Python 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’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.
To give a better sense of how Unleash 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 Unleash fared in these categories.
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
In conclusion, we’ve explored how 5 different feature flag tools stack up in terms of features, ease of use, and pricing. The videos included in this article served to highlight how each tool performs in practice, offering a clearer perspective on their usability. Your choice will ultimately hinge on what you value most—be it cost-effectiveness, advanced functionalities, or user-friendly design.
