5 best feature-flag tools for Ruby
In the space of Ruby 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 Ruby developers, evaluating them based on pricing, ease of use, and the features that set them apart.
Our top pick#1 Tggl.io
For the first place we picked Tggl for its great Ruby 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.
As your needs grow, Tggl also provides more advanced features in its higher-tier plans. These include unlimited projects, webhooks, server-side flag evaluation, and reviews. While the basic plan is a great entry point, upgrading to a more expensive plan unlocks the full potential of Tggl’s robust feature set.
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.
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
To wrap up, Tggl is the most budget-friendly option on our list, with a starting price of €180/yr for up to 5 seats. Smaller teams will find that costs are manageable, as they are based on the number of seats and request volumes. For larger teams, Tggl offers a flexible pricing model where you can have unlimited seats and only pay for the number of requests.
- Price for 5 seats: €180/yr
- Price for 10 seats: €530/yr
#2 Flagsmith
Lets take a look at Flagsmith, a solid option for feature flag management. With its own Ruby SDK, Flagsmith is designed to seamlessly integrate with your Ruby 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
Flagsmith offers all the essential features you’d expect from a feature flagging service, making it a reliable choice for most Ruby 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
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 Flagsmith handles feature rollouts and how it might fit your workflow.
Flagsmith 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 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 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 Flagsmith’s pricing might fit your needs.
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
#3 Split
Next in our lineup is Split, another capable feature flagging service that includes a Ruby SDK for straightforward integration. We'll cover its features and pricing in the sections that follow, offering a closer look at why Split deserves consideration.
Features
Split provides a comprehensive set of basic features that make it a solid choice for managing feature flags in Ruby 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
#4 Unleash
Next on our list is Unleash, another strong contender. Unleash offers a Ruby SDK, making it easy to integrate into your existing projects. In the following sections, we'll take a closer look at the features and pricing that make Unleash a noteworthy option.
Features
Unleash is equipped with all the fundamental tools necessary for effective feature flag management, making it a strong contender for Ruby 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
To showcase Unleash'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. Unleash 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 Unleash'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 Unleash measures up.
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
When it comes to pricing, Unleash 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.
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
#5 LaunchDarkly
Moving on, we have LaunchDarkly, which comes equipped with a Ruby SDK to simplify integration into your workflows. We'll discuss LaunchDarkly'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
LaunchDarkly offers all the essential features you’d expect from a feature flagging service, making it a reliable choice for most Ruby 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’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.
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
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
Conclusion
In conclusion, when choosing the right feature flag tool for your Ruby projects, it’s important to consider a balance of features, ease of use, and pricing. Our comparison of the top 5 tools has shown that each offers unique strengths. We provided video examples to illustrate the user experience across all platforms, making it easier to see how they perform in real-world scenarios. Whether you prioritize cost, advanced features, or simplicity, there’s a solution in this list that can meet your needs.
Ultimately, the best choice will depend on your specific project requirements and team size.
