Kitbase vs Flagsmith: Which Feature Flag Platform is Right for You?

Choosing the right feature flag platform is crucial for your development workflow. Both Kitbase and Flagsmith offer solid feature flagging capabilities, but they take different approaches. This guide will help you understand the key differences and choose the right tool for your needs.

Quick Overview

Feature	Kitbase	Flagsmith
Pricing Model	Simple per-MAU pricing	Per-seat + API calls
Event Tracking	Built-in	Requires integration
OpenFeature Support	Full compatibility	Partial support
Self-hosting	Enterprise plan	Open-source option
SDK Languages	TypeScript, React, Flutter	Wide language support
Real-time Updates	SSE streaming	Polling-based

Pricing Comparison

Flagsmith Pricing

Flagsmith uses a combination of per-seat and API call pricing:

• Open Source: Free, self-hosted
• Cloud: Starts at $45/month for 1M API calls
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

The per-seat model can become expensive as your team grows, and API call limits may require careful monitoring.

Kitbase Pricing

Kitbase uses straightforward MAU-based pricing:

• Free: Up to 1,000 MAUs, 3 flags, 10K events
• Pro: $49/month for 50K MAUs, unlimited flags
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with self-hosting option

Key difference: Kitbase doesn’t charge per seat, so your entire team can access the dashboard without additional costs.

Feature Comparison

Feature Flags

Both platforms support core feature flagging functionality:

Kitbase:

• Boolean, string, number, and JSON flag types
• Percentage-based rollouts with consistent bucketing
• User segmentation with custom attributes
• Real-time flag updates via SSE streaming
• OpenFeature-compatible SDK

Flagsmith:

• Boolean and multivariate flags
• Percentage rollouts
• Segments and identities
• Scheduled flags
• Flag versioning

Event Tracking

Kitbase: Event tracking is built into the platform. Track user events, organize them into channels, and correlate flag exposure with user behavior—all in one place.

import { Kitbase } from '@kitbase/analytics';

const events = new Kitbase({ token: 'your-api-key' });

await events.track({
  channel: 'features',
  event: 'checkout_completed',
  user_id: 'user_123',
  tags: { revenue: 99.99 },
});

Flagsmith: Flagsmith focuses on feature flags and doesn’t include event tracking. You’ll need to integrate a separate analytics platform like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Segment.

Self-Hosting

Flagsmith offers an open-source version that you can self-host for free. This is great for teams with strict data residency requirements or those who prefer full control.

Kitbase offers self-hosting on the Enterprise plan with dedicated support. While not open-source, you get a fully managed solution with guaranteed uptime and support.

Developer Experience

SDK Quality

Kitbase SDKs are fully typed, tree-shakable, and follow modern JavaScript/TypeScript best practices:

import { FlagsClient } from '@kitbase/sdk/flags';

const flags = new FlagsClient({ token: 'your-api-key' });

const showNewFeature = await flags.getBooleanValue(
  'new-checkout',
  false,
  { targetingKey: user.id }
);

Flagsmith SDKs cover more languages but can feel more verbose:

import flagsmith from 'flagsmith';

await flagsmith.init({
  environmentID: 'your-env-id',
});

const showNewFeature = flagsmith.hasFeature('new-checkout');

Real-time Updates

Kitbase supports SSE (Server-Sent Events) for real-time flag updates. When you change a flag in the dashboard, it propagates to all connected clients instantly.

Flagsmith primarily uses polling for flag updates, which means there’s a delay between changing a flag and clients receiving the update.

When to Choose Flagsmith

Flagsmith might be the better choice if:

• You need open-source: Flagsmith’s open-source version is a solid option for self-hosting without licensing costs
• You have diverse tech stacks: Flagsmith supports more programming languages out of the box
• You already have analytics: If you’re using a dedicated analytics platform, you might not need built-in event tracking
• You need scheduled flags: Flagsmith’s scheduled flag changes can be useful for planned releases

When to Choose Kitbase

Kitbase might be the better choice if:

• You want an all-in-one solution: Built-in event tracking means fewer tools to manage and better correlation between flags and user behavior
• You’re cost-conscious about team size: No per-seat pricing means your whole team can access Kitbase
• You need real-time updates: SSE streaming ensures flag changes propagate instantly
• You value developer experience: Modern, typed SDKs with tree-shaking support
• You’re building with TypeScript/React/Flutter: First-class SDK support for these platforms

Migration Considerations

If you’re considering switching from Flagsmith to Kitbase:

1. Flag configuration: Export your flag definitions and recreate them in Kitbase
2. SDK swap: Replace Flagsmith SDK calls with Kitbase SDK
3. Targeting rules: Recreate your segments and targeting rules in Kitbase
4. Analytics integration: If using separate analytics, consider consolidating to Kitbase’s built-in event tracking

Conclusion

Both Kitbase and Flagsmith are capable feature flag platforms. Flagsmith offers more flexibility with its open-source option and broader language support. Kitbase provides a more integrated experience with built-in event tracking, simpler pricing, and real-time updates.

The best choice depends on your specific needs:

• Choose Flagsmith for open-source, diverse language support, or if you already have a robust analytics setup
• Choose Kitbase for an all-in-one solution, predictable pricing, and modern developer experience

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