Flagsmith vs GrowthBook
Self-host pick — both replace LaunchDarkly (Feature flags / progressive delivery).
Both Flagsmith and GrowthBook self-host as a replacement for LaunchDarkly (Feature flags / progressive delivery). Pick GrowthBook if you want the lighter footprint — 20min docker-compose (Node + MongoDB), $10/mo vps. Pick Flagsmith if you need teams that want flags + remote config + A/B testing in one tool with a polished Django-based admin UI — 20min docker-compose (Django + Postgres + InfluxDB optional) and $10/mo vps.
| Flagsmithopen-source | GrowthBookopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Setup time | 20min docker-compose (Django + Postgres + InfluxDB optional) | 20min docker-compose (Node + MongoDB) |
| Monthly cost | $10/mo VPS. | $10/mo VPS. |
| GitHub | Flagsmith/flagsmith | growthbook/growthbook |
| Replaces | LaunchDarkly | LaunchDarkly |
Good fit for
Flagsmith
Teams that want flags + remote config + A/B testing in one tool with a polished Django-based admin UI.
Weak at:Heavier stack than Unleash; Edge Proxy is a separate service to operate.
GrowthBook
Teams that already have an analytics warehouse and want feature-flag + experimentation in one tool.
Weak at:MongoDB ops surface; experimentation analysis assumes you have the warehouse pipeline already in place.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli launchdarkly prints LaunchDarkly's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Flagsmith or GrowthBook?
Flagsmith: 20min docker-compose (Django + Postgres + InfluxDB optional). GrowthBook: 20min docker-compose (Node + MongoDB).
What does each cost to run?
Flagsmith: $10/mo VPS.. GrowthBook: $10/mo VPS.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Flagsmith and GrowthBook replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to LaunchDarkly.