Flipt vs GrowthBook
Both are alternatives to LaunchDarkly. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as GrowthBook vs Flipt — same comparison, one verdict.
Both are feature flags & experimentation tools with the same broad shape, but Flipt scores 93 against GrowthBook's 83 on data ownership and exit cost — the gap is in how easily you could leave.
Flipt
Flags defined in Git, evaluated by one Go binary.
Flipt takes a GitOps approach: flag definitions live in your repository as files, get reviewed in pull requests like any other change, and are evaluated by a single Go binary that can run entirely offline with no external dependency. For a platform team that already runs everything through Git, this makes flags an ordinary part of the deployment pipeline rather than a separate control plane somebody has to remember to check. GPL-3.0 with about 4.9k stars. The trade is deliberate: no polished dashboard for product managers, because the source of truth is a file.
GrowthBook
Flags plus a real statistics engine — the experimentation answer.
GrowthBook is the option to look at when the reason you want flags is experiments rather than toggles. It runs A/B tests against your existing data warehouse — Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Postgres — so the analysis happens where your data already lives instead of in a second copy, and it offers Bayesian and frequentist statistics rather than one opinionated method. Around 8.1k stars. The licence needs stating precisely: the core is MIT, but three enterprise directories are carved out under a separate commercial licence, so it is MIT-with-exceptions rather than plain MIT.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Flipt | GrowthBook | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 93 | 83 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT core, with enterprise directory carve-outs |
| Pricing | Free and open source. One binary on hardware you already have. | Self-hostable core free. Cloud and enterprise tiers are paid. |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | — | 4 GB |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | — | $20–35/mo, against LaunchDarkly pricing that starts high and scales per seat and per MAU |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | — | 2 hours |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | — | Low to moderate. |
Flipt edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Weighing both against staying on LaunchDarkly? Is LaunchDarkly free? What it actually costs →
Flipt
Strengths
- +Flag definitions live in Git — reviewed, versioned and audited like code
- +Single Go binary, runs air-gapped with no external calls
- +Fits a GitOps workflow with no extra machinery
- +GPL-3.0 with no enterprise carve-out
Trade-offs
- −Smallest project here — a real bus-factor consideration
- −No dashboard a non-engineer will happily use
- −Git-based workflow means non-technical staff cannot flip a flag
- −No experimentation or statistics
GrowthBook
Strengths
- +Genuine statistics engine — Bayesian and frequentist, not a toggle with a chart
- +Runs experiments against your existing warehouse, no data duplication
- +Warehouse-native means no second source of truth to reconcile
- +Self-hostable with a real free path
Trade-offs
- −Enterprise directories are carved out of the MIT licence
- −Heavier to set up than the pure flag tools — you need a warehouse
- −Flag management is less polished than Unleash's
- −Overkill if you only want to turn features on and off
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Flipt
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and flag definitions live in Git — reviewed, versioned and audited like code.
Choose GrowthBook
if genuine statistics engine — Bayesian and frequentist, not a toggle with a chart.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — smallest project here — a real bus-factor consideration, and enterprise directories are carved out of the MIT licence. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Flipt vs GrowthBook — common questions
Is Flipt a better fit than GrowthBook for feature flags & experimentation?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Flipt scores 93 to GrowthBook's 83 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. GrowthBook earns its place on a different axis — genuine statistics engine — Bayesian and frequentist, not a toggle with a chart. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Flipt keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. GrowthBook is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Flipt or GrowthBook?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Flipt and GrowthBook both alternatives to LaunchDarkly?
Yes — both appear in our LaunchDarkly comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off LaunchDarkly and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-07-31. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.