Softwr

Logging · head to head

Airbrake vs Flagsmith

Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Logging

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flagsmith logo

Flagsmith

Software Development

Open-source feature flag and remote config platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier; Flagsmith the Free plan supports only a single team member, limiting collaboration for small teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Airbrake covers Error tracking, Flagsmith covers Feature flags.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbrake and Flagsmith actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbrake and Flagsmith differ
AttributeAirbrakeFlagsmith
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
CategoryLoggingSoftware Development
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Airbrake

  • Error tracking
  • Performance monitoring
  • Deploy tracking
  • Custom notifications
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Flagsmith

  • Feature flags
  • Segments
  • A/B testing
  • Scheduled flags
  • SDKs
  • SAML/SSO

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Airbrake

  • Error and exception monitoring for web applicationsnot Flagsmith
  • Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot Flagsmith
  • Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot Flagsmith
  • Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot Flagsmith

Flagsmith

  • Gradual feature rollouts across environmentsnot Airbrake
  • Remote configuration without redeploying codenot Airbrake
  • Running A/B tests tied to feature flagsnot Airbrake
  • Self-hosting feature flags for data residency requirementsnot Airbrake

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Airbrake

  • Data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
  • The entry plan at $19 a month covers 25,000 errors and 7,500 events
  • Errors beyond the plan quota are billed on demand
  • Audit logs and spike forgiveness require the Pro tier
  • The lowest tier is limited to 1 user and 1 team

Flagsmith

  • The Free plan supports only a single team member, limiting collaboration for small teams.
  • Exceeding request limits triggers overage charges after a one-time 30-day grace period.
  • Enterprise-grade SSO and governance are locked behind the Scale-Up and Enterprise tiers.
  • Self-hosting requires operating and updating the platform yourself, unlike a fully managed SaaS competitor.

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbrake

Free
  • Tier 1 (Dev + errors)$19/month
    • 25,000 errors per month
    • 1 user
    • 1 team
  • Tier 2 (Basic + errors)$38/month
    • 100,000 errors per month
    • Unlimited users
    • 3 teams
  • Pro$76/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited teams
    • Unlimited projects
  • Tier 5 (Growth)$299/month
    • 1 million errors per month

Flagsmith

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 50,000 requests/month
    • 1 team member
    • Unlimited feature flags, environments, identities and segments
  • Start-Up$45/month
    • Up to 1,000,000 requests/month
    • 3 team members
    • Scheduled flags, 2FA, A/B testing, integrations, email support
  • Scale-Up$300/month
    • 5,000,000+ requests/month
    • 5-20 team members
    • SAML/SSO, governance features, priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbrake if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want performance monitoring.
Airbrake review

Choose Flagsmith if

  • You need feature flags.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want segments.
Flagsmith review

Questions people ask

Is Airbrake or Flagsmith better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbrake starts at Free and Flagsmith at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbrake or Flagsmith?
Airbrake starts at Free and Flagsmith at Free.
Does Airbrake or Flagsmith run on more platforms?
Airbrake runs on Web, Api. Flagsmith runs on web, api.
Can I use Airbrake for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Airbrake best used for?
Airbrake is most often used for error and exception monitoring for web applications, performance monitoring alongside error tracking, alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errors, tracking errors across multiple projects in one account. Of those, error and exception monitoring for web applications and performance monitoring alongside error tracking are not what Flagsmith is typically brought in for.
What can Airbrake do that Flagsmith cannot?
Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Flagsmith covers Feature flags, Segments, A/B testing, Scheduled flags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Airbrake: What is the lowest-cost Airbrake plan and what does it include?

Tier 1 costs $19 per month and includes 25,000 errors per month, 1 user seat, 1 team, and unlimited projects. This plan targets individual developers. A 10% discount applies when paying annually ($17.10 per month).

Source
Flagsmith: What does Flagsmith cost?

Flagsmith has a Free plan, a Start-Up plan from $40-45/month, a Scale-Up plan from $250-300/month, and custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Airbrake: Which Airbrake plan is marked as the best value?

The Pro plan at $76 per month is marked as Best Value. It includes unlimited users, unlimited teams, unlimited projects, audit logs, and spike forgiveness. Annual billing provides a 10% discount ($68 per month).

Source
Flagsmith: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

The Free plan supports up to 50,000 requests per month and 1 team member, with unlimited feature flags, environments, identities and segments.

Source
Airbrake: How many errors per month does each Airbrake tier allow?

Tier 1 allows 25,000 errors per month at $19/month. Tier 2 allows 100,000 errors at $38/month. Tier 4 allows 300,000 errors at $129/month. Tier 5 allows 1 million errors at $299/month. Tier 6 allows 5 million errors at $799/month.

Source
Flagsmith: How is usage metered?

Usage is metered by monthly API requests; exceeding a plan's limit triggers overage charges starting around $50 per million requests, with a 30-day grace period the first time a paid plan exceeds its limit.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Airbrake

More on Flagsmith

Keep looking

Other head to heads