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CircleCI vs Flagsmith

CircleCI logo

CircleCI

Software

The leading CI/CD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Flagsmith logo

Flagsmith

Software

Open-source feature flag and remote config platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month; Flagsmith the Free plan supports only a single team member, limiting collaboration for small teams.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CircleCI and Flagsmith actually diverge.

Attributes where CircleCI and Flagsmith differ
AttributeCircleCIFlagsmith
PlatformsWebweb, api
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 CircleCI

Nothing recorded that Flagsmith does not also cover.

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.

CircleCI

  • Continuous integration pipelines for application codenot Flagsmith
  • Parallel test execution across containersnot Flagsmith
  • Docker-based builds with layer cachingnot Flagsmith
  • Deployment pipelines with approval gatesnot Flagsmith
  • Self-hosted runners for private infrastructurenot Flagsmith

Flagsmith

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

Where each one falls short

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

CircleCI

  • The free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
  • Active users are billed at $15 each beyond the included five, and an active user is anyone who commits to a project
  • Everything runs on credits, so compute, Docker layer caching at 200 credits a job and IP ranges at 450 credits per GB all draw from the same pool
  • Network and storage overage costs 420 credits per GB
  • Free credits expire monthly with no rollover, and paid credits expire after a year
  • Scale is annual billing only

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

CircleCI

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CircleCI review.

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 CircleCI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CircleCI 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 CircleCI or Flagsmith better?
Neither clearly leads. CircleCI 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, CircleCI or Flagsmith?
CircleCI starts at Free and Flagsmith at Free.
Does CircleCI or Flagsmith run on more platforms?
CircleCI runs on Web. Flagsmith runs on web, api.
Can I use CircleCI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CircleCI best used for?
CircleCI is most often used for continuous integration pipelines for application code, parallel test execution across containers, docker-based builds with layer caching, deployment pipelines with approval gates. Of those, continuous integration pipelines for application code and parallel test execution across containers are not what Flagsmith is typically brought in for.
What can CircleCI do that Flagsmith cannot?
Flagsmith covers Feature flags, Segments, A/B testing, Scheduled flags.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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Related pages

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