Developer Tools · head to head
ConfigCat vs SQLite
ConfigCat
Developer Tools
Feature flag service priced per flag and environment with unlimited seats and unlimited monthly active users
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
SQLite
Databases
Small, fast, self-contained SQL database engine
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- SQLite is a C-language library.
- SQLite is free; ConfigCat starts at $110/mo.
- Only ConfigCat lists percentage rollouts; only SQLite lists serverless Operation.
- Where SQLite falls short: supports only serialized write operations; only one process can modify the database at any moment, limiting concurrent users.
- Prices and features on this page were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ConfigCat and SQLite actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).
Not yet recorded: founded for ConfigCat.
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 ConfigCat
- Feature flags and configuration
- Percentage rollouts
- Targeting rules and segments
- Unlimited seats
- Global CDN delivery
- Audit log
- Public API and webhooks
- SDKs across languages
Only in SQLite
- Serverless Operation
- Zero Configuration
- Single File Database
- Cross-platform
- Full SQL Support
- ACID Compliance
- Self-contained
- Browser Storage
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ConfigCat
- A consumer or mobile app with millions of users where per-MAU flag pricing would cost more than the flags are worthnot SQLite
- A team that wants every engineer, product manager and support agent to have a login without paying per seatnot SQLite
- Decoupling deployment from release with percentage rollouts and a kill switch, without buying an experimentation platformnot SQLite
- A small team that needs ten flags permanently and can run indefinitely on the free tiernot SQLite
SQLite
- Transaction processingnot ConfigCat
- Data storagenot ConfigCat
- Application backendnot ConfigCat
- Reportingnot ConfigCat
- Data analyticsnot ConfigCat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ConfigCat
- There is no experimentation or statistical analysis engine, so teams wanting real A/B tests with significance testing must buy and integrate a separate analytics or experimentation product
- Pricing by flag count punishes exactly the hygiene you want: the Pro tier caps at 100 flags, so teams that do not aggressively retire stale flags are pushed to the 325 dollar Smart tier for housekeeping reasons rather than growth
- The free tier allows only 2 environments, which does not cover the common development, staging and production split, so almost any real deployment starts on a paid plan
- It is a smaller vendor than the category incumbents, so enterprise procurement teams will find less depth in compliance attestations, contractual terms and reference architecture than LaunchDarkly offers
- Flag evaluation relies on SDK-side caching of a CDN-delivered config, which is fast but means propagation of a change is eventually consistent rather than instant, something to understand before relying on it as an emergency kill switch
SQLite
- Supports only serialized write operations; only one process can modify the database at any moment, limiting concurrent users
- No multi-user support or granular access control; relies on file system permissions for security only
- Limited ALTER TABLE functionality cannot edit or modify columns in existing tables
Pricing, plan by plan
ConfigCat
Free- Forever FreeFree
- 10 feature flags
- 2 environments and 2 products
- 2 segments
- Pro$110/mo
- 100 feature flags
- 3 environments and 3 products
- Unlimited seats and MAUs
- Smart$325/mo
- Unlimited feature flags
- Unlimited environments, products and segments
- Unlimited seats and MAUs
- Enterprise$900/mo
- Everything in Smart
- Enterprise support and controls
- Unlimited everything on flag counts
SQLite
Free- Public DomainFree
- Serverless
- Zero-configuration
- Cross-platform
Which should you pick?
Choose ConfigCat if
- You need feature flags and configuration.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API, iOS, Android, Windows.
- You also want percentage rollouts.
Choose SQLite if
- You need serverless operation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
- You also want zero configuration.
Questions people ask
- Is ConfigCat or SQLite better?
- Neither clearly leads. ConfigCat starts at Free and SQLite at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ConfigCat or SQLite?
- ConfigCat starts at Free and SQLite at Free.
- Does ConfigCat or SQLite run on more platforms?
- ConfigCat runs on Web, API, iOS, Android, Windows. SQLite runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
- Can I use ConfigCat for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is ConfigCat best used for?
- ConfigCat is most often used for a consumer or mobile app with millions of users where per-mau flag pricing would cost more than the flags are worth, a team that wants every engineer, product manager and support agent to have a login without paying per seat, decoupling deployment from release with percentage rollouts and a kill switch, without buying an experimentation platform, a small team that needs ten flags permanently and can run indefinitely on the free tier. Of those, a consumer or mobile app with millions of users where per-mau flag pricing would cost more than the flags are worth and a team that wants every engineer, product manager and support agent to have a login without paying per seat are not what SQLite is typically brought in for.
- What can ConfigCat do that SQLite cannot?
- ConfigCat covers Feature flags and configuration, Percentage rollouts, Targeting rules and segments, Unlimited seats. SQLite covers Serverless Operation, Zero Configuration, Single File Database, Cross-platform.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ConfigCat: How is ConfigCat priced?
By feature flag, environment and product count. Seats, monthly active users and flag reads are unlimited on every plan.
SQLite: Is SQLite free and open source?
Yes, SQLite is open source and in the public domain. The complete source code and binaries are free to download and use for any purpose without restrictions.
SourceConfigCat: Is the free tier usable?
For small projects yes, but at 10 flags and 2 environments it will not cover a dev, staging and production setup.
SQLite: How does SQLite work and what is its design?
SQLite is a self-contained, serverless SQL database engine that reads and writes directly to disk files. It requires no separate server process and runs within your application, making it ideal for embedded systems and local storage.
SourceConfigCat: Can it run A/B tests?
It can split traffic, but there is no statistics engine. You need a separate analytics tool to decide a winner.
SQLite: What are SQLite's limitations for scaling?
SQLite does not support true multi-user concurrency. Only one process can write to the database at a time, and it lacks user management and access control features. It is designed for small to medium projects, not enterprise applications with many concurrent users.
SourceConfigCat: How fast does a flag change take effect?
SDKs poll and cache, so changes propagate on the polling interval rather than instantly.
SQLite: Can I use SQLite for production web applications?
SQLite can work for single-server web applications with modest concurrency needs. However, it lacks features like user management, granular security, and sophisticated query optimization needed for large-scale applications.
SourceRelated pages
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