Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Parse VS Flagsmith

Compare Parse VS Flagsmith and see what are their differences

Parse logo Parse

Build applications faster with object and file storage, user authentication, push notifications, dashboard and more out of the box.

Flagsmith logo Flagsmith

Flagsmith lets you manage feature flags and remote config across web, mobile and server side applications. Deliver true Continuous Integration. Get builds out faster. Control who has access to new features. We're Open Source.
Visit Website
  • Parse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17
  • Flagsmith Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-23

Parse features and specs

  • Open Source
    Parse Platform is open-source, which means it is free to use and can be customized to fit the needs of your application without any licensing fees.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Parse provides a wide range of built-in features such as a robust database system, real-time notifications, user authentication, cloud functions, and file storage, reducing the amount of development work needed.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Parse supports multiple platforms including iOS, Android, JavaScript, .NET, and more, enabling easier development across different types of applications.
  • Community and Documentation
    There is a strong community around Parse with extensive documentation and numerous tutorials, which can help developers quickly resolve issues and learn best practices.
  • Unified Backend
    Parse allows developers to manage database, server code, and user authentication in one unified platform, simplifying backend management.

Possible disadvantages of Parse

  • Self-Hosting Complexity
    While Parse is open-source, it requires self-hosting, which involves managing and maintaining your own server infrastructure, adding operational complexity.
  • Performance
    Depending on your server setup and scaling needs, you might encounter performance issues, especially for high-traffic applications, requiring constant monitoring and fine-tuning.
  • Limited Scalability
    Parse might not be as scalable as other backend solutions like Firebase, particularly for apps that need to handle massive amounts of data and users.
  • Initial Setup Time
    The initial setup of a Parse server and its environment can be time-consuming and challenging, particularly for those without DevOps experience.
  • Feature Limitations
    While Parse offers a rich feature set, some advanced features available in other modern backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platforms may lack, necessitating custom development.

Flagsmith features and specs

  • Feature Flags
  • Remote Config
  • A/B/X Testing & Optimization
  • Organization Management
  • Integrations

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Parse and Flagsmith)
Developer Tools
19 19%
81% 81
App Development
100 100%
0% 0
Feature Flags
0 0%
100% 100
Realtime Backend / API
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Parse and Flagsmith. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Parse and Flagsmith

Parse Reviews

10 Top Firebase Alternatives to Ignite Your Development in 2024
If you’re looking for a Firebase alternative that gives you full control and the freedom to tinker, Parse Platform is your jam. Again, it’s a popular open-source framework loved by developers who want to build custom backends without being tied to a specific provider.
Source: genezio.com
Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Back4App is a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform that uses Parse Server, the open-source version of the Parse backend. It simplifies backend development and management, providing developers with a robust platform for building modern applications.
Source: signoz.io
What is AWS Amplify? - AWS Amplify Alternatives
It is well-known for making the development process quick, easy, and simple. Using Parse, you may complete a day's worth of work in a few hours.
Source: mindmajix.com
2023 Firebase Alternatives: Top 10 Open-Source & Free
Community Support – If Firebase comes with the backing of Google, then Parse is also tested and trusted by Facebook. Yes, Facebook is the parent company of Parse. Therefore, it has a big community. You can find resources and solutions regarding Parse on GitHub, Stack Overflow and several other programming forums.
12 Best Open-source Database Backend Server and Google Firebase Alternatives
Parse server is an open-source database backend solution which speed up application building. It features database, user management, authentication, file upload and push notification.I used Parse for a few times, and I was satisfied with the speed and productivity it offers, especially in terms of developer tools as it comes with dozens of SDKs, libraries and sample code to...
Source: medevel.com

Flagsmith Reviews

The 8 best free and open-source feature flag services
BlogBackSign inBlogThe 8 best free and open-source feature flag servicesPosted byThe best open-source feature flag tools1. PostHogWhat is PostHog?Supported librariesHow much does it cost?2. UnleashWhat is Unleash?Supported SDKsHow much does it cost?3. GrowthBookWhat is GrowthBook?Supported SDKsHow much does it cost?4. FlagsmithWhat is Flagsmith?Supported SDKsHow much does it...
Source: posthog.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Parse should be more popular than Flagsmith. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Parse mentions (21)

  • Supabase Alternatives 🔄 in 2025 😼
    Parse deserves mention primarily for its historical significance as the precursor that inspired the entire backend-as-a-service space. Founded in 2011, Parse pioneered many concepts that we now take for granted in modern BaaS platforms. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • The 2024 Web Hosting Report
    Backend as a Service (BaaS) goes back to early 2010’s with companies like Parse and Firebase. These products integrated everything a backend provides to a webapp in a single, integrated package that makes it easier to get started and enables you to offload some of the devops maintenance work to someone else. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • How to set up a Parse Server backend with Typescript
    Parse Server is a great way to quickly spin up a backend for your project. Parse is a Node based utility that sits on top of ExpressJS. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Free online DB for production app
    You can try https://parseplatform.org/, it is self-hosted if you need. And also there are a number of cloud services with compatible API, like https://www.back4app.com/ It has dart-friendly generated API client, much simpler than firebase and is built on top of postgresql and mongodb. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Supabase Series B
    Not to crash the party or anything. Supabase is great and all but in terms of feature completeness and getting actual products built, it doesn't come close to Parse[0]. Same with Appwrite. Both of these are very popular but they either lack essential features or have them behind a subscription wall. For example, the OSS version of Supabase (last I checked) doesn't include the edge functions which are really... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

Flagsmith mentions (13)

  • Why use Open Source Feature Flags?
    Considering all these points, the team at Flagsmith has developed a feature flag management platform Flagsmith and made it open source. The core functionality is open and you can check out the GitHub repository here. I have utilized and authored several blogs discussing their excellent offerings and strategies. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • free-for.dev
    Flagsmith - Release features with confidence; manage feature flags across web, mobile, and server side applications. Use our hosted API, deploy to your own private cloud, or run on-premise. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Which startups are made using Django?
    Flagsmith is written in Django and is open source as well: https://flagsmith.com. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • The actual infrastructure costs of running SaaS at scale (billions of requests/month)
    Before we dive in, one important call-out: We provide our feature management product to customers in three ways depending on how they want to have it managed: Fully Managed SaaS API, Fully Managed Private Cloud SaaS API and Self-Hosted. The infrastructure costs that we are sharing is for our customers that leverage our Fully Managed SaaS API offering (try it free: https://flagsmith.com/) which represents a portion... - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • The Story Behind Our Open Source Ecommerce Platform with +9,000 GH stars in 6 months
    On March 15th, Sebastian Rindom, the CEO & Co-founder of Medusa, did an interview with Flagsmith where he talked about how Medusa started, why create a headless commerce solution, why make it open-source, and more. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Parse and Flagsmith, you can also consider the following products

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

LaunchDarkly - LaunchDarkly is a powerful development tool which allows software developers to roll out updates and new features.

AWS Amplify - JavaScript library for app development using cloud services

Unleash - Unleash is an open-source feature management platform. We are private, secure, and ready for the most complex setups out of the box.

Back4App - Low code backend to build apps faster and scale easily.

ConfigCat - ConfigCat is a developer-centric feature flag service with unlimited team size, awesome support, and a reasonable price tag.