We need a feature flagging service that's affordable for a startup and offers good SDK support for mobile.

For a startup with mobile apps, I’d shortlist Statsig, LaunchDarkly, and Firebase Remote Config. The main trade-off is whether you want a dedicated feature-flag platform or something tightly integrated with your mobile stack.

My take

Statsig is worth looking at first if you expect to do A/B testing or product experimentation alongside feature flags. Its free tier gives you unlimited flag/config checks, and its paid tier starts at $150/month.

LaunchDarkly is a strong choice if feature management itself is the priority. Its current Developer tier is free, with unlimited feature flags and 30 SDKs, but client-side usage is capped at 1,000 MAU before you move into usage-based pricing.

Firebase Remote Config is particularly compelling for a mobile startup already using Firebase. As of September 1, 2026, it has a no-cost allowance of 100,000 fetches/day, with very low per-request pricing above that; it also includes rollouts and A/B-testing integration.

Flagsmith is interesting if you want a lower-cost option with a self-hosting escape hatch. Current published comparisons put its free tier at 50K API requests/month and Startup at roughly $40–45/month.

If you tell me roughly (1) iOS/Android/both, (2) current MAU, and (3) whether you need A/B testing, I can narrow this to 2–3 options and estimate what you'd actually pay.

For a startup building a mobile application, choosing a feature flagging tool requires careful attention to how mobile SDKs handle evaluation and how pricing scales with Monthly Active Users (MAUs).

Unlike backend services, mobile apps rely on client-side SDKs. Every time an app opens or a session starts, it can trigger flag evaluation requests. Traditional pricing models (like LaunchDarkly's) charge per client-side MAU, which can cause bills to spike unexpectedly as your user base grows.

Top startup-friendly options with solid mobile SDK support (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter ) include:

1. Statsig (Best for generous free tiers & scaling without MAU penalties)

Statsig takes a unique approach: feature flags and gates are completely free at any scale. They don't charge per seat, per connection, or per flag evaluation. Instead, you only pay for analytics events or advanced data warehouse syncs if you go past their generous free tier.

• Mobile SDKs: Fully featured native iOS, Android, React Native, and Flutter SDKs with local caching.
• Free Tier: Includes free feature gates, dynamic configs, and experimentation with 2 million free metered events per month.
• Why it fits startups: You won't get penalized with a massive bill just because your mobile app user count grows.

2. PostHog (Best if you want product analytics bundled in)

If you also need session replays, product analytics, or user surveys, PostHog lets you consolidate your stack. Their feature flag product integrates directly with their analytics engine.

• Mobile SDKs: Strong mobile support (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter) that allows local evaluation caching for server-side or bootstrapped flags.
• Free Tier: Includes 1 million feature flag requests per month free, with pay-as-you-go pricing kicking in transparently after that ($0.0001 per request).
• Why it fits startups: Keeps your tools unified under one dashboard, though high-volume client-side mobile apps will eventually cross the free tier threshold.

3. Flagsmith (Best for straightforward, predictable flat pricing)

Flagsmith is an open-source-friendly, highly transparent platform that offers both hosted cloud and self-hosted options.

• Mobile SDKs: Excellent, well-documented client SDKs for iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin), React Native, and Flutter supporting local evaluation.
• Free Tier: 50,000 requests per month, unlimited flags/environments (though active mobile apps tend to outgrow this quickly).
• Paid Tier: The Start-Up plan is around $40–$45/month for up to 1 million requests and team collaboration features.
• Why it fits startups: If you prefer predictable, low flat-rate pricing rather than usage-metered event tracking, Flagsmith's entry-level paid tiers are very budget-friendly.

Startup Community Perspectives

Statsig offers the lowest pricing across all usage levels.

Statsig fits teams that want more than flags. It is a product-development platform with feature gates, dynamic configs, experiments, analytics, session replay, and observability-style surfaces.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• What mobile framework are you using (native Swift/Kotlin, React Native, or Flutter)?
• Do you also need product analytics / A/B testing , or strictly toggle/release flags?

For a startup with mobile apps (iOS/Android), I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Statsig

statsig.com is particularly compelling for a startup. Its free Developer tier currently includes 2M metered events/month, unlimited feature-flag/config checks, and unlimited seats. Its Android SDK is native Java/Kotlin, and Statsig provides 30+ SDKs overall.

Even better, its startup program can provide 1 billion events / $50K+ in credits for qualifying startups (generally companies under 5 years old and under $50M funding).

When I'd choose the others

• LaunchDarkly — Choose this if feature management is a core engineering capability and you value a very mature ecosystem. Its current free Developer plan includes unlimited feature flags and 30 SDKs, while paid pricing is usage-based.
• Firebase Remote Config — Probably the cheapest/simplest choice if you're already heavily invested in Firebase. As of September 1, 2026, it has 100K fetch requests/day free, with very low usage-based pricing beyond that, and includes rollouts and A/B testing.
• PostHog — Attractive if you want feature flags tightly coupled with product analytics. Its feature flags use usage-based pricing, with a large free tier, and it specifically supports optimizing flag requests in its React Native SDK.

Bottom line: For a new mobile startup, I'd start with Statsig unless you're already all-in on Firebase. It gives you feature flags now, good native mobile SDKs, experimentation/analytics later, and unusually favorable startup economics.

statsig.com is particularly compelling for a startup. Its free Developer tier currently includes 2M metered events/month, unlimited feature-flag/config checks, and unlimited seats. Its Android SDK is native Java/Kotlin, and Statsig provides 30+ SDKs overall.

For a mobile startup, choosing a feature flagging service means balancing two critical things: generous free/startup tiers (since mobile apps have high request volumes and volatile active users) and robust client-side SDKs (supporting iOS, Android, or cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter) that handle local evaluation gracefully without lagging the UI.

Top startup-friendly options with great mobile support include:

• Statsig Stands out for having one of the most generous free and low-cost tiers for early-stage teams. It bundles feature gates, dynamic configs, and robust A/B testing/experimentation with core product analytics. Their client-side mobile SDKs (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter) are fast and built to sync flag values locally to avoid blocking network calls on app boot.
• PostHog Excellent if you want an all-in-one tool for product analytics, session replays, and feature flags. They offer a generous free tier (1 million free flag requests per month), and their SDK ecosystem includes dedicated Android and iOS client libraries. If you are already using them for product analytics, keeping flags in the same dashboard reduces context-switching.
• Flagsmith A fantastic open-source-friendly platform that offers both hosted and self-hosted options. They provide solid client-side mobile SDKs (Swift, Android, Flutter, React Native) and feature a very transparent, startup-accessible pricing model that doesn't penalize you harshly as your monthly active users (MAUs) scale up.
• GrowthBook A warehouse-native experimentation and feature flag platform. If you already pipe your mobile event data into a cloud data warehouse (like BigQuery or Snowflake), GrowthBook lets you run flags and stats right on top of it. They offer robust client SDKs and great control over data ownership.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• What mobile framework are you using (Native iOS/Android, React Native, or Flutter)?
• Roughly what is your current or projected Monthly Active Users (MAU)?
• Do you also need A/B testing/experimentation , or just simple on/off switches?

For an early-stage startup looking for a blend of affordability (generous free tiers or consumption-based pricing) and robust mobile SDK support (iOS/Swift, Android/Kotlin, and Flutter) , three standout options fit the bill depending on whether you also want product analytics and A/B testing down the road.

• Statsig — Best if you want feature flags bundled with powerful product analytics and A/B testing.
  • Mobile SDKs: Fully supported client SDKs for iOS (Swift), Android (Kotlin), and Flutter/React Native.
  • Why it fits startups: It features a very startup-friendly free tier offering up to 1 million monthly active users (MTUs) and 2 million metered events free of charge. Unlike traditional tools that gate by the number of flags, Statsig's pricing scales on data/events rather than how many flags you create.
  • Check details on the Statsig Pricing page.
• ConfigCat — Best for a straightforward, lightweight "just feature flags" tool with an ultra-generous free tier.
  • Mobile SDKs: Robust, dedicated SDKs for Swift (iOS), Android (Kotlin/Java), Flutter, and Kotlin Multiplatform.
  • Why it fits startups: Their forever-free tier gives you up to 10 feature flags, unlimited team members, and a massive 10 million config downloads per month. It operates heavily via a CDN-backed config.json cache, which makes mobile flag evaluation fast and reliable offline or on spotty connections.
  • Read the documentation and options on the ConfigCat Docs Overview.
• PostHog — Best if you want an all-in-one developer platform (product analytics, session replay, feature flags, and experimentation).
  • Mobile SDKs: Solid Swift and Android SDKs built to handle feature flag evaluation natively alongside user telemetry.
  • Why it fits startups: Every account starts with a massive free monthly allowance (e.g., 1 million requests for flags/analytics), meaning you won't pay a dime while bootstrapping your app.
  • Explore features on the PostHog Platform.

To help narrow this down:

• Are you looking strictly for feature toggles/remote config , or do you want built-in A/B testing / experimentation?
• What is your primary mobile framework (Native Swift/Kotlin vs. Flutter/React Native)?

If affordable + strong mobile SDKs are the priorities, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation: Statsig

statsig.com is probably the strongest startup choice. Its free Developer tier currently includes 2M events/month, unlimited feature-flag/config checks, and unlimited seats. Its pricing is usage-based rather than per-seat.

Even better for an early-stage startup, Statsig has a startup program offering $50k+ worth of credits / 1B events for qualifying companies.

The tradeoff is that Statsig is more of a product experimentation/analytics platform with feature flags than a narrowly focused flag service.

GrowthBook is the value play

growthbook.io is especially attractive if you want to keep costs predictable. Its cloud Starter plan is free with unlimited flags and experiments, while Pro is $40/user/month. It also offers self-hosting.

For mobile, GrowthBook advertises 24+ SDKs, including Android/Kotlin and iOS, with local evaluation and no network calls required for its lightweight SDK approach.

I'd choose GrowthBook if you have engineers comfortable with a little more infrastructure and want to avoid getting trapped in a usage-based pricing model.

LaunchDarkly if SDK maturity matters most

launchdarkly.com remains the safest choice if you expect feature management to become a significant engineering discipline. It currently has 30 SDKs, including client-side and server-side SDKs, and a free Developer tier.

The downside for a mobile startup is that its pricing is based partly on client-side MAUs, so costs can become more significant as your mobile user base grows.

Bottom line:

• 🚀 Small startup + mobile + experimentation: Statsig
• 💰 Lowest long-term cost / self-hosting: GrowthBook
• 🏢 Best-in-class mature feature management: LaunchDarkly
• 📊 Already using product analytics: PostHog

If you tell me roughly iOS/Android user count (e.g. 10k, 100k, 1M MAU) and whether you need A/B testing, I can calculate which one is likely to be cheapest for your specific startup.

statsig.com is probably the strongest startup choice. Its free Developer tier currently includes 2M events/month, unlimited feature-flag/config checks, and unlimited seats. Its pricing is usage-based rather than per-seat.

Even better for an early-stage startup, Statsig has a startup program offering $50k+ worth of credits / 1B events for qualifying companies.

The tradeoff is that Statsig is more of a product experimentation/analytics platform with feature flags than a narrowly focused flag service.

GrowthBook is the value play

growthbook.io is especially attractive if you want to keep costs predictable. Its cloud Starter plan is free with unlimited flags and experiments, while Pro is $40/user/month. It also offers self-hosting.

For mobile, GrowthBook advertises 24+ SDKs, including Android/Kotlin and iOS, with local evaluation and no network calls required for its lightweight SDK approach.

I'd choose GrowthBook if you have engineers comfortable with a little more infrastructure and want to avoid getting trapped in a usage-based pricing model.

LaunchDarkly if SDK maturity matters most

launchdarkly.com remains the safest choice if you expect feature management to become a significant engineering discipline. It currently has 30 SDKs, including client-side and server-side SDKs, and a free Developer tier.

For a startup needing a budget-friendly option with robust mobile SDK support (iOS/Android/React Native/Flutter), several standout platforms balance cost, generosity in free tiers, and solid client-side mobile capabilities.

Top Recommendations for Startups

1. PostHog
   • Why it fits: It is built for product-led startups. Beyond feature flags, it bundles product analytics, session replays, and experimentation.
   • Mobile SDKs: Offers native iOS and Android SDKs, plus React Native and Flutter support.
   • Pricing/Affordability: Highly generous free tier (1 million feature flag requests per month free), with pay-as-you-go usage pricing that scales smoothly without requiring an enterprise sales call.
2. Statsig
   • Why it fits: Known for an extraordinarily generous free tier and enterprise-grade infrastructure. It combines feature flags with deep A/B testing and analytics.
   • Mobile SDKs: Robust, high-performance client and server SDKs for mobile ecosystems with edge evaluation.
   • Pricing/Affordability: Free tier includes unlimited feature flags with no gate-check charging penalties, making it very safe for early-stage mobile apps scaling high request volumes.
3. Flagsmith
   • Why it fits: A fantastic open-source-friendly, simple, and straightforward remote configuration and feature flag tool. It doesn't overcomplicate things with forced analytics suites if you just want pure flags.
   • Mobile SDKs: Great iOS, Android, and React Native SDKs designed for edge/client-side caching.
   • Pricing/Affordability: Free tier allows unlimited flags/environments (up to 1 user and 50k requests/mo), and startup-friendly paid tiers kick in affordably at around $45/month.
4. Firebase Remote Config
   • Why it fits: If your stack already touches Firebase, this is the ultimate zero-cost, mobile-native option.
   • Mobile SDKs: First-class, rock-solid native support for iOS, Android, Flutter, and C++.
   • Pricing/Affordability: Completely free within generous Google Cloud limits. The trade-off is less advanced targeting governance compared to dedicated flag platforms.

To help narrow this down, let me know:

• What mobile framework are you using (Native iOS/Android, React Native, or Flutter)?
• Do you also need A/B testing/analytics , or just simple on/off toggles?

For a startup with mobile apps, I’d shortlist these three:

My pick: ConfigCat

configcat.com is probably the best fit if your primary requirement is affordable, reliable feature flags for iOS/Android.

• Its free tier includes 10 flags/settings and 5M config downloads/month, with unlimited team members.
• It has SDKs for major platforms, including mobile, and evaluates flags locally using cached configuration—useful for mobile apps where you don't want every flag evaluation dependent on network connectivity.
• Pricing is relatively predictable because ConfigCat doesn't charge per MAU or per team member.

When I'd choose Statsig instead

statsig.com is more compelling if you expect to do A/B testing, experimentation, and product analytics alongside feature flags. Its free tier gives you 2M events/month with unlimited flag/config checks, and its SDK ecosystem has 30+ SDKs. Pro is currently $150/month with 5M events included.

When I'd choose LaunchDarkly

launchdarkly.com is the safest choice if feature-management maturity and governance matter more than minimizing cost. Its current Developer tier is free and includes unlimited flags and 30 SDKs, but client-side mobile usage is limited to 1,000 MAU on that tier, so costs can become more significant as a consumer mobile app grows.

Bottom line: For a typical early-stage startup building an iOS + Android app, I'd start with ConfigCat. If experimentation/analytics are central to the product, I'd pick Statsig instead. I wouldn't pay for LaunchDarkly initially unless you specifically need its more mature enterprise feature-management workflow.

For a startup building a mobile product, you need a service that handles local caching (crucial for mobile offline/latency states), is affordable or generous on the free tier, and doesn't penalize you with enterprise pricing as soon as you grow. Because mobile apps can't push hotfixes instantly past App Store/Play Store reviews, robust client-side SDKs are non-negotiable.

The top recommendations tailored for early-stage mobile startups include:

1. PostHog (Best All-in-One for Product & Analytics)

If you also need product analytics, session replays, or simple A/B testing, PostHog is exceptionally hard to beat for startups.

• Mobile SDK Support: First-class, actively maintained native SDKs for PostHog iOS SDK (Swift) and PostHog Android SDK (Kotlin/Java), plus React Native and Flutter.
• Pricing & Startup Value: Generous free tier (1 million events free per month), and feature flags are included completely free under that data allowance. You only pay as you scale past the free limits.
• The Catch: If you only want feature flags and nothing else, routing your analytics through them might be more than you need, though it saves you from paying for 3 separate tools.

2. Statsig (Best for Heavy Experimentation & Generous Free Limits)

Statsig behaves like an enterprise-grade experimentation platform but offers a scale-friendly model for startups.

• Mobile SDK Support: Highly mature client SDKs for iOS and Android supporting local caching, private attributes for PII protection, and instant bootstrapping.
• Pricing & Startup Value: Includes a massive free tier offering unlimited feature flags and up to 2 million free events/requests per month.
• The Catch: The UI and feature set can feel complex if you just want a simple boolean toggle switch, as it's geared heavily toward data-driven product experiments.

3. Flagsmith (Best Open-Source / Budget-Friendly Dedicated Flags)

If you want a dedicated, clean feature-flagging and remote-config tool without paying for heavy analytics suites, Flagsmith is lean and developer-friendly.

• Mobile SDK Support: Excellent client-side SDKs for Swift, Android, React Native, and Flutter.
• Pricing & Startup Value: Free tier covers unlimited flags for 1 user and 50k requests/month, with paid tiers starting at a very accessible $45/month. You can also completely self-host it for free if you want absolute cost control and data sovereignty.
• The Catch: The free managed tier is tight on team size/requests, so you'll hit a paid tier sooner if your mobile app grows rapidly, or you'll need to deploy the open-source version yourself.

“PostHog includes feature flags free with analytics, while LaunchDarkly is the enterprise standard. For most startups, PostHog covers feature flags, A/B testing, and analytics in one platform.”

To help narrow this down, tell me:

• Are you already using a specific product analytics or error tracking tool?
• Is your mobile app built using native iOS/Android or cross-platform (React Native/Flutter)?

I can give you a more precise recommendation and quick setup overview.

For a startup, I’d shortlist ConfigCat, PostHog, Statsig, and LaunchDarkly. The key question is whether you want just feature flags or flags bundled with analytics/experimentation.

My recommendation

1. ConfigCat — best fit if affordability is the priority. It has a forever-free option, unlimited team members, local/client-side flag evaluation, and open-source SDKs aimed at major platforms. Its pricing is based on config downloads rather than charging for every flag evaluation, which can be attractive for mobile apps.

2. PostHog — best if you're also going to need analytics. Feature flags have a generous free tier and usage-based pricing, and PostHog specifically supports React Native. That can be compelling if you want feature flags, product analytics, funnels, and experiments in one stack.

3. Statsig — best if experimentation is important. The free tier includes unlimited flag/config checks and 2M events/month; its platform advertises 30+ SDKs. It's particularly attractive if you'll eventually want A/B testing and statistical analysis alongside flags.

4. LaunchDarkly — best if you expect sophisticated release management. Its current Developer tier is free and includes unlimited flags and 30 SDKs, while the paid Foundation plan uses usage-based pricing. It's probably more platform than a very early startup needs, but it's the safest choice if feature management will become mission-critical.

If I were choosing for a small startup building iOS/Android: I'd start with ConfigCat unless you already use PostHog. If you expect heavy A/B testing, I'd choose Statsig instead.

If you tell me iOS/Android/React Native/Flutter, approximate MAU, and whether you need A/B testing, I can narrow this to the cheapest 2–3 options for your specific usage.