# Flagsmith

Feature flag and remote config service.

- Replaces: [LaunchDarkly](https://openlogs.fyi/alternatives/launchdarkly)
- Summary: Paid feature flag services, such as LaunchDarkly.
- Stack: Python (language), PostgreSQL (database), ClickHouse (database)
- Deployment: docker_compose
- License: BSD-3-Clause (osi) [source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/LICENSE.md)
- Business model: unknown. The README at the pinned commit does not state a business model, so it stays unknown. ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/README.md), read 2026-10-22)
- Difficulty: hard. 10 services (5 database or broker: postgres, kafka, clickhouse-server), 2 volume mounts, no env values to set, no elevated host access. Heuristic score 6 of 11: hard.
- Requirements: not stated
- Repository: [Flagsmith/flagsmith](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith)

## Install

1. Docker with the Compose plugin ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml))

   ```text
   A host with Docker and the Docker Compose plugin. This entry runs from a compose file.
   ```

2. Save the compose file as docker-compose.yml ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml))

   ```yaml
   # See https://docs.flagsmith.com/deployment/docker for more information on running Flagsmith in Docker
   # This Docker Compose file will run the entire Flagsmith Platform
   
   x-flagsmith-env: &flagsmith-env
     # All environments variables are available here:
     # API: https://docs.flagsmith.com/deployment/locally-api#environment-variables
     # UI: https://docs.flagsmith.com/deployment/locally-frontend#environment-variables
   
     DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:password@postgres:5432/flagsmith
     USE_POSTGRES_FOR_ANALYTICS: 'true' # Store API and Flag Analytics data in Postgres
     ENVIRONMENT: production # set to 'production' in production.
     DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS: '*' # Change this in production
     FLAGSMITH_DOMAIN: localhost:8000 # Change this in production
     DJANGO_SECRET_KEY: secret # Change this in production
     WAREHOUSE_CREDENTIALS_SECRET: &warehouse-credentials-secret secret # Change this in production
     # PREVENT_SIGNUP: 'true' # Uncomment to prevent any additional signups
     # ALLOW_REGISTRATION_WITHOUT_INVITE: 'true' # Uncomment and set to false to only allow signups via invitations
   
     # Enable Task Processor
     TASK_RUN_METHOD: TASK_PROCESSOR # other options are: SYNCHRONOUSLY, SEPARATE_THREAD (default)
     PROMETHEUS_ENABLED: 'true'
   
     # Uncomment if you want to enable Google OAuth. Note this does not turn Google OAuth on. You still need to use
     # Flagsmith on Flagsmith to enable it - https://docs.flagsmith.com/deployment/#oauth_google
     # DJANGO_SECURE_CROSS_ORIGIN_OPENER_POLICY: 'same-origin-allow-popups'
   
     # For more info on configuring E-Mails - https://docs.flagsmith.com/deployment/locally-api#environment-variables
     # Example SMTP:
     # EMAIL_BACKEND: django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend
     # EMAIL_HOST: mail.example.com
     # SENDER_EMAIL: flagsmith@example.com
     # EMAIL_HOST_USER: flagsmith@example.com
     # EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD: smtp_account_password
     # EMAIL_PORT: 587 # optional
     # EMAIL_USE_TLS: 'true' # optional
   
     # To run without experimentation, use docker-compose.flags-only.yml instead.
     EXPERIMENTATION_ENABLED: 'true'
   
   volumes:
     pgdata:
     clickhouse-data:
   
   services:
     postgres:
       image: postgres:15.5-alpine
       environment:
         POSTGRES_PASSWORD: password
         POSTGRES_DB: flagsmith
       container_name: flagsmith_postgres
       volumes:
         - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
       healthcheck:
         test: ['CMD-SHELL', 'pg_isready -d flagsmith -U postgres']
         interval: 2s
         timeout: 2s
         retries: 20
         start_period: 20s
   
     migrate-db:
       image: docker.flagsmith.com/flagsmith/flagsmith:latest
       command:
         - migrate
       environment:
         <<: *flagsmith-env
       healthcheck:
         disable: true
       depends_on:
         postgres:
           condition: service_healthy
   
     flagsmith:
       image: docker.flagsmith.com/flagsmith/flagsmith:latest
       command:
         - serve
       environment:
         <<: *flagsmith-env
       ports:
         - 8000:8000
       depends_on:
         migrate-db:
           condition: service_completed_successfully
   
     # The flagsmith_processor service is only needed if TASK_RUN_METHOD set to TASK_PROCESSOR
     # in the application environment
     flagsmith-task-processor:
       image: docker.flagsmith.com/flagsmith/flagsmith:latest
       environment:
         <<: *flagsmith-env
       ports:
         - 8001:8000
       depends_on:
         migrate-db:
           condition: service_completed_successfully
       command: run-task-processor
   
     # Experimentation services.
     kafka:
       image: apache/kafka:3.9.1
       environment:
         KAFKA_NODE_ID: 1
         KAFKA_PROCESS_ROLES: broker,controller
         KAFKA_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://:9092,CONTROLLER://:9093
         KAFKA_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS: PLAINTEXT://kafka:9092
         KAFKA_CONTROLLER_LISTENER_NAMES: CONTROLLER
         KAFKA_LISTENER_SECURITY_PROTOCOL_MAP: CONTROLLER:PLAINTEXT,PLAINTEXT:PLAINTEXT
         KAFKA_CONTROLLER_QUORUM_VOTERS: 1@kafka:9093
         KAFKA_OFFSETS_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 1
         KAFKA_TRANSACTION_STATE_LOG_REPLICATION_FACTOR: 1
         KAFKA_TRANSACTION_STATE_LOG_MIN_ISR: 1
         KAFKA_GROUP_INITIAL_REBALANCE_DELAY_MS: 0
       healthcheck:
         test: ['CMD-SHELL', '/opt/kafka/bin/kafka-broker-api-versions.sh --bootstrap-server localhost:9092']
         interval: 5s
         timeout: 10s
         retries: 20
   
     kafka-init:
       image: apache/kafka:3.9.1
       entrypoint: ['/bin/sh', '-c']
       command:
         - |
           for topic in flagsmith_warehouse_events external_warehouse_events external_warehouse_events_retry; do
             /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-topics.sh --bootstrap-server kafka:9092 --create --if-not-exists --topic $$topic
           done
       depends_on:
         kafka:
           condition: service_healthy
   
     # Connect it from Environment Settings > Warehouse > ClickHouse: host `clickhouse`, port 8123,
     # TLS off, database `flagsmith_exp`, username `flagsmith`, password `password`.
     clickhouse:
       image: clickhouse/clickhouse-server:25.12
       environment:
         CLICKHOUSE_USER: flagsmith
         CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD: password
       ulimits:
         nofile:
           soft: 262144
           hard: 262144
       volumes:
         - clickhouse-data:/var/lib/clickhouse
       healthcheck:
         test: ['CMD', 'wget', '--spider', '-q', 'http://localhost:8123/ping']
         interval: 5s
         timeout: 3s
         retries: 20
   
     # Creates the events table from experimentation/clickhouse/events.sql.
     clickhouse-init:
       image: clickhouse/clickhouse-server:25.12
       entrypoint: ['/bin/sh', '-c']
       command:
         - |
           set -e
           wget -qO /tmp/events.sql https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/main/experimentation/clickhouse/events.sql
           clickhouse-client --host clickhouse --user flagsmith --password password --multiquery < /tmp/events.sql
       depends_on:
         clickhouse:
           condition: service_healthy
   
     ingestion-server:
       image: flagsmith/events-ingestion-api:latest
       environment:
         KAFKA_BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS: kafka:9092
         KAFKA_AUTH: none
         KAFKA_TOPIC: flagsmith_warehouse_events
         KAFKA_EXTERNAL_TOPIC: external_warehouse_events
         DATABASE_URL: postgres://postgres:password@postgres:5432/flagsmith
       ports:
         - 8080:8080
       depends_on:
         migrate-db:
           condition: service_completed_successfully
         kafka-init:
           condition: service_completed_successfully
   
     warehouse-delivery:
       image: flagsmith/warehouse-delivery:latest
       environment:
         KAFKA_BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS: kafka:9092
         KAFKA_AUTH: none
         DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:password@postgres:5432/flagsmith
         WAREHOUSE_CREDENTIALS_SECRET: *warehouse-credentials-secret
       depends_on:
         migrate-db:
           condition: service_completed_successfully
         kafka-init:
           condition: service_completed_successfully
         clickhouse-init:
           condition: service_completed_successfully
   ```

3. Set the values the compose file needs ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml))

   ```text
   Replace the placeholder values listed under Gotchas.
   ```

4. Start it ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml))

   ```bash
   docker compose up -d
   ```

5. Open the app ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml))

   ```text
   Open http://localhost:8000. The compose file publishes host port 8000 for the flagsmith service.
   ```

Compose file check: config_ok on 2026-10-22.

## Gotchas and maintenance

### Gotchas

- Some images use the latest tag or no tag: Images without a pinned version: migrate-db: docker.flagsmith.com/flagsmith/flagsmith:latest, flagsmith: docker.flagsmith.com/flagsmith/flagsmith:latest, flagsmith-task-processor: docker.flagsmith.com/flagsmith/flagsmith:latest, ingestion-server: flagsmith/events-ingestion-api:latest, warehouse-delivery: flagsmith/warehouse-delivery:latest. A later pull can get a different version. ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml), checked 2026-10-22)
- The compose file has placeholder values: Placeholder values: POSTGRES_PASSWORD is "password" (postgres), DJANGO_SECRET_KEY is "secret" (migrate-db), WAREHOUSE_CREDENTIALS_SECRET is "secret" (migrate-db), DJANGO_SECRET_KEY is "secret" (flagsmith), WAREHOUSE_CREDENTIALS_SECRET is "secret" (flagsmith), DJANGO_SECRET_KEY is "secret" (flagsmith-task-processor), WAREHOUSE_CREDENTIALS_SECRET is "secret" (flagsmith-task-processor), CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD is "password" (clickhouse) and 1 more. ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml), checked 2026-10-22)
- The compose file publishes host ports: Host ports: 8000 (flagsmith), 8001 (flagsmith-task-processor), 8080 (ingestion-server). A port without a host address listens on all host network interfaces. ([source](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml), checked 2026-10-22)

### Signals

Computed from a GitHub snapshot taken 2026-10-22.

- Open issues and pull requests: 734
- Stars: 6610, forks: 591
- Last push: 2026-10-22 (0 days ago)
- Latest release: v2.287.0 on 2026-10-20 (1 days ago)

## Sources

- [Repository: https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith)
- [License: https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/LICENSE.md](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/LICENSE.md)
- [Business model: https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/README.md](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/README.md)
- [Compose file: https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml](https://github.com/Flagsmith/flagsmith/blob/d031dbe740f99e723ecbd7d97b219cc72111606c/docker-compose.yml)

---
Canonical: https://openlogs.fyi/tools/flagsmith  
Last updated: 2026-10-22