# Unleash

Feature flag service with a web UI and SDKs for rolling out features.

- Replaces: [LaunchDarkly](https://openlogs.fyi/alternatives/launchdarkly)
- Summary: Paid feature flag services, such as LaunchDarkly.
- Stack: TypeScript (language), PostgreSQL (database)
- Deployment: docker_compose
- License: AGPL-3.0 (osi) [source](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/LICENSE)
- Business model: unknown. The README at the pinned commit does not state a business model, so it stays unknown. ([source](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/README.md), read 2026-10-22)
- Difficulty: easy. 2 services (1 database or broker: postgres), 0 volume mounts, no env values to set, no elevated host access. Heuristic score 2 of 11: easy.
- Requirements: not stated
- Repository: [Unleash/unleash](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash)

## Install

1. Docker with the Compose plugin ([source](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/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/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/docker-compose.yml))

   ```yaml
   # This docker compose setup configures:
   # - the Unleash server instance + the necessary backing Postgres database
   #
   # To learn more about all the parts of Unleash, visit
   # https://docs.getunleash.io/get-started/unleash-overview
   #
   # NOTE: please do not use this configuration for production setups.
   # Unleash does not take responsibility for any data leaks or other
   # problems that may arise as a result.
   #
   # This is intended to be used for demo, development, and learning
   # purposes only.
   
   services:
   
     # The Unleash server contains the Unleash configuration and
     # communicates with client SDKs and Unleash Edge
     web:
       image: unleashorg/unleash-server:latest
       ports:
         - "4242:4242"
       environment:
         # This points Unleash to its backing database (defined in the `db` section below)
         DATABASE_URL: "postgres://postgres:unleash@db/db"
         # Disable SSL for database connections.
         DATABASE_SSL: "false"
         # Changing log levels:
         LOG_LEVEL: "warn"
         INIT_FRONTEND_API_TOKENS: "default:development.unleash-insecure-frontend-api-token"
         # The default API token is insecure and should not be used in production.
         INIT_BACKEND_API_TOKENS: "default:development.unleash-insecure-api-token"
       depends_on:
         db:
           condition: service_healthy
       healthcheck:
         test: wget --no-verbose --tries=1 --spider http://localhost:4242/health || exit 1
         interval: 1s
         timeout: 1m
         retries: 5
         start_period: 15s
     db:
       expose:
         - "5432"
       image: postgres:15
       environment:
         # create a database called `db`
         POSTGRES_DB: "db"
         # trust incoming connections blindly (DON'T DO THIS IN PRODUCTION!)
         POSTGRES_HOST_AUTH_METHOD: "trust"
       healthcheck:
         test:
           [
             "CMD",
             "pg_isready",
             "--username=postgres",
             "--host=127.0.0.1",
             "--port=5432"
           ]
         interval: 2s
         timeout: 1m
         retries: 5
         start_period: 10s
   ```

3. Start it ([source](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/docker-compose.yml))

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

4. Open the app ([source](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/docker-compose.yml))

   ```text
   Open http://localhost:4242. The compose file publishes host port 4242 for the web 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: web: unleashorg/unleash-server:latest. A later pull can get a different version. ([source](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/docker-compose.yml), checked 2026-10-22)
- The compose file publishes host ports: Host ports: 4242 (web). A port without a host address listens on all host network interfaces. ([source](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/docker-compose.yml), checked 2026-10-22)

### Signals

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

- Open issues and pull requests: 36
- Stars: 13894, forks: 910
- Last push: 2026-10-22 (0 days ago)
- Latest release: v8.2.1 on 2026-10-22 (0 days ago)

## Sources

- [Repository: https://github.com/Unleash/unleash](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash)
- [License: https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/LICENSE](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/LICENSE)
- [Business model: https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/README.md](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/README.md)
- [Compose file: https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/docker-compose.yml](https://github.com/Unleash/unleash/blob/64a269428d8d9f7e0cbdd1e0ba0ca19cadc2c48c/docker-compose.yml)

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