Can I use LaunchDarkly for SaaS plan-based access control?

Technically yes, but it's not ideal. You'd create flags for plan features and sync subscription status to LaunchDarkly. This requires webhook handling, introduces sync complexity, and means paying for LaunchDarkly seats for every customer. Purpose-built entitlements (like StackBE) are simpler for this use case.

Should I use both LaunchDarkly and StackBE?

Potentially, for different purposes. Use LaunchDarkly for engineering concerns: gradual rollouts, A/B tests, kill switches. Use StackBE for billing concerns: what features does this customer's plan include? Don't use one tool for both—they have different design goals.

How do StackBE entitlements work without feature flags?

Entitlements are defined per plan in StackBE (e.g., Pro plan includes 'advanced_analytics' feature). Your code calls the entitlements API: 'Does customer X have access to advanced_analytics?' StackBE checks their subscription and responds. No flag configuration needed—it derives from billing status.

Is LaunchDarkly overkill for a small SaaS?

For early-stage SaaS, possibly. If you just need plan-based access control, LaunchDarkly's sophistication (and cost) may not be justified. If you're doing real feature experimentation and gradual rollouts, it's valuable. Many small SaaS products don't need feature flags until they're larger.

What's the cost comparison for a SaaS with 5,000 customers?

LaunchDarkly's per-seat pricing would be substantial if all 5,000 customers are 'seats' for flag evaluation. StackBE's flat fee doesn't scale with customer count for entitlements. However, compare only if using both for the same purpose—if LaunchDarkly is for engineering flags (team members as seats), the comparison is different.

StackBE Entitlements vs LaunchDarkly Feature Flags

Feature	LaunchDarkly	StackBE
Feature Flags	Core product
Plan-Based Access	Possible (manual)	Native
Gradual Rollouts
A/B Testing
Billing Connection		Automatic
Usage Limits
Kill Switches
Pricing	Per seat	Flat fee
Primary Purpose	Feature control	Billing access
Source of Truth	Flag config	Subscription status

What is LaunchDarkly?

LaunchDarkly is the industry-standard feature flag platform. It allows you to toggle features on/off, run experiments, and control rollouts without deploying code.

LaunchDarkly provides:

Feature flag management

Targeted rollouts (by user, segment, percentage)

A/B testing and experimentation

Kill switches for features

Audit logs and governance

SDKs for every platform

It's used by companies from startups to enterprises for controlled feature releases.

What is StackBE?

StackBE is a subscription backend with built-in entitlements. Entitlements define what features each subscription plan includes, and access is checked against billing status.

StackBE provides:

Authentication

Subscription management

Entitlements tied to plans

Usage tracking and limits

Customer portal

Feature Flags vs Entitlements

This comparison isn't "which is better" but "which is right for what purpose."

Feature Flags (LaunchDarkly)

Feature flags answer: "Should this feature be enabled?"

Use cases:

Gradual rollouts (enable for 10% of users)

A/B testing (variant A vs B)

Kill switches (disable broken feature instantly)

Beta programs (enable for specific users)

Flags are controlled by your team, independent of billing.

Entitlements (StackBE)

Entitlements answer: "Is this user allowed to access this feature based on what they've paid for?"

Use cases:

Plan-based access (Pro users get feature X)

Usage limits (Free tier gets 100 API calls)

Upsell triggers (show upgrade when limit reached)

Access revocation (cancel subscription = lose access)

Entitlements are controlled by billing status.

The Problem with Using Flags for Billing

Some teams use LaunchDarkly to control plan-based access. "Create a 'pro_features' flag and enable it for paying users."

This works initially but creates problems:

Manual sync: When a user upgrades, you must update their flags. When they cancel, update again. This requires Stripe webhook handling that updates LaunchDarkly.

State drift: What if the webhook fails? User paid but doesn't have access. Or canceled but still has access.

Complexity: You're now managing LaunchDarkly flags AND Stripe subscriptions AND sync code between them.

Cost: LaunchDarkly charges per seat. For SaaS access control, that's every customer.

For more on this pattern, see entitlements over feature flags.

Key Differences

Source of Truth

LaunchDarkly: You define who has access to what in LaunchDarkly. The flag configuration is the source of truth.

StackBE: Subscription status is the source of truth. Entitlements derive from what plan the customer is on.

Billing Connection

LaunchDarkly: No billing awareness. You must tell LaunchDarkly about subscription changes.

StackBE: Billing and entitlements are the same system. Subscription changes automatically update access.

Primary Use Case

LaunchDarkly: Feature rollout and experimentation for your engineering team.

StackBE: Plan-based access control tied to billing.

Pricing Model

LaunchDarkly: Per-seat pricing. Plans start at $10/seat/month. For a SaaS with 1,000 customers, that's significant if they're all "seats."

StackBE: Flat fee for subscription management including entitlements. Customers aren't "seats."

When to Use LaunchDarkly

LaunchDarkly is the right choice for:

**Feature rollouts**: Ship to 5% of users, then 20%, then 100%

**Experimentation**: Test variant A vs B and measure impact

**Operational toggles**: Kill switches, maintenance mode

**Internal features**: Enable features for employees or beta testers

These are engineering-driven decisions, not billing-driven.

When to Use StackBE Entitlements

StackBE entitlements are right for:

**Plan-based access**: Free users get X, Pro users get Y

**Usage limits**: 100 API calls on Free, unlimited on Pro

**Upsell flows**: Show upgrade prompt when limit reached

**Access tied to payment**: Subscription canceled = access revoked

These are billing-driven decisions.

Using Both Together

For many SaaS products, both have a place:

**LaunchDarkly** for engineering feature flags: gradual rollouts, experiments, kill switches

**StackBE** for customer entitlements: plan-based access, usage limits

The key is not conflating them. Don't use LaunchDarkly for billing access control. Don't use StackBE for gradual rollouts.

The Bottom Line

LaunchDarkly is excellent for feature flag management—controlling releases, running experiments, managing risk.

StackBE entitlements are for billing-based access control—knowing what customers can access based on their subscription.

They solve different problems. Use the right tool for each.

If you're currently using LaunchDarkly for plan-based access control and finding it awkward, that's because it wasn't designed for that. StackBE's entitlements model might be what you actually need.

StackBE vs LaunchDarkly