Comparison
Feature flagvsKill switch
Feature flag
you ship the code turned off, switch it on for yourself, then for one percent, then for everyone.
A runtime switch controlling whether a code path is active. It separates release from deploy, enables gradual rollout, and gives you an instant off switch that does not require a deploy. Flags are debt: every one is a branch to test and understand, so each needs an owner and a removal date.
Full entry →Kill switch
the new code path was on fire and you turned it off with a flag instead of a rollback.
A pre-built control that disables a feature or dependency without a deploy. It converts a bad change from an incident measured in deploy cycles into one measured in seconds, which is why risky launches ship with one. The catch is that a kill switch nobody has exercised is a guess: it needs to be tested in production before it is needed, because the moment you need it is the worst moment to discover it does not work.
Full entry →