Dynamic

Feature Toggles vs Trunk Based Development

Developers should use feature toggles when they need to release features incrementally, test new functionality with a subset of users, or quickly disable problematic features without rolling back deployments meets developers should use trunk based development when working in fast-paced, collaborative teams that prioritize rapid feedback and continuous delivery, such as in microservices architectures or ci/cd pipelines. Here's our take.

🧊Nice Pick

Feature Toggles

Developers should use feature toggles when they need to release features incrementally, test new functionality with a subset of users, or quickly disable problematic features without rolling back deployments

Feature Toggles

Nice Pick

Developers should use feature toggles when they need to release features incrementally, test new functionality with a subset of users, or quickly disable problematic features without rolling back deployments

Pros

  • +They are essential in continuous delivery pipelines for reducing deployment risks, enabling dark launches (where features are deployed but hidden), and facilitating experimentation in production environments
  • +Related to: continuous-delivery, a-b-testing

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Trunk Based Development

Developers should use Trunk Based Development when working in fast-paced, collaborative teams that prioritize rapid feedback and continuous delivery, such as in microservices architectures or CI/CD pipelines

Pros

  • +It is particularly beneficial for reducing integration hell, enabling faster releases, and maintaining a stable codebase, making it ideal for projects with frequent deployments or large-scale distributed systems
  • +Related to: continuous-integration, continuous-deployment

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Feature Toggles if: You want they are essential in continuous delivery pipelines for reducing deployment risks, enabling dark launches (where features are deployed but hidden), and facilitating experimentation in production environments and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Trunk Based Development if: You prioritize it is particularly beneficial for reducing integration hell, enabling faster releases, and maintaining a stable codebase, making it ideal for projects with frequent deployments or large-scale distributed systems over what Feature Toggles offers.

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The Bottom Line
Feature Toggles wins

Developers should use feature toggles when they need to release features incrementally, test new functionality with a subset of users, or quickly disable problematic features without rolling back deployments

Disagree with our pick? nice@nicepick.dev