10 Local WordPress Development Environments You Should Consider in 2024

Do you want to know the best local WordPress dev environment? It lets you make changes safely, without affecting the live website. Well, if so, you’re at the right place! Of course, there are lots of choices available, but for the best ten, it’s great news that the majority come at no cost!

A local WordPress development environment is a testing ground. It lets you test your website without changing the live version. In other words, these tools let you safely test new themes, plugins, and site updates. They prevent exposure to the public and protect live users' engagement. Also, they allow you to work offline, which is a significant benefit.

Here are ten great tools for your WordPress site. They will help improve your site. We will discuss why they are worth using.

Top 10 Local WordPress Development Environments

As expected, the ten options have been reviewed as capable of performing and giving excellent results. However, if you want more information about local web development, you may want to check out our guide first before proceeding further.

1. Local by Flywheel

Local is a WordPress development tool developed by Flywheel that helps create new sites and is easy to use. Originally exclusive to macOS, it now has a version for Windows.

The local plugin review found Local to be simple and perfect. It helps develop and test WordPress sites locally, without needing to install a server.

The local interface lets you choose between Nginx and Apache servers. It can also generate live links for local websites to share with colleagues or clients.

Features and Benefits:

• Easy-to-use interface, even for beginners
• Supports both Nginx and Apache servers
• Ability to create live links for collaboration
• Completely free to use
• Easy import of existing WordPress sites

2. WampServer

WampServer is a popular Windows web development environment known for its versatility. WAMP stands for Windows, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. WampServer is functionally similar to XAMPP. It allows you to create any type of web application using a PHP, Apache, or MySQL database. 

However, it is not designed specifically for WordPress, but the development stack is perfect for a CMS. Using this tool, you can view, build, test, and build web pages without using a remote web server. 

If you are an experienced developer, WampServers' minimalistic interface should not cause problems when working on WordPress projects.

Features and Benefits:

• Automates the configuration process for quick setup
• Allows adding multiple releases of software
• Supports multiple PHP versions
• Includes phpMyAdmin for database management
• Free and open-source

3. XAMPP

XAMPP is a free open-source cross-platform web server solution stack package developed by friends of Apache. It includes an Apache HTTP server, a MySQL database, and an interpreter for scripts written in the PHP and Perl programming languages. 

XAMPP is easy to install and configure, making it a popular choice for local WordPress development. This approach is perfect if you’re a developer looking for a no-frills environment, but it’s not recommended if you want intuitive interfaces.

Features and Benefits:

• Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Includes Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl
• Easy installation and configuration
• Supports multiple PHP versions
• Includes phpMyAdmin for database management

4. MAMP

MAMP is a development environment for macOS that enables you to run WordPress on your Mac computer. The only issue that I saw with the use of MAMP is that it is not completely free software. 

Its free version restricts you to one local site only. The paid version of MAMP has many other features. They help web developers create complex applications. It offers cloud backup, mobile testing apps, and various PHP versions, also includes an integrated text editor.

You can install WordPress with both free and premium versions of MAMP. The premium version also has some Quality of Life (QoL) tools for WordPress, like options for importing sites and pushing them to production (your live WordPress site). 

It encompasses an Apache web server, a MySQL database, and a PHP scripting language. MAMP is also simpler to install and use because of its easy-to-navigate and comprehend design.

Features and Benefits:

• Designed specifically for macOS
• Includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP
• User-friendly interface
• Easy setup process
• Supports multiple PHP versions

5. Vagrant

Vagrant is a tool that allows users to create and manipulate a development environment. It employs VirtualBox or any other virtualization tool to build minimal, replicable, and transferable development environments. 

Also, you may have seen info stating that, to run several virtual machines, you need an incredibly powerful computer. That is somewhat true, but at the same time, it also has the possibility of a condition, depending on the purpose of using those machines. 

However, if we are referring to a localization of web development, then the system requirements are not as high. Vagrant defines a file format called "Vagrantfile." It describes the type of machine a project needs to create a shareable model environment.

Features and Benefits:

• Supports multiple virtualization providers (VirtualBox, VMware, Hyper-V)
• Provides a simple configuration file format (Vagrantfile)
• Allows sharing the same environment across different machines
• Supports multiple operating systems
• Highly customizable and extensible

6. Laragon 

Laragon is a lightweight, sandboxed, integrated, secure, efficient, and portable Windows shell. It comprises Apache, Nginx, PHP, MySQL, Redis, etc. Laragon lets you prepare server environments, like Docker or Vagrant. 

It has a minimalist design and is easy to modify. In this respect, Laragon has been found to consume the smallest amount of hardware resources as compared to other similar tools.

As for compatibility with WordPress sites, Laragon allows you to install useful software and tools with the help of a one-click system. Laragon is a user-friendly dashboard. It lets you set up an environment and install WordPress locally without command line use. It's affordable, easy to navigate, and simple to configure. Hence, many developers prefer it for local WordPress development on Windows.

Laragon has a feature called the dashboard. It lets you access any component of a WordPress project in a local environment, as well as the database, local files, and SSH, with a click of a button. Add that to command-line access, and you have a very flexible tool at your disposal. 

Features and Benefits:

• Portable and isolated development environment
• Includes Apache, Nginx, PHP, MySQL, Redis, and more
• Easy to use and configure
• Supports multiple PHP versions
• Includes a built-in database management tool

7. Laravel Valet 

Laravel Valet is the exclusive native WordPress development environment for Mac that is designed for minimalists. 

If you use Laravel for your website or application, then Laravel Valet is a good local development environment. It runs in the background and provides an exceptionally fast experience. 

Also, this application is great for file sharing among the team members because it is really effortless to deal with. It prepares your Mac to use Nginx in case you need it by simply starting the application without opening an entire virtual machine. 

Valet is an elegant development tool that was designed for small to medium-sized projects and can greatly simplify the development process.

Features and Benefits:

• Designed for Mac minimalists
• Runs Nginx in the background without a full virtual machine
• Simple and elegant development workflow
• Perfect for small to medium-sized projects
• Supports multiple PHP versions

8. Instant WP 

In addition to Mac and Windows operating systems, a feature of InstantWP is that it can be installed and run on a USB. This makes it possible to move it around every time so that you can work on your projects anywhere or even share them with everyone.

InstantWP allows you to use it on your device as many times as you need, but the files should be renamed correctly. Moreover, the default is that there is only one installation that is operational at a time. But it is possible to change settings for any site if you need to launch several sites at the same time.

You can manage all your WordPress themes and plugins through InstantWP’s GUI and easy-to-use Web File Manager. 

Instant WP is essentially a standalone package for WordPress development that provides users with everything they need to host WordPress locally. Apache, MySQL, and PHP are installed and ready to use on it, thus enabling easy development and installation of web applications. This script can be run on Windows, macOS, and Linux thanks to Instant WP. 

Features and Benefits:

• Self-contained WordPress development environment
• Includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP pre-installed
• Easy to set up and start developing
• Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Supports multiple WordPress versions

9. DevKinsta 

DevKinsta is a free local WordPress development tool designed for Windows, Ubuntu, and macOS. This mimics the one-click deployment of WordPress sites, enabling the creation of as many sites as desired in the local environment. 

The design of a new WordPress site under default parameters can be done with just a click of the mouse. However, you can also configure settings or import a site directly from Kinsta, which is a better strategy. 

The work with the application is very intuitive; therefore, even freshmen benefit from it most. 

Some advantages are that DevKinsta can support the latest WP and PHP versions, testing of emails, and more control through the convenient database manager. 

DevKinsta has support for the latest PHP versions and allows users to change PHP versions for testing. DevKinsta uses Docker. It sets up a fast, secure WordPress site locally. It usually outperforms the real site and is easier to update and fix.

Features and Benefits:

• Free local WordPress development platform
• Supports Windows, Ubuntu, and macOS
• One-click WordPress site creation
• Supports multiple PHP versions
• Uses Docker for fast and secure environments
• Impressive performance and security

10. Duplicator

Duplicator is a free, popular WordPress plugin. It allows you to clone a website to your computer or another host. The plugin simplifies backups by packaging all site files and the database into one file. 

You can easily save this file or upload it to cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Drive. Duplicator is especially useful for theme developers or those testing new plugins. It quickly compresses site files into a zip file, making site transfers simple.

Features and Benefits:

• Free and popular WordPress plugin
• Duplicates WordPress websites to local machines or other hosts
• Creates a portable zip file of website files
• Easy to move websites to new locations or environments
• Highly-rated and trusted by the WordPress community

Conclusion

For many new WordPress projects, using the best local WordPress development environment often proves more advantageous than paying for hosting right away. Local WordPress environments allow you to set up as many websites as you want on your computer, all at no cost.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to local WordPress development tools. The right tool can significantly increase your workflow and boost team efficiency. Each option offers unique features and benefits, so choosing the one that best fits your specific needs is crucial. By exploring and comparing these tools, you’ll find the ideal fit, leading to a smoother and more efficient development process.