Top 6 Local Web Development Tools Every Developer Should Try

There is no denying that the field of web development is constantly evolving and growing. Web developers learn new exciting techniques and programming languages to build state-of-the-art and functional websites that can fulfill modern-day consumers’ demands. Developers use frameworks to meet different development requirements, such as testing a website, identifying technical issues, optimizing and scaling a website for optimal performance, and much more.

Fortunately, there are numerous web development tools available for developers to help them create more feature-packed websites and advance their career as a developer. Here I have listed the most advanced web development tools that newbie and experienced developers should consider for website testing and iterations in the local device environment.

Let’s explore.

Local

Local is a leading WordPress development tool that your web development company should try to develop WordPress websites locally. It is packed with many advanced features that make it easier for your development team to set up WordPress sites with one click. The tool allows you to create URLs for your local WordPress sites that you can send to your clients and friends for feedback. Local also offers many useful tools such as image optimizer, broken link checker, and live reload features that make the development process much easier. With Local, you can push and pull your WordPress sites to different hosts to ensure super streamlined offline editing and live process.

Laragon

It is a convenient and modern way to create an isolated development environment on Windows. Laragon is packed with many amazing features that can improve the process of web development. It includes MySQL, PHP, Memcached, Redis, Apache. It is also a good choice for your Laravel projects. All you need is to install it, set it up, do your programming, and exit once you finish. The local web development tool supports many famous programs such as Node.js, PHP, Apache, Composer, and MariaDB/MySQL.

MAMP

MAMP is a free local web development tool that supports macOS and Windows both. It provides your development team with all the tools for WordPress development and testing. With the help of this tool, you can test your websites on mobile devices. No matter if you prefer Apache, Nginx, or MySQL as database servers, whether you choose PHP, Python, or Ruby for your development project, MAMP can work in every environment. MAMP allows you to create a separate host for your web development project.

Vagrant

Vagrant is an efficient tool that has made the life of designers, developers, and operators easier. It supports Mac, Linux, Windows, and other operating systems. This local development tool works on your local system while allowing you to use all the tools you are familiar with. With the help of Vagrant, you can use your favorite text editor and edit images by using your preferred manipulation program. Furthermore, you can debug the code by using your favorite debugging tools.  Vagrant leverages a declarative configuration file that can describe operating system configuration, software requirements, packages, users and configurations, and more. Vagrant can easily integrate with your existing configuration management tools while allowing you to use the same scripts to configure Vagrant as production.

Desktop Server

Desktop Server is a local web development tool that supports Windows and macOS, both. The tool lets you create multiple local WordPress websites by using a step-by-step guide. Desktop Server installs all the important software you need to make your WordPress website more efficient. You can re-run the program every time you want to create or delete a local WordPress website. It includes a wizard to help you set up a local WordPress site. With Desktop Server, you can manage three local sites at the same time. It supports MySQL, Apache, PHP 5.5.

XAMPP

XAMPP is one of the most famous local development tools that is completely free and easy to install. The ultimate goal of this tool is to build an easy to install Apache distribution for developers. It supports Apache, MariaDB, Perl, PHP, and other software you need to run a WordPress site. It is an open-source package that makes it convenient for your development team to configure all the important features turned on. XAMPP also supports Windows, Linux, and OS X.