Not just a local server environment: ServBay is an essential development tool

ServBay is an indispensable tool for developers, offering the fastest local server environment. No configuration and no coding are needed, helping developers and teams efficiently deploy development environments, reduce maintenance costs, and greatly improve the efficiency of developers and development teams.

Download for macOS 12+ & Windows 10+ / Server 2012+
Not just a local server environment: ServBay is an essential development tool

Built for how you actually develop

Easy to Use

Easy to Use

Time is money. ServBay allows developers to use it out of the box, requiring no deployment of code or relearning, truly achieving zero code and zero configuration, thus saving a lot of time. This allows developers to focus on project development itself, rather than wasting time on environment setup.

Born for Modern Teams

Born for Modern Teams

Compared to similar software, ServBay stays up to date, maintaining a high frequency of updates to ensure that developers can keep up with the latest technologies. ServBay offers a rich array of packages, whether in programming languages like PHP, Node.js, and Python, or web servers and databases like Caddy, Nginx, and Apache, even Ollama. Developers can freely choose the versions they want, greatly enhancing usability.

Unified Development Environment

Unified Development Environment

Maintaining consistency in team development environments is challenging for team managers. ServBay Team’s Unified Configuration helps development teams align their environments quickly, promoting real-time sharing and collaboration on work outcomes, especially beneficial for agile development teams that require high levels of collaboration, making project management and maintenance across the entire team much simpler and more efficient.

Sounds great, but I want to know more

ServBay has a Complete Development Ecosystem

As a cornerstone for developers, ServBay possesses a complete development ecosystem. Whether it’s development languages like Node.js, Python, web servers like Apache, Caddy, Nginx, or databases like MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, users can use them freely without any restrictions. Different versions can coexist, supporting various custom configurations, providing developers with more choices.
ServBay has a Complete Development Ecosystem
Rich Features Without Restrictions

Rich Features Without Restrictions

Laravel Herd can only use limited features; if users want database functionalities, they must purchase the Laravel Herd Pro. In contrast, ServBay provides rich features without requiring payment, allowing developers to choose the software they need freely.

No Learning Curve, Beginner Friendly

All features of ServBay can be used immediately without spending time and effort mastering various functionalities and concepts. Users only need a simple click, taking just seconds, to set up various software, enabling even beginners to complete complex feature configurations through the graphical interface.
No Learning Curve, Beginner Friendly

Comparison of ServBay with Herd

Function
ServBay
Laravel Herd
PHP 5.6 ~ PHP 8.5 ✓ ✗
Node.js 12 ~ Node.js 23 ✓ ✗
Python Support ✓ ✗
Databases (SQL & NoSQL) ✓ Paid
PKI System (SSL Certificate) ✓ ✗
Built-in DNS Server ✓ Paid
Built-in Mail Server Paid Paid
LLM (Ollama) ✓ ✗
Price Free/$59 Free/$99

We have served countless excellent developers

"ServBay simplifies our local development process. How did we manage to go years without it? ServBay Pro is definitely worth every penny."

Bean Codes @ Backend Developer

"ServBay Pro makes local development so simple that I no longer need to worry about the tedious setups. I’m never going back."

Shuaeb Panchal @ SQL Optimization Expert

"Absolutely fantastic! I've completely abandoned Herd; ServBay is just so easy to use."

Chris Wang @ CTO of NeuxGen.AI

"Instead of waiting for Brew to download half the internet to set up PHP, ServBay can do it in just a few seconds."

Kumar @ Senior PHP Developer

"We actually use ServBay to kickstart our products. It is crucial to unify the entire team's environment while developing projects."

Michael Hanson @ Web Developer

"Using ServBay saves our team about 30 hours a week, time that was previously spent on maintaining environments or building images. Now they can focus on creating impactful projects."

Saheed Kolawole @ Senior Software Engineer

Detailed feature comparison between ServBay and Herd

Features\Products
ServBay
ServBay Pro
ServBay Team
Laravel Herd
Laravel Herd Pro
Pricing
Pricing
Free
$59 (Edu Plan: $29)
$399.00
Free
$99
Free Trial
/
7 days
/
/
✗
Licensed Users
/
1
10
/
/
Licensed Device
/
2/User
2/User
/
1
Additional User License
/
/
✓
/
/
Additional User Pricing (per user)
/
/
$39.90
/
/
Features
macOS Support
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Native macOS App
Swift + SwiftUI
Swift + SwiftUI
Swift + SwiftUI
Swift + PHP + Valet
Swift + PHP + Valet
Supports macOS system versions
macOS 12+
macOS 12+
macOS 12+
macOS 12+
macOS 12+
Windows support
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Native Windows Application
C# + AvaloniaUI
C# + AvaloniaUI
C# + AvaloniaUI
/
/
Supports Windows system versions
Windows 10/11 & Windows Server 2012+
Windows 10/11 & Windows Server 2012+
Windows 10/11 & Windows Server 2012+
Windows 10/11
Windows 10/11
Installer Size
50 MB
50 MB
50 MB
121 MB
121 MB
Upgradeable Package
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Security Updates
✓
✓
✓
/
/
Operating System
Non-intrusive Installation
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Launch at Login
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Start with System
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
CLI Support
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
GUI Interface
System Resource Monitor Panel
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Quick Control / Menu Bar
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Service Control Panel
✓
✓
✓
✗
✓
Multilingual
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
User-friendly Application
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Configurable via GUI
✓
✓
✓
❗️Limited
✓
Easy Backup
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Website Grouping
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Web Servers
Apache
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
NGINX
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Caddy
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Websites / Hosts
Configurable via GUI
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Websites
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Max Websites
5
Unlimited
Unlimited
1
Unlimited
Custom Domains
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Custom Ports
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Custom SSL Certificate
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Custom TLD
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Domains / Aliases
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Selectable PHP Version
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
URL Rewrite (Pseudo-static)
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
CORS Support
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Static Site Support
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Reverse Proxy
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Docker/Node.js Proxy
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Redirect (301/302)
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
SSL Support
PKI
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
ACME Certificate
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
ACME Auto-Renewal
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
ACME - Let's Encrypt
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
ACME - ZeroSSL
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
ACME - Google Trust Services
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Self-signed SSL
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
ServBay Private CA
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Private Domain Certificate
10
Unlimited
Unlimited
✗
✗
Private S/MIME Certificate
2
10
30
✗
✗
Private Code Signing Certificate
✗
2
10
✗
✗
Private Document Signing Certificate
✗
5
30
✗
✗
ServBay Public CA
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Public Domain Certificate
✗
20
100
✗
✗
Public S/MIME Certificate
✗
10
30
✗
✗
Public Code Signing Certificate
✗
1
5
✗
✗
Public Document Signing Certificate
✗
5
30
✗
✗
Programming Languages
PHP Support
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Multiple PHP Versions
5.3 ~ 8.6
5.3 ~ 8.6
5.3 ~ 8.6
7.4/8.0/8.1/8.2/8.3
7.4/8.0/8.1/8.2/8.3
PHP 8.4
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
PHP 8.5
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple PHP Instances
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Instant PHP Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Node.js Support
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Node.js 22
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Node.js 23
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Node.js Versions
12 ~ 25
12 ~ 25
12 ~ 25
16/18/20/21
16/18/20/21
Instant Node.js Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Bun supported
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Deno Supported
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Python 2.x
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Python 3.x
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Python Versions
2.7 & 3.5 ~ 3.14
2.7 & 3.5 ~ 3.14
2.7 & 3.5 ~ 3.14
/
/
Instant Python Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Go Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Go Versions
1.11 ~ 1.26
1.11 ~ 1.26
1.11 ~ 1.26
/
/
Instant Go Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Java Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Java Versions
7(1.7.0) ~ 25
7(1.7.0) ~ 25
7(1.7.0) ~ 25
/
/
Instant Java Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
.NET Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple .NET Versions
2.0 ~ 10.0
2.0 ~ 10.0
2.0 ~ 10.0
/
/
Instant .NET Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Mono Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Mono Versions
6.x
6.x
6.x
/
/
Ruby Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Ruby Versions
2.4 ~ 4.0
2.4 ~ 4.0
2.4 ~ 4.0
/
/
Instant Ruby Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Rust Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple Rust Versions
1.x
1.x
1.x
/
/
Databases
MySQL Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✓
Multiple MySQL Versions
5.1 ~ 9.6
5.1 ~ 9.6
5.1 ~ 9.6
✗
✗
Multiple MySQL Instances
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Instant MySQL Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
MariaDB Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple MariaDB Versions
10.4 ~ 12.1
10.4 ~ 12.1
10.4 ~ 12.1
✗
✗
Multiple MariaDB Instances
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Instant MariaDB Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
PostgreSQL Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✓
Multiple PostgreSQL Versions
10 ~ 18
10 ~ 18
10 ~ 18
✗
✗
Multiple PostgreSQL Instances
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Instant PostgreSQL Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
MongoDB Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✓
Multiple MongoDB Versions
5.0 ~ 8.2
5.0 ~ 8.2
5.0 ~ 8.2
✗
✗
Multiple MongoDB Instances
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Instant MongoDB Version Switching
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Redis Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✓
Memcached Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
SQLite 3
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
AI
Ollama
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multi-threaded Model Download
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
AI Gateway
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
MCP Server
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
AI Client Integration
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Mail Server
Built-in Mail Server
✗
✓
✓
✗
✓
SSL/TLS
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
STARTTLS
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
SMTP
✗
✓
✓
✗
✓
POP3
✗
✓
✓
✗
✓
Mail Relay
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Webhook
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
SpamAssassin
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
DNS
Built-in DNS Server
✓
✓
✓
*.test
*.test
Custom Domains
5
Unlimited
Unlimited
✗
✗
hosts File Management GUI
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Domain Resolution via /etc/hosts
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Domain Resolution via Local Built-in DNS Server
✓
✓
✓
*.test
*.test
Tunnels / Reverse Proxy
ServBay
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Cloudflared
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
FRP
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Ngrok
✗
✓
✓
✗
✓
Pinggy.io
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Search Engine
Typesense
✗
✓
✓
✗
✓
Meilisearch
✗
✓
✓
✗
✓
Object Storage
MinIO
✗
✓
✓
✗
✓
Tools
phpMyAdmin
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Adminer
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Git
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
SVN (Subversion)
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
OpenSSL
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Composer 2.2 LTS
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Composer
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
cURL
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
npm
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
pnpm
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
yarn
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Apache Maven
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Customization
Project-level Custom Configuration
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Custom PHP Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
PHP FPM Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
PHP Extension Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Node.js Settings
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Python Settings
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Redis Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Memcached Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
MySQL Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
MariaDB Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
PostgreSQL Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
MongoDB Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Email Server Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Ollama Settings
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Backup
Backup to External Storage
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Automatic Scheduled Backup
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Scheduled Backup - Daily
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Scheduled Backup - Weekly
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Scheduled Backup - Monthly
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Manual Backup
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Manual Backup Restore
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
ServBay Configuration
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Website
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Single / Multiple Websites
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
SSL Certificate
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Single / Multiple SSL Certificates
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
MySQL
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple MySQL Servers
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Single / Multiple MySQL Databases
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
MariaDB
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple MariaDB Servers
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Single / Multiple MariaDB Databases
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
PostgreSQL
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Multiple PostgreSQL Servers
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Single / Multiple PostgreSQL Databases
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Development Tools
Development Libraries
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Recompilation Support
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Additional PHP Extension Compilation
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Team
Team Management
✗
✗
✓
✗
✗
Share To Team
✗
✗
Coming Soon
✗
✗
Unified Configuration
✗
✗
Coming Soon
✗
✗
Virtual Dev Network
✗
✗
Coming Soon
✗
✗
Support
AI Assistant
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Self-service Diagnostic Tool
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Documentation
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Community
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Email
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Paid Support
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Discord
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
Telegram
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗
WhatsApp
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
Line
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
WeCom
✗
✓
✓
✗
✗
WeChat Group
✓
✓
✓
✗
✗

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have more questions, please visit the Help Center.
What is ServBay and why should I use it?

ServBay provides you with a one-stop local web development environment, serving as a powerful foundation for development. It includes everything you need, such as web servers, databases, programming languages, mail servers, and queue services. Just add development IDEs like vscode, and developers can start coding immediately without any other operations.

Is there a free version of ServBay?

ServBay has a free version. For most users, the free version can meet their daily development needs. For some experienced developers or development teams, our professional version is available for deeper functionality configurations. For more details, please refer to our pricing page.

Should I use ServBay or Laravel Herd?

The free version of Laravel Herd only allows basic web services with version limitations; to unlock other services like databases, users need to pay. In contrast, ServBay provides fully functional services for free, while its rich array of packages offers developers maximum flexibility. The free version of ServBay can fully replace the paid Laravel Herd Pro.

Does ServBay support custom domain names?

Absolutely! ServBay allows support for custom domain names and free SSL certificates, ensuring the security and professionalism of the development environment. Compared to that, Laravel Herd has very limited support, only allowing *.test domain names.

I’m a newbie, is ServBay easy to use?

There’s no need to worry at all. ServBay offers a powerful GUI, allowing developers to stack the modules they need together like building with LEGO, achieving zero configuration and zero code right out of the box. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, setting up the services you need can be done easily.

Is ServBay suitable for team usage?

Of course! The design of ServBay aims to help teams create a consistent and easy-to-maintain development environment. With the Unified Configuration feature from ServBay, team managers can control and deploy the environment configurations with one click, thereby unifying the entire team's development environment and reducing differences in the team’s development environment and code.

The Next Generation Development Tool

1 app, 2 clicks, and 3 minutes are all you need to set up your web development environment. No need to compile and install dependencies, non-intrusive to the system. Includes various versions of programming languages, databases, domain names, SSL certificates, email servers, and reverse proxies.

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ServBay AI Helper
ServBay AI Helper