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XAMPP VS Local by Flywheel

Compare XAMPP VS Local by Flywheel and see what are their differences

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XAMPP logo XAMPP

XAMPP is a free and open-source cross-platform web server that is primarily used when locally developing web applications.

Local by Flywheel logo Local by Flywheel

Provides a simple, local development environment with a friendly GUI.
  • XAMPP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-20
  • Local by Flywheel Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-17

XAMPP features and specs

  • Ease of Installation
    XAMPP provides an easy installation process, bundling Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl into a single package, making it simple for developers to set up a local development environment.
  • Cross-Platform
    XAMPP is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, ensuring a wide range of developers can use it regardless of their operating system.
  • Pre-Configured
    XAMPP comes pre-configured with many useful modules, reducing the need for manual setup and configuration of these components.
  • Community Support
    XAMPP has an active community and extensive documentation, making it easier to find solutions to potential issues and learn how to use the tool effectively.
  • Open Source
    XAMPP is free and open-source, making it accessible for anyone to use and modify according to their needs.

Possible disadvantages of XAMPP

  • Security Concerns
    XAMPP is not recommended for production environments because it is configured with a wide range of open defaults for convenience, which can pose significant security risks.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running all of the bundled services simultaneously can be resource-intensive, potentially slowing down a developer’s machine, especially if it has limited hardware capabilities.
  • Updates and Compatibility
    Updates to XAMPP's components (Apache, MariaDB, PHP, etc.) may not be as frequent or timely compared to installing them individually, potentially leading to issues with compatibility or missing out on new features.
  • Limited Production Usability
    XAMPP is designed primarily for development and debugging, making it less suitable for live, production servers without significant reconfiguration.
  • Less Granular Control
    The pre-configured nature of XAMPP means that developers might have less granular control over individual components compared to setting up a custom server environment.

Local by Flywheel features and specs

  • Easy setup
    Local by Flywheel offers a simple and user-friendly interface, making it easy to download, set up, and configure WordPress sites locally.
  • Pre-configured environments
    It provides pre-configured server environments which can save time on configurations and ensure consistency across projects.
  • One-click WordPress installation
    Local by Flywheel allows for quick WordPress installations with a single click, streamlining the development process.
  • SSL support
    It supports SSL certificates out of the box, making it easier to work with HTTPS locally.
  • Live Link
    The Live Link feature enables developers to share their local sites with others via a temporary, publicly accessible URL.
  • Database management
    It includes built-in database management tools like Adminer and phpMyAdmin, simplifying the handling of databases.
  • Integration with WP-CLI
    Local by Flywheel supports WP-CLI, allowing developers to run WordPress commands directly from the terminal.
  • Automatic backups
    It enables automatic site backups, providing a safety net in case something goes wrong during development.
  • Developer tools
    Includes various developer tools and add-ons such as Xdebug to aid with debugging and performance optimization.

Possible disadvantages of Local by Flywheel

  • Resource Intensive
    Local by Flywheel can be heavy on system resources, especially on older or less powerful machines.
  • Windows-specific Issues
    Some users have reported occasional glitches and performance issues when using it on Windows OS.
  • Dependency on Virtualization
    Local relies on virtual environments which can sometimes cause conflicts or issues with other software.
  • Limited to WordPress
    The tool is specifically tailored for WordPress development, which may not be suitable for developers working on other CMS or projects.
  • Complex Advanced Features
    While great for beginners, some advanced features and customizations may be complex for novice users to implement.
  • Internet Required for Some Features
    Features like Live Link require an active internet connection, which may not always be available.

Analysis of XAMPP

Overall verdict

  • XAMPP is generally considered a good option due to its ease of use, comprehensive feature set, and active community support. It’s particularly advantageous for beginners and those looking to streamline their workflow without getting bogged down in complex configurations. Its wide adoption in the web development community further solidifies its credibility.

Why this product is good

  • XAMPP is a widely-used open-source software package that provides a local server environment primarily for PHP development. It simplifies the process of setting up a server on your local machine by bundling Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl into a single installation. This makes it ideal for developers working on web applications who need a reliable and easy-to-set-up local testing environment.

Recommended for

    XAMPP is recommended for web developers, especially those working with PHP-based applications, students learning web development, and professionals who need a convenient local server environment for testing and development purposes. It is also suitable for hobbyists who want to experiment with web server configurations and test their projects before deployment.

Analysis of Local by Flywheel

Overall verdict

  • Local by Flywheel is generally well-regarded in the WordPress community, particularly for its simplicity and efficiency in setting up local environments. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, it offers valuable tools that can enhance your workflow. However, users might run into performance issues depending on their system configurations.

Why this product is good

  • Local by Flywheel is considered good due to its user-friendly interface, robust feature set targeted at WordPress developers, and seamless integration with various WordPress tools. It allows developers to create a local development environment quickly, test plugins and themes, and make modifications before deploying to a live server, thus streamlining the development workflow.

Recommended for

  • WordPress developers
  • Web designers who frequently test themes and plugins
  • Agencies managing multiple WordPress sites
  • Freelancers looking for an easy way to set up local environments
  • Beginners wanting to learn WordPress development in a controlled environment

XAMPP videos

+ Add

XAMPP - What is...

More videos:

  • Tutorial - XAMPP Tutorial In One Video In Hindi With Live PHP MYSQL Project Using phpMyAdmin 2019
  • Review - MySQL & Apache Server auf dem Desktop! - XAMPP Review (Deutsch)

Local by Flywheel videos

+ Add

Local By Flywheel WordPress Setup + Cool Features Review

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Local By Flywheel for WordPress Development - Review & Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to XAMPP and Local by Flywheel)

XAMPP

Local by Flywheel

Web And Application Servers
67 67%
Web And Application Servers
33% 33
Web Servers
83 83%
Web Servers
17% 17
CMS
0 0%
CMS
100% 100
Application Server
100 100%
Application Server
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare XAMPP and Local by Flywheel

XAMPP Reviews

Exploring 7 Efficient Alternatives to MAMP for Local Development Environments
WampServer is a web development environment tailored for Windows, integrating Apache server, MySQL database, PHP, and phpMyAdmin. Similar to XAMPP, it offers an intuitive interface for managing server configurations and databases, supporting quick PHP version switching for testing in different environments.
Source: medium.com
Top 6 Alternatives to XAMPP for Local Development Environments
Fortunately, there are many excellent alternatives to XAMPP on the market. In this article, we'll analyze and recommend the top 6 alternatives to XAMPP.
Source: dev.to
Best XAMPP Alternatives for Website Development in 2024
While XAMPP is widely used for local website development, its limitations can hinder the process. However, XAMPP alternatives like InstaWP offer a powerful solution for WordPress development. Offering a user-friendly interface, seamless migration options, and comprehensive testing environments, InstaWP addresses the shortcomings of XAMPP.
Source: instawp.com
8 Best MAMP Alternatives (Definitive List)
Compared to MAMP or WampServer, the XAMPP control panel provides you with far more options to manage your local development setup. You get access to a broad range of configuration options and administrative controls for each software component. XAMPP also provides you with in-depth logs so you can track every change to the environment.
Source: kinsta.com
13 Best XAMPP Alternatives
It offers a wide range of great features, but let’s take a look at some of its best characteristics: automatic detection for PHP versions, Apache versions, MySQL versions, and much more; native support for most typical servers, including Xampp, LAMP, MAMP, and WampServer; automatic updates using CPanel on your server; easy migration process that can migrate databases between...
Source: thetechtian.com

Local by Flywheel Reviews

Best XAMPP Alternatives for Website Development in 2024
LocalWP, powered by Flywheel, is another offline XAMPP alternative for developing WordPress sites. With LocalWP, users can choose between Apache and NGINX server environments, allowing for comprehensive testing to ensure compatibility.
Source: instawp.com
12 XAMPP Alternatives – Install WordPress On Windows And macOS Laptop
One-click WordPress Installation – Local by Flywheel makes creating a local WordPress site a light breeze, so you don’t have to bother with setting it up yourself!
Source: www.geckoandfly.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Local by Flywheel seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 231 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

XAMPP mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of XAMPP yet. Tracking of XAMPP recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Local by Flywheel mentions (231)

  • How to Create a Custom WordPress Plugin From Scratch: A Developer's Guide
    Local WordPress Installation: Use tools like Local by Flywheel, XAMPP, or MAMP. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Struggling to Manage Multiple PHP Versions and Frameworks? Here's the Perfect Solution!
    Visit https://localwp.com to download Local. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • WP Engine is not WordPress
    It’s probably worth mentioning that WP Engine author the _Local_ app https://localwp.com/ which is far and away the best tool to build WP sites errr on your local machine. Then just upload to WP Engine and your are live. This valuable innovation is fueling the growth of WP Engine and makes this a bit of a honey trap. Personally I’m not convinced that keeping a 100% audit trail for reconstruction of old states is... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • WordPress next, and beyond: breaking the technical enclosure
    Yeah -- though I think VVV has been thoroughly supplanted by Local: https://localwp.com Which almost every serious WP developer I know uses. (I personally use my own simplified Vagrant package management scripts with some ssh_config integration hooks because I work on more than WP and value standardisation across VM environments more than I value the features Local adds). - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Introducing WP Setup
    Developing WordPress plugins and themes often requires a reliable development environment. Current we have good solutions as wp-env from Autommatic, Local WP from WP Engine, Docker, XAMPP (for old ones) and so on. All this can be good suits for a development environment, specially Local WP that is probably the easiest one to get up and running and wp-env that leverages Docker as a development environment in a very... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing XAMPP and Local by Flywheel, you can also consider the following products

MAMP - MAMP is the abbreviation for Macintosh, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. It is a reliable application with its four components that allows you to access the local PHP server as well as the database server (SQL).

Laragon - All in one web server.

Apache Tomcat - An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Apache HTTP Server - Apache httpd has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996

WordPress.com - Create a free website or build a blog with ease on WordPress.com. Dozens of free, customizable, mobile-ready designs and themes. Free hosting and support.

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