DesktopServer vs Laravel Valet

Struggling to choose between DesktopServer and Laravel Valet? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

DesktopServer is a Development solution with tags like wamp, web-server, testing.

It boasts features such as Bundled with Apache, MySQL, PHP and other components required for web development, Allows running a web server on Windows desktop for testing purposes, Open source and free to download and use, Easy to install and configure, Supports running PHP applications locally, Includes phpMyAdmin for MySQL database administration, Allows choosing desired versions of Apache, PHP, MySQL etc during setup, Portable installation allows running from USB drives, Includes web-based DesktopServer control panel and pros including Free and open source, Simple installation, No need to setup individual components, Great for testing websites locally, Portable installation, Easy to configure, Includes useful tools like phpMyAdmin, Allows choosing component versions.

On the other hand, Laravel Valet is a Development product tagged with php, laravel, local-development.

Its standout features include Serves PHP applications using Nginx without requiring a full web server installation, Supports serving Laravel, Symfony, Zend, CakePHP, and more, Automatic HTTPS using trusted certificates generated on install, Sharing of sites is simple with ngrok integration, Uses DNSMasq to assign .test TLDs to projects, and it shines with pros like Very easy and fast to install and configure, Lightweight with minimal resource usage, Works nicely with Laravel and PHP frameworks out of the box, Built-in HTTPS support, Easy sharing of local sites.

Feature	DesktopServer	Laravel Valet
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

DesktopServer

Description: DesktopServer is an open source WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL and PHP) distribution that allows developers to run web server software on Windows desktops for testing purposes. It is free, easy to install and configure.

Laravel Valet

Description: Laravel Valet is a lightweight local development environment for Mac users. It serves PHP applications using Nginx without requiring a full web server installation. Easy to install and configure.

Key Features Comparison

DesktopServer Features

• Bundled with Apache, MySQL, PHP and other components required for web development
• Allows running a web server on Windows desktop for testing purposes
• Open source and free to download and use
• Easy to install and configure
• Supports running PHP applications locally
• Includes phpMyAdmin for MySQL database administration
• Allows choosing desired versions of Apache, PHP, MySQL etc during setup
• Portable installation allows running from USB drives
• Includes web-based DesktopServer control panel

Laravel Valet Features

• Serves PHP applications using Nginx without requiring a full web server installation
• Supports serving Laravel, Symfony, Zend, CakePHP, and more
• Automatic HTTPS using trusted certificates generated on install
• Sharing of sites is simple with ngrok integration
• Uses DNSMasq to assign .test TLDs to projects

Pros & Cons Analysis

DesktopServer

Pros

• Free and open source
• Simple installation
• No need to setup individual components
• Great for testing websites locally
• Portable installation
• Easy to configure
• Includes useful tools like phpMyAdmin
• Allows choosing component versions

Cons

• Not recommended for production use
• Limited to Windows platform
• Requires some technical knowledge to configure
• Not officially supported or updated frequently
• Lacks advanced administration features
• Security not hardened for public-facing use

Laravel Valet

Pros

• Very easy and fast to install and configure
• Lightweight with minimal resource usage
• Works nicely with Laravel and PHP frameworks out of the box
• Built-in HTTPS support
• Easy sharing of local sites

Cons

• Only available for Mac
• Less flexibility than full LAMP/LEMP stack
• No official support for Windows or Linux

Pricing Comparison

DesktopServer

• Free
• Open Source

Laravel Valet

• Open Source