Laravel Valet vs DesktopServer

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

Laravel Valet is a Development solution with tags like php, laravel, local-development.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including 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.

On the other hand, DesktopServer is a Development product tagged with wamp, web-server, testing.

Its standout features include 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 it shines with pros like 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.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Laravel Valet

Laravel Valet

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.

Categories:
php laravel local-development

Laravel Valet Features

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

Pricing

  • Open Source

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


DesktopServer

DesktopServer

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.

Categories:
wamp web-server testing

DesktopServer Features

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

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

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