Is AppServ still maintained?

Its last release, 9.3.0, came out in September 2019. Flock is updated regularly, and installs new PHP and service releases in one click.

Can Flock run my old AppServ projects?

Usually, yes, once they run on PHP 8. On Windows, Flock also offers PHP 7.4 and 8.0, which helps with the move.

Is Flock free like AppServ?

Yes. Flock is free and open source, for personal and commercial work.

Comparison

Flock vs AppServ

AppServ made Apache, PHP and MySQL on Windows a one-installer job. Its last release came out in 2019, with PHP 7.3, which no longer gets security fixes and can't run current Laravel. Flock is free too, and it updates PHP and every service for you.

Download Flock Switching from AppServ

Side by side

Row by row, no fine print.

Flock

AppServ

Price: Yes: Free, open source, no account; Yes: Free
Platforms: Yes: macOS, Windows and Linux, native apps; Partly: Windows only
Runs natively: Yes: Native processes, no VM or containers; Yes: Native Windows services
PHP versions: Yes: 8.1 to 8.5 side by side; No: PHP 7.3, last updated in 2019
PHP per project: Yes: Pinned in .flockrc or isolated per site; No: Not possible
.test domains: Yes: Built-in DNS, subdomains included; No: localhost only
Trusted HTTPS: Yes: Root limited to .test, no warnings; Partly: Supported, set up by hand
Databases: Yes: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB; Partly: MySQL 8.0
Cache, search, storage: Yes: Valkey, Meilisearch, Typesense, RustFS; No: Not included
Database UI: No: Use your own client; Yes: phpMyAdmin bundled
Mail catcher: Yes: An inbox per app, HTML preview; No: Not included
Dumps and logs: Yes: Per-request timeline and Laravel log; No: Not included
Xdebug: Yes: Turns on when you set a breakpoint; Partly: Install and configure yourself
Node.js: Yes: Per project from .nvmrc; No: Not included
Other languages: No: PHP and Node.js only; No: PHP only
FrankenPHP and Octane: Yes: Per site, with Octane worker mode; No: Apache only
Public preview link: Yes: Cloudflare tunnel, one command; No: Not included
AI agentic development: Yes: Built-in MCP server; No: Not included

The score

16 Flock

3 AppServ

of 18 rows covered in full, for free.

Flock16/18: 16 of 18 rows
AppServ3/18: 3 of 18 rows

Where Flock shines

Current and maintained

PHP 8.1 to 8.5 and current databases, updated with one click.
Three platforms, one CLI

Native apps for Windows, macOS and Linux share the same commands.

Where AppServ shines

One small installer

Apache, PHP and MySQL running in a couple of minutes, nothing else to learn.
phpMyAdmin included

A database UI in the browser out of the box, where Flock leaves that to your favorite client.

Built in Partly or by hand $ Paid tier Not available

Compared in October 2026 from each tool's own website. Something out of date? Tell us on GitHub.

Which one fits

Pick the tool, not the hype.

Choose Flock if…

You need PHP 8, which current Laravel, Symfony and WordPress plugins require.
You want security updates for PHP and your databases.
You want .test domains with HTTPS instead of localhost.
You work on a Mac or Linux as well as on Windows.

Choose AppServ if…

You keep an old PHP 7.3 app alive exactly as it was.
You want phpMyAdmin bundled and nothing else.

FAQ

Flock and AppServ, answered.

: Its last release, 9.3.0, came out in September 2019. Flock is updated regularly, and installs new PHP and service releases in one click.
: Usually, yes, once they run on PHP 8. On Windows, Flock also offers PHP 7.4 and 8.0, which helps with the move.
: Yes. Flock is free and open source, for personal and commercial work.

More comparisons

Flock vs Laravel Herd Flock vs Laragon Flock vs XAMPP Flock vs ServBay Flock vs FlyEnv Flock vs Local Flock vs Docker (Laravel Sail) Flock vs Lerd Flock vs Yerd Flock vs EnvKit

Join the flock.

Install Flock, park your code folder and open https://your-app.test.

Download Flock Star on GitHub