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Comparison

Flock vs XAMPP

XAMPP is where many of us wrote our first PHP. It is still free and still simple, but it was built for one PHP version, one database and http://localhost. Modern Laravel expects more: queues, Redis, HTTPS and a PHP version that matches production. Flock is the free upgrade.

Download Flock Switching from XAMPP

Side by side

Row by row, no fine print.

Flock
XAMPP
Price
Yes: Free, open source, no account
Yes: Free and open source
Platforms
Yes: macOS, Windows and Linux, native apps
Partly: Windows, older builds for macOS and Linux
Runs natively
Yes: Native processes, no VM or containers
Yes: Native processes
PHP versions
Yes: 8.1 to 8.5 side by side
No: One version per install
PHP per project
Yes: Pinned in .flockrc or isolated per site
No: Not possible
.test domains
Yes: Built-in DNS, subdomains included
No: Virtual hosts edited by hand
Trusted HTTPS
Yes: Root limited to .test, no warnings
Partly: Self-signed localhost cert, not trusted
Databases
Yes: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB
Partly: MariaDB only
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
Partly: Mercury mail server, no web inbox
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
Partly: Perl
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
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 Something out of date?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 build with Laravel or another modern framework.
  • Different projects need different PHP versions.
  • You want https://my-app.test instead of localhost/my-app.
  • You need PostgreSQL, Valkey or Meilisearch next to MySQL.

Choose XAMPP if…

  • You follow a course or book written around XAMPP.
  • Your app relies on .htaccess rules from shared hosting.
  • You need Perl or Tomcat in the same bundle.

FAQ

Flock and XAMPP, answered.

Yes. Both are free and open source. Flock has no paid tier and no account.

No. Park htdocs and every folder in it becomes a .test site. Many people move them to a Code folder later, which works the same.

No, Flock uses Caddy, a modern web server with HTTPS built in. Laravel and most frameworks route everything through public/index.php, so .htaccess files are not needed.

More comparisons

Flock vs Laravel Herd Flock vs Laragon Flock vs AppServ 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