Are Yerd and Flock both free?

Yes. Both are open source and free, with no subscription.

Does Flock run on Linux like Yerd?

Yes. Flock runs on Ubuntu 24.04+ and Fedora, and on Windows and macOS too.

Does Flock show dumps like Yerd?

Yes. Flock collects dump() and dd() output per request, with queries, logs and jobs, and links each dump to its line in your editor.

Comparison

Flock vs Yerd

Yerd and Flock come from the same idea: a free, native, open source environment for PHP, with no containers and no Electron. Flock goes wider: a Windows app, more services, FrankenPHP and Octane, and Xdebug that switches on by itself.

Download Flock Switching from Yerd

Side by side

Row by row, no fine print.

Flock

Yerd

Price: Yes: Free, open source, no account; Yes: Free, MIT license
Platforms: Yes: macOS, Windows and Linux, native apps; Partly: 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; Yes: 7.4 to 8.5, side by side
PHP per project: Yes: Pinned in .flockrc or isolated per site; Yes: Pinned per site
.test domains: Yes: Built-in DNS, subdomains included; Yes: Automatic
Trusted HTTPS: Yes: Root limited to .test, no warnings; Yes: Local certificate authority
Databases: Yes: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB; Partly: MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL
Cache, search, storage: Yes: Valkey, Meilisearch, Typesense, RustFS; Partly: Valkey and Meilisearch, no storage
Database UI: No: Use your own client; No: Not listed
Mail catcher: Yes: An inbox per app, HTML preview; Yes: Built-in catcher
Dumps and logs: Yes: Per-request timeline and Laravel log; Yes: Live dump window
Xdebug: Yes: Turns on when you set a breakpoint; Partly: Load your own xdebug.so
Node.js: Yes: Per project from .nvmrc; Partly: One global Node LTS
Other languages: No: PHP and Node.js only; No: PHP and Node.js only
FrankenPHP and Octane: Yes: Per site, with Octane worker mode; No: Not supported yet
Public preview link: Yes: Cloudflare tunnel, one command; Yes: Cloudflare Tunnel, one click
AI agentic development: Yes: Built-in MCP server; Yes: MCP server

The score

16 Flock

10 Yerd

of 18 rows covered in full, for free.

Flock16/18: 16 of 18 rows
Yerd10/18: 10 of 18 rows

Where Flock shines

Windows too

Native apps on Windows, macOS and Linux, so a mixed team shares one tool.
More services

MongoDB, Typesense and S3-compatible storage, next to Valkey and Meilisearch.

Where Yerd shines

A tiny footprint

One small Rust daemon, about 8 MB.
Dumps with everything

Cache calls and outgoing HTTP stream into its dump window too.

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 or your teammates work on Windows.
You need MongoDB, Typesense or S3-compatible storage.
You use Xdebug in PhpStorm or VS Code.
You want to run a site on FrankenPHP or Octane.

Choose Yerd if…

You want the smallest possible install.
You want cache calls and outgoing HTTP in your dump window.

FAQ

Flock and Yerd, answered.

: Yes. Both are open source and free, with no subscription.
: Yes. Flock runs on Ubuntu 24.04+ and Fedora, and on Windows and macOS too.
: Yes. Flock collects dump() and dd() output per request, with queries, logs and jobs, and links each dump to its line in your editor.

More comparisons

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

Join the flock.

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

Download Flock Star on GitHub