A modern local development environment built for developers who want complete control over their stack.
Stackroot manages services (nginx, MySQL, Redis, and more), PHP versions, Node.js, sites (WordPress/Laravel), databases, custom processes, and admin tools — all from a single desktop application on Windows. No Docker, no virtual machines, no unnecessary complexity.
Download the latest release · Windows 10/11 (64-bit) · MIT License
Stackroot is a local development environment built for Windows — native, fast, and predictable.
Most existing solutions are too opinionated, too heavy, or focused on a single ecosystem. Stackroot brings everything into one place: install services, run sites, switch PHP and Node versions per project, and see exactly what is running.
Stackroot follows a few simple principles.
- Native first — runs on Windows as a desktop app, not inside a container or VM.
- Lightweight — only what you enable; no background bloat you did not ask for.
- Modular — pick your PHP versions, databases, and tools; configure per site.
- Transparent — configs, logs, and data paths are visible and reachable from the app.
- Developer focused — built for people who work locally every day.
You should understand what Stackroot is doing. Nothing should feel like magic.
- See at a glance whether nginx, MySQL, MariaDB, Redis, Memcached, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL are running
- Start, stop, or restart any process — or all at once
- Pin the processes you use most so they stay easy to find
- See which PHP versions are active and ready to serve sites
- Jump straight to phpMyAdmin, phpRedisAdmin, and other admin tools
- Install, update, and configure nginx, PHP, MySQL, MariaDB, Redis, Memcached, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB
- Pick a version for each service and change ports when needed
- Regenerate nginx configs and admin tool URLs after you add or change sites
- Create and manage local development sites from one list
- Use subdomain URLs (
myapp.test) or path-based URLs (localhost/myapp) - Add extra domain names per site, including wildcards
- Install WordPress automatically (downloads wp-cli, creates config, runs the installer)
- Install Laravel with Composer — choose a starter kit (Breeze, Jetstream)
- Set a PHP version and Node.js version per site
- Run custom shell commands per site and read their output
- Preview sites with automatic screenshots on the dashboard
- Force HTTPS per site when you want it
- Proxy a frontend dev server (Vite, webpack, etc.) through your site domain
- Attach processes, databases, and scheduled tasks to a site
- Manage everything from the site dashboard — edit settings, open in browser, terminal, backup, pin, enable or disable
- Back up a site to a zip — files, databases, processes, and scheduled tasks
- Restore a backup over an existing site, or import one as a new site on another machine
- Create and delete databases for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB
- Back up and restore any database
- Browse and delete backup files across all databases
- Restore into a different database name when you need to
- Copy ready-made
.envconnection lines for each database - phpMyAdmin is configured automatically when you install it
- Run your own commands — globally or tied to a specific site
- Start them automatically when Stackroot opens
- Pin important ones so they stay at the top
- See whether each process is running and open its log
- Start, stop, restart, add, or remove at any time
- Install and run several PHP versions at the same time
- Edit
php.inisettings per version - Enable or disable extensions, and install PECL packages
- Adjust how many workers run per version for heavier workloads
- Install multiple Node versions and switch between them
- One-click install for common LTS releases, or enter any version you need
- PHP: Composer, WP-CLI, Laravel Installer
- JavaScript: pnpm, Vite
- Utilities: Git, Python, SQLite CLI, Notepad++
- Web panels: phpMyAdmin, phpRedisAdmin
- Install, update, and pick a version for each tool
- See clearly what is not installed, downloading, installed, or currently in use
- Check for tool updates from the app
- Schedule shell commands like cron — by minute, hour, day, month, or weekday
- Save task output to a log file
- Run a task immediately without waiting for the schedule
- Open task logs in VS Code, Cursor, Notepad++, or your own editor
- Edit, delete, enable, or disable tasks anytime
- See when a task last ran and whether it is running now
- Browse log files grouped by category
- Open any log in your preferred editor
- See what installers Stackroot has downloaded and how much space they use
- Clear the cache to free disk space
- Open the downloads folder directly
- Watch memory use across services and processes as you work
- Includes all PHP workers for a version, not just one process
- Test DNS —
.testdomains (and other suffixes you choose) resolve on your machine; keeps working in the background even when the Stackroot window is closed - Trust SSL — browse local sites over HTTPS; trust the certificate for your user only, or for everyone on the PC
- 14 languages — change the interface language in Settings without restarting
- Close the window to the system tray and keep services running
- Start Stackroot automatically when Windows boots
- Optionally use Stackroot's PHP, Composer, and Node from any terminal
- Get a notification when startup finishes and everything is ready
- Dark theme throughout
- Activity log for the current session — what started, stopped, and changed
- Set your WWW folder, backup location, preferred editor, and how long to keep logs
Requirements: Windows 10/11 (64-bit). The installer includes the .NET Desktop Runtime if needed.
- Download the latest
Stackroot-Setup-{version}.exefrom Releases and run the installer. - Open Stackroot. Go to Services, install the packages you need (nginx, PHP, MySQL, etc.), then start them from the Dashboard.
- Add your first site from Web domains — pick a template, choose a name and domain, and create.
- Optional: enable Test DNS and Trust SSL in Settings for
.testdomains and HTTPS without browser warnings.
Upgrades over an existing install keep your sites, databases, and settings.
For version history, see release-notes/CHANGELOG.md.
Developers and contributors: see CONTRIBUTING.md.
Icon resources: dashboardicons.com · flaticon.com