Local development environment on Mac: the complete guide (2026)

A well-configured local development environment is the foundation of a productive workflow. On Mac, several options are available depending on your needs. This guide covers everything you need to create a modern and efficient setup in 2026.

Components of a modern local environment

A complete development environment includes:

• Web server (Apache, Nginx)
• Runtime/language (PHP, Node.js, Python)
• Database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite)
• Local domain manager (hosts file, dnsmasq)
• SSL certificates (for local HTTPS)
• Productivity tools (Terminal, editor)

MAMP: the beginner-friendly solution

MAMP (Mac, Apache, MySQL, PHP) is the simplest all-in-one solution.

Strengths

• 2-minute setup
• Complete GUI
• Built-in phpMyAdmin
• Ideal for WordPress

Weaknesses

• Average performance
• Limited free version
• No virtualization

Configuring local domains with MAMP

By default, MAMP uses localhost:8888. For custom domains, edit the hosts file:

127.0.0.1    myproject.test

Laravel Valet: maximum performance

Valet is a minimalist and ultra-fast solution for PHP on Mac.

Strengths

• Ultra-fast (Nginx + PHP-FPM)
• Minimal configuration
• Automatic .test domains
• HTTPS in one command

Weaknesses

• PHP only
• No containerization

Valet configuration

# Install Valet
composer global require laravel/valet
valet install

# Park a projects folder
cd ~/Sites
valet park

# Secure with HTTPS
cd ~/Sites/my-project
valet secure

Docker: maximum flexibility

Docker lets you create isolated and reproducible environments.

Strengths

• Isolated environments
• Reproducible (same config for whole team)
• Maximum flexibility
• Close to production

Weaknesses

• Learning curve
• Resource consumption

Example docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'
services:
  web:
    image: php:8.3-apache
    ports:
      - "80:80"
    volumes:
      - ./src:/var/www/html
    
  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: root
      MYSQL_DATABASE: myapp

Managing local domains

The hosts file

For a detailed understanding of the hosts file, check our complete guide to the hosts file.

# /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1    localhost

# Projects
127.0.0.1    blog.test
127.0.0.1    api.blog.test

# Client A
127.0.0.1    clienta.test

Recommended TLDs

| TLD | Recommended | Notes | |-----|------------|-------| | .test | Yes | IETF reserved | | .localhost | Yes | Always local | | .local | No | Bonjour conflict on Mac | | .dev | No | Real domain, HTTPS required |

Automation with dnsmasq

To avoid editing the hosts file for each project:

# Install dnsmasq
brew install dnsmasq

# Redirect all .test to localhost
echo "address=/.test/127.0.0.1" >> /usr/local/etc/dnsmasq.conf

# Create a resolver
sudo mkdir -p /etc/resolver
echo "nameserver 127.0.0.1" | sudo tee /etc/resolver/test

# Start dnsmasq
sudo brew services start dnsmasq

Now, any .test domain points to localhost!

Local HTTPS with mkcert

Why HTTPS locally?

• Test Service Workers, Geolocation API
• Secure cookies (SameSite, Secure)
• Avoid dev/prod differences
• OAuth and redirects

Creating certificates

brew install mkcert
mkcert -install  # Install root CA

# Create a certificate
mkcert myproject.test "*.myproject.test" localhost

Essential productivity tools

Terminal

brew install --cask iterm2

Oh My Zsh

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Node version management

brew install fnm
fnm install 20

Database client

brew install --cask tableplus

Project organization

Recommended structure

~/Sites/
├── clients/
│   ├── client-a/
│   └── client-b/
├── personal/
│   ├── blog/
│   └── portfolio/
└── experiments/

Well-organized hosts file

# ===================
# LOCALHOST
# ===================
127.0.0.1       localhost
::1             localhost

# ===================
# PERSONAL PROJECTS
# ===================
127.0.0.1       blog.test
127.0.0.1       portfolio.test

# ===================
# CLIENT: Acme Corp
# ===================
127.0.0.1       acme.test
127.0.0.1       api.acme.test

With Locahl

The Locahl app simplifies this management:

• Import/export configurations
• Quick environment switching
• Instant search
• Modification history

Configuration checklist

First-time setup

• [ ] Install Homebrew
• [ ] Install Git
• [ ] Configure SSH for GitHub
• [ ] Install local server (MAMP/Valet/Docker)
• [ ] Configure hosts file or dnsmasq
• [ ] Install mkcert for HTTPS
• [ ] Install version managers
• [ ] Configure terminal (iTerm2 + Oh My Zsh)

New project

• [ ] Create folder in ~/Sites
• [ ] Add hosts entry
• [ ] Create SSL certificates if needed
• [ ] Configure database
• [ ] Test access via local domain

Conclusion

A well-configured local development environment will save you hours each week. Whether you choose MAMP for its simplicity, Valet for its performance, or Docker for its flexibility, the principles remain the same:

1. Clear local domains: .test to avoid conflicts 2. Systematic HTTPS: mkcert makes it trivial 3. Rigorous organization: commented hosts file or tool like Locahl 4. Automation: dnsmasq, scripts, aliases

With these solid foundations, you can focus on what matters: writing code.