Manifest-driven
Caddy, PHP and MariaDB are configured from a single bunnystack.yaml. Everything is generated, nothing is hand-edited.
Free · Native Windows app · v0.9.0
Your whole PHP development stack, in one Windows app
BunnyStack is a fast, self-contained local PHP development environment for Windows: Caddy, PHP and MariaDB, managed from one declarative bunnystack.yaml file. A modern alternative to XAMPP and Laragon.
Everything you need, downloaded from inside the app
- Caddy
- PHP
- MariaDB
- phpMyAdmin
- Mailpit
- Redis
- Node.js
- WordPress
Why BunnyStack
A modern XAMPP and Laragon alternative
One manifest, nothing hand-edited. Describe your stack once. BunnyStack generates every config file from it and keeps them in sync.
Zero Docker, no WSL
A single static binary for Windows. Download Caddy, MariaDB, Mailpit, PHP and even WordPress from within the app.
Portable
Copy the folder to a portable drive and you are ready to work on any computer.
Control panel
Every service, one click away
Manage projects, services, databases and tools from a native control panel, a floating dock or the system tray.
Service overview
A quick status of all services at a glance.
Local projects
Add, edit and remove local sites with custom hostnames.
PHP and app settings
PHP workers, per-version php.ini, dock layout, WordPress rules, and the changelog.
Live service logs
Live output from every service in one place.
MariaDB databases
A phpMyAdmin dashboard plus native database export.
Developer tools
Install and manage Redis, Node.js, Python, Composer, WP-CLI, Mailpit and cloudflared.
Floating dock
A fixed toolbar with a project launcher and service controls. It remembers its layout.
System tray
Quick access to your stack from the tray icon menu.
Progress toasts
Real-time feedback while syncing, installing and updating.
WordPress and Laravel
Built for local WordPress development
Work on a copy of a live site without downloading gigabytes of uploads, and share it with clients in seconds.
Uploads proxy
Reverse-proxies production's /wp-content/uploads/, so images show locally without copying them.
WordPress rules
Turn on WP Rocket caching, Imagify WebP or your own presets for each project.
Email routing
WordPress mail goes to Mailpit, with a fallback to disk, so nothing reaches real inboxes.
WP-CLI in one click
Install it from the Tools page and it's ready in BunnyStack's terminal, with PHP and Composer.
Share with clients
Cloudflare tunnels give you temporary public URLs for client testing.
WordPress or Laravel in one step
Pick the WordPress or Laravel preset and BunnyStack downloads it, creates the database and sets up the site.
Developer workflow
Run multiple PHP versions side by side
Every PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5 can run at the same time, each with its own resources. Pick one per project and move on.
Per-project PHP versions
Several PHP versions run side by side, each with its own workers.
Custom hostnames
mysite.test, staging.local or anything else you like.
Trusted SSL
Install the local certificate authority from the settings and every hostname gets fully trusted HTTPS.
Xdebug toggle
Turn debugging on or off for each PHP version (experimental).
Performance & reliability
Fast by default. Easy to recover.
OPcache tuned
Enabled by default across all PHP versions.
Right-sized PHP workers
Recommendations based on your CPU and RAM.
MariaDB optimized
Buffer pool sizing, I/O tuning and table cache.
One-click recovery
Sync wipes and regenerates every config from the manifest, which fixes crashes cleanly.
Fully portable
Take your whole environment with you on a USB drive.
Single static binary
No installers, no services to register, no Docker.
Get started
From download to https://mysite.test in three steps
No installer and no admin setup beyond one hosts-file prompt.
1. Download and extract
Extract the zip to any folder, for example D:\BunnyStack, and run bunnystack.exe. Everything it downloads stays in that folder.
2. Install your stack
On the Tools page, install Caddy, MariaDB and the PHP versions you need. Add Mailpit, Redis or phpMyAdmin if you want them.
3. Trust HTTPS and start
Install the local certificate authority in Settings, click Start, and create your first project. Full guide.
Compare
How BunnyStack compares to XAMPP, Laragon and Laravel Herd
A free database, mail catching and Redis, several PHP versions at once, and nothing to install. See the side-by-side comparison.
How is BunnyStack different from XAMPP or Laragon?
Everything is described in one bunnystack.yaml manifest and every config file is generated from it. You get several PHP versions running side by side, trusted SSL, WordPress tooling and one-click recovery, in a single native app. See the full comparison.
Is BunnyStack free?
Yes. BunnyStack is free to download and use, and so is everything it installs: Caddy, PHP, MariaDB, Mailpit, Redis and the other tools.
Do I need Docker or WSL?
No. BunnyStack is a single static Windows binary. It downloads Caddy, PHP, MariaDB and the other tools it needs from within the app.
Can different projects use different PHP versions?
Yes. Every PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5 can run at the same time with its own resources, and each project picks the one it needs.
Does BunnyStack work with Laravel?
Yes. Pick the Laravel preset when you create a project and turn on Install it now. BunnyStack downloads Laravel and creates the database for you.
How do I get HTTPS on my local sites?
Install the local certificate authority from the app settings. From then on every custom hostname gets a fully trusted certificate. The user guide shows where.
What if something breaks?
Run a sync. It wipes and regenerates every config from the manifest, which fixes crashed or broken services cleanly. See troubleshooting for common fixes.
Can I take my environment to another computer?
Yes. Copy the BunnyStack folder to a portable drive and you are ready to work on any Windows computer.
Set up your local PHP environment in minutes
Caddy, PHP and MariaDB, ready to go on Windows. Free, with no Docker and no WSL.