Lerd vs Other Tools
Lerd vs Laravel Herd
Laravel Herd is the closest match in spirit: a zero-config shared stack with automatic .test domains, one-click HTTPS, and per-site PHP versions. Lerd is the open-source equivalent for Linux (and macOS), built on rootless Podman instead of native binaries.
| Lerd | Laravel Herd | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux (systemd), macOS | macOS, Windows |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Proprietary, freemium (Herd Pro subscription) |
| PHP runtime | Rootless Podman containers | Native binaries on macOS and Windows |
| PHP versions | 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 (shared FPM containers) | 7.4 through 8.5 (native) |
| FrankenPHP / Octane | Built in: lerd runtime frankenphp [--worker] per site, free | Not built in; Octane runs manually alongside Herd |
.test domains | Automatic via dnsmasq container | Automatic via native dnsmasq resolver |
| HTTPS | lerd secure + mkcert, trusted system-wide | Built-in "Secure Site" toggle |
| Xdebug | lerd xdebug:on, tray toggle | Per-site toggle (Herd Pro) |
| Services | Built-in and free: MySQL, Postgres, Redis, Meilisearch, RustFS (S3), Mailpit; custom services via YAML presets | Some in the free tier; most advanced services and UIs (database inspector, log viewer, dumps) gated behind Herd Pro |
| Non-PHP projects | First-class via Containerfile.lerd (Node, Python, Go, Rails, ...) | Not directly supported, Herd focuses on PHP |
| Per-project config | .lerd.yaml committed to the repo; covers PHP, Node, framework, services, workers, and custom containers; applied by lerd link / lerd init | herd.yml committed to the repo; covers name, PHP, TLS, aliases on the free tier; services require Herd Pro; applied by herd init |
| Queue + scheduler workers | lerd worker start queue / schedule as systemd user services | Not built in; run Horizon or supervisor yourself |
| Dashboard | Web UI at 127.0.0.1:7073, system tray, and an installable PWA at lerd.localhost | Native desktop app |
| AI / MCP | Built-in MCP server; lerd mcp:enable-global registers it for Claude Code, Cursor, Junie, and Windsurf | Built-in MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor, Junie, and Windsurf |
| Cost | Free | Free tier + paid Pro subscription |
Choose Herd when: you work on macOS or Windows, want the performance of native PHP binaries (no container overhead), are already in the Laravel Forge and Envoyer ecosystem, or are happy paying for Pro features.
Choose Lerd when: you work on Linux (Herd has no Linux build), prefer open source, want reproducible project setup checked into git via .lerd.yaml, need first-class non-PHP containers, or want a single tool that covers PHP, Node, Python, and Go behind the same .test routing.
See Laravel Herd for Linux for the command-by-command mapping, what Herd Pro gates that Lerd does not, and a migration walkthrough.
Lerd vs Laragon
Laragon is the Windows counterpart to this idea: a portable, zero-config stack with pretty .test URLs, auto-generated virtual hosts, one-click SSL and bundled databases. It runs on Windows only and a Linux build is not planned, which is why "Laragon for Linux" is a question people keep asking. Lerd is the answer to it, the same shared-stack model built on rootless Podman.
| Lerd | Laragon | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux (systemd), macOS, Windows via WSL2 (beta) | Windows only |
| License | Open source (MIT), free for commercial use | Proprietary, a licence is required from Laragon 7 onwards |
| Cost | Free | Free unlicenced tier with a reminder popup and no auto-updates; paid non-commercial and commercial licences |
| Stack | Nginx, PHP-FPM and services as rootless Podman containers | Apache or Nginx and services as native Windows binaries in a portable folder |
| PHP versions | 7.4, 8.0 to 8.5 (shared FPM containers) | Multiple versions downloaded into the Laragon folder |
.test domains | Automatic via dnsmasq container, no hosts file edits | Automatic via hosts file entries written by the tray app |
| HTTPS | lerd secure + mkcert, trusted system-wide | One-click self-signed certificate, trusted manually |
| Scaffolding | lerd new runs the framework's own installer | Quick app, one-click Laravel, WordPress, Symfony |
| Services | MySQL, Postgres, Redis, Meilisearch, MongoDB, RustFS (S3), Mailpit, shared across sites | MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Memcached, per-install |
| Non-PHP projects | First-class via Containerfile.lerd (Node, Python, Go, Rails) | Node, Python and Go bundled as tools, not served as projects |
| Per-project config | .lerd.yaml committed to the repo | None, configuration lives in the Laragon install |
| Queue + scheduler workers | lerd worker start queue / schedule as systemd user services | Not built in |
| Dashboard | Web UI at 127.0.0.1:7073, system tray, terminal dashboard, installable PWA | Native tray application |
| AI / MCP | Built-in MCP server | Not built in |
Choose Laragon when: you work on Windows and want native binaries with no container layer, and the portable folder suits how you move between machines.
Choose Lerd when: you have moved to Linux or macOS, want the same zero-config experience without a Docker daemon, or want the environment described in a file you can commit.
See Laragon for Linux for the feature-by-feature mapping and a migration walkthrough.
Lerd vs Laravel Sail
Laravel Sail is the official per-project Docker Compose solution. Lerd is a shared infrastructure approach, closer to what Laravel Herd does on macOS. Both are valid; they solve slightly different problems.
| Lerd | Laravel Sail | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux (systemd), macOS | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Open source (MIT) |
| Container runtime | Rootless Podman | Docker Desktop / Orbstack / Colima |
| Architecture | One shared nginx + PHP-FPM + services across every site | Per-project Docker Compose stack |
| PHP versions | 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 (shared FPM containers) | Per-project Sail image (8.2, 8.3, 8.4) |
| Services (MySQL, Redis…) | One shared instance | Per-project (or manually shared) |
.test domains | Automatic, zero config | Manual /etc/hosts or localhost:${APP_PORT} per project |
| HTTPS | lerd secure for trusted mkcert cert instantly | Manual or roll your own mkcert |
| Non-PHP projects | First-class via Containerfile.lerd (Node, Python, Go, Rails) | Add your own container to the Compose stack |
| Per-project config | .lerd.yaml (PHP + Node + services + workers) | docker-compose.yml + Dockerfile |
| RAM with 5 projects running | ~200 MB | ~1–2 GB (5× full stacks) |
| Requires changes to project files | No | Yes, needs docker-compose.yml committed |
| Works on legacy / client repos | Yes, just lerd link | Only if you can add Sail |
| Dashboard | Web UI at 127.0.0.1:7073, system tray, installable PWA at lerd.localhost | CLI + Docker Desktop |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Choose Sail when: your team uses it, you need per-project service versions, or you want infrastructure defined in the repo.
Choose Lerd when: you work across many projects at once and don't want a separate stack per repo, you can't modify project files, you want instant .test routing, or you want the Herd experience on Linux as well as macOS.
Migrating from Sail to Lerd
lerd import sail imports a Sail project's database and S3/MinIO files into lerd in one command, no manual dump/restore needed. It starts Sail temporarily with remapped ports (so there are no conflicts with lerd's running services), dumps the database, mirrors storage files, then tears Sail back down.
cd ~/Projects/myapp
lerd sail importSee Importing from Laravel Sail for details.
Lerd vs ddev
ddev is a popular open-source local development tool that spins up per-project Docker containers with a shared Traefik router. It supports many frameworks (Laravel, WordPress, Drupal, etc.) and runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Lerd is narrower in scope (Laravel-focused, Podman-native, shared infrastructure) and closer to the Herd model.
| Lerd | ddev | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux (systemd), macOS | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Open source (Apache 2.0) |
| Container runtime | Rootless Podman | Docker / Podman / Orbstack / Colima |
| Architecture | Shared nginx + PHP-FPM across all projects | Per-project containers behind a shared reverse proxy |
| PHP versions | 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 (shared FPM containers) | 5.6 through 8.4+ (per-project Docker image) |
| Services (MySQL, Redis…) | One shared instance | Per-project (isolated by default) |
| Domains | .test, automatic | .ddev.site or custom, automatic via the built-in proxy |
| HTTPS | lerd secure for trusted mkcert cert instantly | Built-in via mkcert |
| Non-PHP projects | First-class via Containerfile.lerd (Node, Python, Go, Rails) | nodejs and generic project types |
| Per-project config | .lerd.yaml committed to the repo | .ddev/config.yaml committed to the repo |
| RAM with 5 projects running | ~200 MB | ~500 MB–1 GB (5× app containers + proxy) |
| Requires changes to project files | No | Yes, needs .ddev/config.yaml committed |
| Works on legacy / client repos | Yes, just lerd link | Only if you can add ddev config |
| Framework support | Laravel built-in; any PHP framework via YAML definitions | Laravel, WordPress, Drupal, TYPO3, and many more |
| Dashboard | Web UI at 127.0.0.1:7073, system tray, installable PWA at lerd.localhost | CLI + optional per-project web UI |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Choose ddev when: your team is cross-platform, you work with multiple frameworks (not just Laravel), you want per-project service isolation, or your workflow already depends on Docker or Podman.
Choose Lerd when: you want a zero-config shared stack you can drop any project into without touching its files, prefer rootless Podman, or want the lightweight Herd-like experience on Linux or macOS.
Lerd vs Lando
Lando is a long-running open-source local development tool built on Docker. Like ddev it spins up a per-project container stack behind a shared proxy, configured through a .lando.yml file committed to the repo, and it leans on "recipes" that bundle a service stack and its tooling for a given platform. Lerd takes the shared-infrastructure route instead, closer to the Herd model.
| Lerd | Lando | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux (systemd), macOS | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Open source (GPL-3.0) |
| Container runtime | Rootless Podman | Docker |
| Architecture | Shared nginx + PHP-FPM across all projects | Per-project containers behind a shared proxy |
| PHP versions | 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 (shared FPM containers) | Per-project, set in the recipe or .lando.yml |
| Services (MySQL, Redis…) | One shared instance | Per-project (isolated by default) |
| Domains | .test, automatic | *.lndo.site, automatic via the proxy |
| HTTPS | lerd secure for a trusted mkcert cert instantly | Built-in, per-project certificate |
| Non-PHP projects | First-class via Containerfile.lerd (Node, Python, Go, Rails) | First-class via recipes and services (Node, Python, Ruby, Go, .NET) |
| Per-project config | .lerd.yaml committed to the repo | .lando.yml committed to the repo |
| RAM with 5 projects running | ~200 MB | ~500 MB–1 GB+ (5× project stacks) |
| Requires changes to project files | No | Yes, needs .lando.yml committed |
| Works on legacy / client repos | Yes, just lerd link | Only if you can add a Landofile |
| Framework support | Laravel built-in; any PHP framework via YAML definitions | Recipes for Drupal, WordPress, Laravel, Symfony, and many more |
| Dashboard | Web UI at 127.0.0.1:7073, system tray, installable PWA at lerd.localhost | CLI only |
| Cost | Free | Free |
Choose Lando when: your team is cross-platform, you want per-project service isolation defined in the repo, you work with hosting platforms like Pantheon, Platform.sh, or Lagoon and want their lando pull / lando push workflow, or your workflow already depends on Docker.
Choose Lerd when: you want a zero-config shared stack you can drop any project into without committing a config file, prefer rootless Podman with a lighter footprint, or want a built-in web UI and terminal dashboard on Linux or macOS.