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Laravel Valet

Free#22 of 26 in Development Environment Management Tools

Laravel Valet: A focused, free macOS setup for local PHP sites with per-site PHP versions. Ranked #22 of 26 in Development Environment Management Tools by our editors (6.7/10); pricing: Free plan; best for minimal macOS PHP site setup.

6.7/10Editor score
Visit Laravel Valet
Laravel Valet6.7 Visit Laravel Valet

At a glance

  • Editor score
    6.7 / 10
  • Pricing
    Free plan
  • Best for
    Minimal macOS PHP site setup
  • Free plan
    Yes
  • Paid from
    Free
  • Supported operating systems
    Macos
  • Facts checked
    20 Sep 2026

  • Where it wins

    • Free and open-source local environment
    • Per-site PHP version installation and switching
    • TLS, .test routing, directory registration, and sharing

  • Where it doesn't

    • Supports macOS only
    • Installation uses Composer and Homebrew
    • Sharing depends on external tunneling tools

Our verdict on Laravel Valet

Laravel Valet is a free, open-source local development environment for macOS developers working with Laravel and other PHP frameworks or CMSs. It runs Nginx in the background, routes *.test domains to local sites through DnsMasq, and lets developers register application directories with park or serve individual projects with link. The result is a focused setup for developers who want local PHP sites without managing a broader development stack.

Valet’s strongest capability is its per-site PHP runtime management. Developers can install, switch, and isolate PHP versions for individual sites, which suits projects with different runtime requirements. Local sites can also be secured with TLS and HTTP/2, while custom drivers extend support to additional PHP frameworks and CMSs. For sharing, Valet can use ngrok, Expose, or cloudflared, giving teams several tunneling options when a local site needs to be viewed remotely.

The trade-off is its narrow platform focus. Valet requires macOS, Composer, and Homebrew, so it fits developers already working within that environment rather than teams seeking one setup across macOS and Windows. Its workflow is also centered on local PHP site hosting, directory registration, runtime selection, and tunneling rather than a broad development environment management suite. Choose Valet for a lightweight macOS workflow with strong PHP version control; developers who need Windows support should consider Laravel Herd instead.

Your product? Our editors can test Laravel Valet in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Laravel Valet pricing

Plans Free planFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.
See plans on laravel.com

Laravel Valet fact sheet

Free planYes
Paid fromFree
Supported operating systemsMacos
Runtime managementYes
Dependency lockingNot verified
Configuration as codeNot verified
Shell integrationNot verified
Container supportNot verified
DeploymentDesktop
PlatformsmacOS
SupportDocs
Built forSolo, Small business (editorial estimate)
PricingFree plan
Websitelaravel.com
Facts checked20 Sep 2026

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Featured on iTechGuides

Featured on iTechGuides — Laravel Valet 6.7/10

Laravel Valet is listed in our Development Environment Management Tools directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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