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PortBay

Freemium#24 of 26 in Development Environment Management Tools

PortBay: A focused Mac/Linux environment manager for local projects and AI coding workflows. Ranked #24 of 26 in Development Environment Management Tools by our editors (6.5/10); pricing: Free plan · 7-day trial; best for mac/Linux local web projects with AI workflows.

6.5/10Editor score

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PortBay6.5 Visit PortBay

At a glance

Editor score
6.5 / 10
Pricing
Free plan · 7-day trial
Best for
Mac/Linux local web projects with AI workflows
Free plan
Yes
Paid from
$10/mo
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Detects and switches installed language runtime versions
- Committed portbay.yml files support reproducible project environments
- Includes databases, Mailpit, HTTPS domains and public tunnels
Where it doesn't
- Supports macOS and Linux, with Windows on the roadmap
- Does not provide container support
- Pro pricing rises to $24 per month after founding licences

Our verdict on PortBay

PortBay is a local development environment manager for developers working on macOS or Linux. It runs projects on the developer’s machine and combines runtime detection, version selection, configuration-as-code, trusted HTTPS on local .test domains, per-project databases, local email capture and tunneling. Its desktop app also includes a task board that dispatches installed AI coding-agent CLIs, making it a fit for developers managing several local web projects alongside AI-assisted workflows.

The free Community plan supports up to 6 projects and includes PHP, Node, static and mobile stacks, per-project MySQL and PostgreSQL databases, Mailpit, public Cloudflare and SSH tunnels, and a shared agent task board. Pro costs $10 per month and adds unlimited projects and sandboxed runs, 250 MB task attachments, custom domain and tunnel hostnames, persistent SSH tunnels, encrypted sync across 2 Macs and priority support. After the founding allocation is exhausted, the listed Pro price is $24 per month. A 7-day free trial is also available.

PortBay’s ecosystem is centered on local tools and installed command-line agents. Integrations include Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, Gemini, Aider, GitHub Copilot CLI, OpenCode, Amp, Qwen Code, Antigravity and Ollama, along with Laravel Herd, ServBay and MAMP. The CLI covers project lifecycle actions, logs, diagnostics and automation. PortBay should suit Mac and Linux developers who want committed project configuration and local services without shared cloud compute. Teams that require Windows support or container-based environments should choose a tool designed for those platforms or workflows instead.

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

PortBay pricing

Plans Free plan · 7-day trialFreemium A usable free plan; paid tiers unlock the limits above. Prices checked 20 Sep 2026.

See plans on portbay.app

All 3 PortBay plans and prices →

PortBay fact sheet

Free plan	Yes
Paid from	$10/mo
Supported operating systems	Not verified
Runtime management	Yes
Dependency locking	Not verified
Configuration as code	Yes
Shell integration	Not verified
Container support	No
Free trial	7 days
Money-back guarantee	14 days
Deployment	Desktop
Platforms	macOS, Linux
Compliance & security	GDPR
Support	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business (editorial estimate)
Integrations	14 integrations: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, Gemini, Aider, GitHub Copilot CLI …
Pricing	Free plan · 7-day trial (source)
Website	portbay.app
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

PortBay integrations

PortBay lists 14 integrations on its own site.

Claude Code
OpenAI Codex
Cursor
Gemini
Aider
GitHub Copilot CLI
OpenCode
Amp
Qwen Code
Antigravity
Ollama
Laravel Herd
ServBay
MAMP

Alternatives to PortBay

See all PortBay alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

PortBay 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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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update