macOS web development
Local web development
for macOS.
Run PHP, Node, web servers, databases, caches, search, mail and storage on your Mac. Butler gives every project a local domain, trusted HTTPS, and isolated services using sha256-verified static binaries. Loopback-only by default. Nothing touches Homebrew.
$curl -fsSL https://getbutler.dev/install.sh | sh
single static binary · ~15 MB · no Homebrew
One binary, that's it
CLI, daemon, DNS and the reverse proxy ship as a single butler executable. The menu-bar app is optional — quit it and nothing stops.
No Homebrew at runtime
Every service is a sha256-verified static binary pulled on demand. Your system stays clean; builds stay reproducible.
HTTPS in one command
A built-in CA issues per-site certs. butler secure flips any site to trusted TLS instantly.
Sites by directory
Park a folder and every subdirectory becomes name.test — Laravel, WordPress, Symfony, Craft, Statamic, Drupal, static and proxies, auto-detected. Octane worker mode included.
Per-site PHP & Node
Pin a project to any PHP version with butler isolate; butler node, npm and npx resolve the right Node per project. Composer follows the active runtime.
Switch from Herd or Valet
butler migrate herd imports your sites, and butler import-services adopts existing database and cache data. PROXY-aware routing keeps request metadata intact across Butler's hops.
Every service, on demand
Pick what you need — each one a verified static binary, supervised for you.
Run several versions side by side — butler service add postgresql@18 and go.
Link a site in seconds
Familiar verbs if you've used Valet — done better where it counts.