FAQ

Does Vhostly replace MAMP or Valet?

It overlaps with both. MAMP ships its own Apache, PHP and MySQL; Vhostly drives the ones Homebrew already installed and bundles no runtime of its own. Valet does something similar through nginx and dnsmasq, from the terminal — Vhostly is the same idea with a window, on Apache.

Does it work on an Intel Mac?

Not today. The app ships an arm64 server binary and reads Homebrew from /opt/homebrew, which is the Apple silicon prefix. An Intel Mac would need both a second binary and support for the /usr/local prefix.

Do I have to use Homebrew's Apache?

Yes. Every path the app manages is under /opt/homebrew. The httpd that ships with macOS lives elsewhere and is not what Vhostly configures. brew install httpd first.

Does it install PHP or Apache for me?

It can. The first-run checks and the Health panel offer to brew install anything missing, and always show the command before running it. Homebrew itself is the exception — it comes from a shell script you have to run yourself.

Can I run two PHP versions at the same time?

Not for two Apache-served sites. Apache loads one PHP module, and it applies to every static site on the machine. The way around it is a proxy site: run the odd project under its own PHP and point a proxy vhost at it. See PHP versions.

Do I need to keep the app open?

No. What Vhostly writes is ordinary Apache configuration, and Apache keeps serving after you quit. Open the app when you want to change something. Sites shared on your network keep working too.

The exception is a public link. It runs while the app is open and closes when you quit.

Can I open my sites on my phone?

Yes. Share the site on the Network panel and scan the QR code with a phone on the same Wi-Fi. To open it from anywhere, create a temporary public link instead. See phones and public links.

Why does it want my password on first launch?

To make itself able to work without asking again. It takes ownership of four config files and installs one sudoers rule permitting apachectl. Both are spelled out in installation, and undoing them is in what Vhostly writes.

Can I use nginx?

Not today. The generated configuration is Apache's.

Does it handle databases?

It starts and stops them. The Services panel wraps brew services, so MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis and the rest can be controlled without a second window. It does not configure them, create databases or manage their data.

Is anything sent anywhere?

One request, when the app starts. It carries the app version, the macOS release and a random identifier generated on your machine — nothing about your sites, your folders, your ports or you. It exists because a download count says nothing about whether the app was ever opened.

Turn it off under Settings → Privacy and nothing leaves the machine at all. There is no account, no update check and no other network call: the app talks to a server it runs on your own machine, on a random local port. The only other traffic it causes is Homebrew's when you ask it to install something, and a Cloudflare tunnel when you ask for a public link. That tunnel carries visitors' requests to the site you shared.

A build you compile yourself reports nothing either way — where to report is baked in when the release is built, and only those builds carry it.

This website is a separate thing and uses Google Analytics, so visits to these pages are counted.

Where are my sites stored?

In Apache's own config files, not in a database of the app's own — see what Vhostly writes. Reading them without the app is cat.

Is it really free?

For personal use, yes — personal projects, learning, hobby work, and the charities, schools, public research and government institutions the licence names. Nothing is time-limited and no feature is held back.

Using it for or within a business, freelance and client work included, needs a commercial licence. The line is the purpose rather than the money: a hobby project that earns nothing needs nothing, a client site you are paid to build needs a licence.

Is Vhostly open source?

Source available, which is not the same thing. Every line is on GitHub and you are welcome to read it, build it and change it — which matters here, because this app edits your system files and you should be able to check what it does. But the licence is PolyForm Noncommercial, not an OSI open-source licence, because commercial use is what funds the work.

What is the difference between sponsoring and a licence?

A commercial licence is a right your company needs in order to use Vhostly for work. Sponsoring is voluntary support for the work itself. Sponsoring does not license a company, and buying a licence does not make anyone a sponsor. About in the app's sidebar links to both, along with the source and the issue tracker.

When are Windows and Linux coming?

Both are in progress and neither has a date. The concepts carry over; the paths do not. The repository is where progress is visible, and watching releases is the way to hear first.

Can I contribute?

Yes. Issues, discussions and pull requests are all welcome. Start with the repository's readme for how to build the app locally.