Does EnvKit have a paid plan?

No. Every feature, including databases, Mailpit, the Debug window, Tinker and Xdebug, is in the free download.

Does EnvKit have something like Herd Studio?

Not a built-in chat. EnvKit’s MCP server lets the agent you already use, in your editor or terminal, start and repair services, manage sites and databases and read logs.

Can agents work on separate branches in EnvKit?

Yes. Branch as subdomain checks the branch out as a git worktree and serves it on its own subdomain with a copy of the .env. It can share the parent site’s database, start from a copy of it, or start empty, like Herd 2.0 workspaces.

Can I run Herd and EnvKit at the same time?

Not on the same ports. Stop Herd services before starting EnvKit, or change the EnvKit ports in Settings.

Does EnvKit support Apple Silicon and Intel Macs?

EnvKit runs on macOS on Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). Intel Macs are not supported.

Comparison

EnvKit vs Laravel Herd

Herd 2.0, released on 16 October 2026, is a big release: Herd Studio puts an opencode-powered agent chat with free models next to your site, git worktrees become subdomains that can each get their own database, php artisan dev starts on its own, and apps deploy to Laravel Cloud. Databases, mail, Insights (dumps and queries) and the Xdebug integration are still Herd Pro at $99 a year. EnvKit includes those for free, lets the agent you already use run the stack over MCP, and covers WordPress and non-Laravel projects too.

Feature comparison between EnvKit and Laravel Herd
Feature	EnvKit	Laravel Herd
Platform	Windows, macOS	macOS, Windows
Price / license	Free	Free + $99/yr Pro
MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB	Yes	Paid tier
Local mail catcher	Yes	Paid tier
Dumps and queries window	Yes	Paid tier
Tinker in the app	Yes	Paid tier
Xdebug	Yes	Manual; detection is Pro
MCP server for your own AI agents	Yes	Yes
In-browser agent chat	No	Yes
Git worktree served on a subdomain	Yes	Yes
Separate database per worktree	Yes	Yes
Dev server starts when you open the site	No	Yes
Deploy to Laravel Cloud / Forge	No	Yes
Web servers	nginx, Apache, Caddy, FrankenPHP	nginx
WordPress and Node sites on .test	Yes	Partial
Import from Laragon and XAMPP	Yes	Written guides
Cron jobs manager	Yes	No

Laravel Herd details checked on 17 October 2026 against Herd 2.0 changelog, Herd Pro checkout, Herd Studio docs, Herd workspaces docs, Herd Insights docs and Herd Xdebug docs. Prices and plans change; the linked pages are the authority.

What you gain over Laravel Herd

What Herd Pro charges for, free
MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Redis and MongoDB, Mailpit, Tinker, Xdebug from Tools, and a Debug window that intercepts dump() and dd() and flags N+1 and slow queries. Herd Pro is $99 a year; EnvKit has no paid tier.
MCP set up in the agents you already use
EnvKit writes its MCP server into Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Zed and JetBrains IDEs for you. Other clients connect to its local HTTP endpoint with a one-time manual setup. From there the agent manages sites, databases, services and logs, reads caught mail, and can run a debug_site prompt that hands it the whole picture of a broken site.
More than Laravel
WordPress in one click, Symfony in the Debug window, Next.js, Vite and Express dev servers on their own .test hosts, plus Python, cron jobs and public share URLs.
Moves over from Laragon, XAMPP and Herd
Importers bring your Laragon or XAMPP projects with their databases and PHP extensions, or your Herd parked sites with their PHP pins.
Your choice of web server
nginx, Caddy or FrankenPHP on both platforms, and Apache on Windows. Herd runs nginx.
Diagnostics that name the cause
When a service will not start, EnvKit tells you why: a port conflict, a stale process or a broken config. Most are fixed with one click in the app or by your agent over MCP.

Where Laravel Herd still fits better

iHerd Studio is a real agent workspace
Herd 2.0 opens an agent chat in the browser next to your site, with free models through opencode, a code browser, diff review and a terminal. EnvKit has no built-in chat; you bring Claude Code, Cursor or another agent.
iartisan dev starts by itself
Herd can start php artisan dev or Vite when you open the site. In EnvKit you click Run dev on the site page.
iLaravel Cloud and Forge built in
Herd deploys to Laravel Cloud and connects to Forge from its UI. EnvKit has no hosting integration.
iHerd is further along
EnvKit is still in public beta and ships most weeks. Herd has shipped stable for years.

Moving from Laravel Herd

EnvKit reads your Herd parked paths and links every site, pinning each isolated PHP version you already have installed and listing the ones to add. Point your .env at the bundled databases and Mailpit and you are done. Herd databases are not copied.

Download for Windows Read the docs

Or install from the terminal

> irm https://envkit.net/install.ps1 | iex

Free, no account, no card. Windows 10/11 and macOS (Apple Silicon).

Questions people ask

Does EnvKit have a paid plan?: No. Every feature, including databases, Mailpit, the Debug window, Tinker and Xdebug, is in the free download.
Does EnvKit have something like Herd Studio?: Not a built-in chat. EnvKit’s MCP server lets the agent you already use, in your editor or terminal, start and repair services, manage sites and databases and read logs.
Can agents work on separate branches in EnvKit?: Yes. Branch as subdomain checks the branch out as a git worktree and serves it on its own subdomain with a copy of the .env. It can share the parent site’s database, start from a copy of it, or start empty, like Herd 2.0 workspaces.
Can I run Herd and EnvKit at the same time?: Not on the same ports. Stop Herd services before starting EnvKit, or change the EnvKit ports in Settings.
Does EnvKit support Apple Silicon and Intel Macs?: EnvKit runs on macOS on Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). Intel Macs are not supported.