EnvKit vs Lerd
Lerd is an open-source, MIT-licensed local PHP environment that runs nginx, PHP-FPM and your services as rootless Podman containers. It is built for Linux and macOS, and runs on Windows through WSL2 as a beta. It is also one of the most complete tools in this space. EnvKit takes the other route: native Windows and macOS processes, no container runtime and no WSL, in a desktop app.
| Feature | EnvKit | Lerd |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows, macOS | Linux, macOS, Windows via WSL2 (beta) |
| Price / license | Free | Free, MIT |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs services | Natively | Rootless Podman containers |
| Native Windows, no WSL | Yes | No |
| Multiple PHP versions per site | Yes | Yes |
| MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Mailpit | Yes | Yes |
| Debug window (dumps, N+1 queries, mail, jobs) | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server for your own AI agents | Yes | Yes |
| Git worktree served on a subdomain | Yes | Yes |
| Separate database per worktree | No | When a branch adds one |
| Committed project config | Yes | Yes |
| Public share URL | Yes | Yes |
| Import from Laragon, XAMPP and Herd | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | Web UI + desktop wrapper |
Lerd details checked on against Lerd on GitHub, Lerd on Windows (WSL2) and Lerd MCP docs. Prices and plans change; the linked pages are the authority.
What you gain over Lerd
Native on Windows, no WSL
EnvKit runs nginx, PHP, MySQL and the rest as ordinary Windows processes, with your projects on the Windows file system and your Windows editor. Lerd on Windows runs inside WSL2, and its Windows support is a beta.
No container runtime to manage
There is no Podman, no images to pull and no VM. Services start as processes, and PHP reads your files directly.
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. Most Windows developers arrive from one of those three.
A share URL that stays the same
Share a site at https://name.envkit.net with no tunnel account to set up. The subdomain is kept for the next share, and you can protect it with a password.
A desktop app first
Sites, services, databases, logs, mail and the Debug window live in one native window and the tray, in English, Arabic, German, Persian or Spanish.
Where Lerd still fits better
iLerd is open source and runs on Linux
Lerd is MIT-licensed and Linux is its home. EnvKit is free but closed source, and ships for Windows and Apple Silicon Macs only.
iLerd is further along
Lerd has shipped dozens of stable releases. EnvKit is in public beta.
iA database per worktree
Lerd gives each git worktree its own branch domain and can pick a database for it. EnvKit serves a branch on its own subdomain but shares the parent site’s database.
iA wider service and framework store
Lerd’s store adds OpenSearch, Solr, Kafka, LocalStack and more without a release, and detects frameworks like Magento, Drupal and TYPO3 per major version. It also has a PhpStorm plugin. EnvKit runs the services in its own catalog.
iContainers can be the point
If you want every service isolated in a container, or already run Podman, Lerd fits that better.
Moving from Lerd
Add your project folders from the Sites page. EnvKit detects the framework, assigns a .test host and issues a certificate. Dump your databases from Lerd and import them into the bundled MySQL or PostgreSQL, then point .env at them.
irm https://envkit.net/install.ps1 | iexFree, no account, no card. Windows 10/11 and macOS (Apple Silicon).
Questions people ask
- Is EnvKit open source like Lerd?
- No. EnvKit is free to use with no paid tier, but its source is not public. Issues and releases live on GitHub.
- Does EnvKit need WSL or Docker on Windows?
- No. Every service runs as a native Windows process.
- Does EnvKit run on Linux?
- Not yet. EnvKit ships for Windows 10/11 and Apple Silicon Macs. On Linux, Lerd is a good choice.