A free XAMPP alternative that keeps up with PHP
XAMPP’s last Windows release is 8.2.12, from November 2023, so there is no XAMPP with PHP 8.3, 8.4 or 8.5. EnvKit is free, installs PHP 7.4 through 8.5 side by side, gives every project a trusted https://name.test address, and imports your htdocs projects, MySQL databases and php.ini extensions in one click.
Where XAMPP is today
- Latest Windows release
- XAMPP 8.2.12 (PHP 8.2.12, MariaDB 10.4.32, Apache 2.4.58), released November 2023
- PHP 8.3, 8.4, 8.5
- No installable XAMPP build for Windows, macOS or Linux
- PHP versions
- One per XAMPP install; a different version means a different download
- Project addresses
- localhost/<folder>, or a hand-written httpd-vhosts.conf entry plus a hosts-file edit
- Price
- Free and open source
XAMPP details checked on against XAMPP downloads and XAMPP Windows release files. Prices and plans change; the linked pages are the authority.
What you get with EnvKit
The PHP your course asks for
Install PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5 next to each other and pick one per project. An old assignment on 8.2 and a new Laravel app on 8.5 run at the same time.
Every project at its own https address
Add a folder and it opens at https://shop.test with a certificate your browser trusts. No vhost files, no hosts-file edits, no security warning.
Your XAMPP work comes with you
The importer turns each htdocs project into a site, keeps the hostnames from your httpd-vhosts.conf, copies your MySQL databases and turns on the PHP extensions your php.ini loaded.
phpMyAdmin and MariaDB, as you know them
phpMyAdmin is included, and MySQL or MariaDB run on 127.0.0.1:3306 with root and no password, the same defaults your XAMPP tutorials use.
Errors that tell you what to do
When a port is taken or MySQL will not start, EnvKit names the program or setting behind it and fixes most cases from the app, instead of “MySQL shutdown unexpectedly”.
Laravel and WordPress in one click
New project creates a Laravel app with a starter kit, or a WordPress site with its database and admin user, already served over HTTPS.
Bring your XAMPP projects over
- Install EnvKit on Windows. The first-run screen offers Move from another tool → XAMPP, and the import stays available later under Tools.
- EnvKit finds XAMPP in the xampp folder on any drive, or you pick the folder. It lists your htdocs projects and databases and skips XAMPP’s own pages (dashboard, img, webalizer, xampp).
- Each project becomes a .test site with trusted HTTPS, virtual hosts keep their hostnames where they are valid, PHP and MySQL are installed if you have none yet, the php.ini extensions XAMPP loaded are turned on, and your databases are copied into EnvKit’s MySQL.
The import only reads from XAMPP, so XAMPP keeps working while you decide. If you set a root password for XAMPP’s MySQL, stop MySQL in the XAMPP Control Panel first so EnvKit can read the data folder. The XAMPP import is Windows only; on a Mac, add your project folders from the Sites page.
irm https://envkit.net/install.ps1 | iexFree, no account, no card. Windows 10/11 and macOS (Apple Silicon).
Questions people ask
- Is EnvKit free like XAMPP?
- Yes. There is no paid tier, no license key and no account, for school projects and paid work alike. Unlike XAMPP it is not open source.
- Will the import change or delete anything in XAMPP?
- No. Projects are served from where they are, databases are copied, and XAMPP’s files and data folder are left as they were.
- My course still uses XAMPP. Can I keep both?
- Yes, just not running at the same time on the same ports. Stop Apache and MySQL in the XAMPP Control Panel before you start EnvKit’s services, or change EnvKit’s ports in Settings.
- Does EnvKit use Apache like XAMPP?
- nginx is the default and Apache is one click away on Windows. Pick Apache on the first launch if your projects rely on .htaccess files.
- Does EnvKit run on macOS?
- Yes, on Apple Silicon Macs. The XAMPP import is Windows only, but everything else works the same on both.