Vs Herd
Herd is the Laravel DX benchmark. MacFullStack matches that class of stack UX, plus a clients cabinet, MCP for Cursor, Bitrix “like the host”, Native and Docker together, and YooKassa.
MacFullStack
Herd, MAMP, DDEV — side by side
Herd is stronger for pure Laravel. MacFullStack wins when you need a clients cabinet, MCP for Cursor, any CMS including Bitrix, Native and Docker in one window, and payment in rubles.
| Criterion | MacFullStack | Laravel Herd | MAMP | DDEV | Local |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stack | |||||
| Platform | macOS (Apple Silicon) | macOS / Windows | macOS / Windows | Cross-platform (Docker) | macOS / Win / Linux |
| How it runs Only here | Native + Docker, switch anytime | Native-first | Built-in stack | Docker only | Own runtime |
| Services | Free: MySQL/Redis/Mailpit/phpMyAdmin; Pro: full set | Some in Herd Pro | Limited | Flexible in compose | Limited |
| CMS and projects | |||||
| Any CMS and site root | Finds the docroot and nginx instead of .htaccess | Weaker / Laravel-focused | Often manual | Docker recipes | WP-focused |
| Bitrix Only here | Yes, like on the host | Not a focus | Manual | Via Docker | No |
| WordPress | Yes + multisite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Excellent focus |
| Laravel DX | Strong | Excellent (focus) | Basic | Good | Limited |
| Node / Python | As normal projects (Pro) | Partial / ecosystem | Not as a product | Via containers | No |
| Custom domain zones | Yes, not only .localhost | Mostly .test | localhost | *.ddev.site | .local |
| Studio | |||||
| Studio clients Only here | Profile, credentials, files next to their sites (Pro) | No | No | No | No |
| Share with a client | Cloudflare / ngrok in the app (Pro) | Herd Pro Expose | No | ngrok / addons | Live Links |
| Scheduled workspace backups Only here | LaunchAgent, even if the window is closed | No | No | Not as a product | No |
| Config profiles Only here | Snapshots of ports, runtime, and PHP | No | No | No | No |
| Tools | |||||
| MCP for Cursor Only here | Local server, included on Free | No | No | No | No |
| Mailpit in the app | Inbox in the project UI | Dumps | No | In the container | No |
| Import Herd / Valet / archives | Yes — a foreign archive is a normal path | — | Manual | Recipes | WP only |
| Price and payment | |||||
| Price (RU) | Free + Pro ₽8,990 / Teams ₽29,990 | Subscription / Pro USD | Free / Pro | Open source | Free / paid plans |
| Pay from Russia Only here | YooKassa, rubles | Usually card / USD | Depends | Free | Depends |
“Only here” means Herd, MAMP, DDEV, and Local do not ship this as a product. Herd still leads on Laravel DX.
Vs MAMP / OSPanel / Local
MAMP and OSPanel are classic “turn on LAMP”, often painful on Mac. Local is the WordPress king. They have no clients cabinet, MCP, or Native+Docker in one window. MacFullStack is broader on CMS, domains, and Node/Python.
Vs DDEV
DDEV is strong at Docker isolation and CMS recipes. If you don’t need Docker every day, Native saves battery; Docker stays a button. DDEV has no clients cabinet or MCP.
Where MacFullStack usually wins
Studio clients · MCP for Cursor · scheduled backups · Native and Docker in one window · any CMS including Bitrix · price and YooKassa.