Herd here runs without Docker, and that is why I am looking: Docker Desktop cooks the chassis and eats RAM. MacFullStack has both modes. I am afraid of losing databases if I switch. What should I run every day?
Native or Docker — when should I switch?
Native is the default and the normal workday. PHP-FPM, nginx, MySQL/MariaDB, Redis live on the Mac. Docker Desktop is not required — that is the point versus DDEV/Laravel Sail if you are coming from Herd.
Docker is for CI-like isolation or a PHP version you do not have as a Native artifact (e.g. old 7.4 in an image).
Switch: Settings → Runtime → Native/Docker → Save and restart. Project folders are shared. MySQL/Redis data is not — each mode has its own store.
To copy project MySQL/MariaDB: the migrate dialog after switching, or macstack db migrate-runtime --to native|docker. Redis is not migrated. After a switch, check .env: Native uses 127.0.0.1; inside Docker compose the host is often mysql.
Install Free, leave Native on, and work. Turn Docker on only when you have a reason.