SayDeploy Plain comparisons of developer tools, AI coding tools included

Best local dev server managers for indie hackers in 2026

Compare local dev server managers for indie hackers, from DevWebUI and Concurrently to PM2, hotel and Docker Compose, with questions to ask first.

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SayDeploy is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

Pick by what you run locally and which systems you use. DevWebUI starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard, with each one's status, CPU, memory and logs. [1] Hotel's page says it is a simple process manager that starts apps from the browser and provides local domains. [2] Concurrently's page says it can run any commands. [3]

OptionWhat its source says it doesWhere it runs or what it needs
DevWebUIStart, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard, with each one's status, CPU, memory and logs. [1]Prebuilt Windows x64 app; on other systems it runs from source with Bun. [1]
ConcurrentlyWritten in Node.js, but can run any commands. [3] Prefixes command output so it is easy to follow. [3]Works cross-platform, including Windows. [3] Can be installed globally or locally for a specific package. [3]
PM2A daemon process manager that helps manage applications and keep them online 24/7. [4]Installed globally with npm. [4] Its monitoring dashboard is web based, and monitoring starts with pm2 monitor. [4]
hotelA simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and provides local domains. [2]Works on macOS, Linux and Windows. [2] Requires Node to be installed. [2]
Docker ComposeA tool for defining and running multi-container applications, with services, networks and volumes in a single YAML configuration file. [5] [5]Works in production, staging, development, testing, and CI workflows. [5]
OvermindA process manager for Procfile-based applications and tmux. [6]Supports Linux, *BSD and macOS only, and requires tmux. [6] [6]
ForemanA manager for Procfile-based applications. [7]Installed with gem install foreman. [8] Licensed under the MIT license. [8]
Process ComposeA scheduler and orchestrator for managing non-containerized applications. [9]Written in Go, so it is a single file with no other dependencies. [9]
HonchoA Python port of David Dollar's Foreman. [10]If you already have a working Python and pip installation, Honcho can be installed with pip install honcho. [10]
devenvLets you declare packages, languages, services, tasks, secrets and tooling once, so every developer and CI gets the same reproducible environment. [11]Installs on Linux, macOS and WSL once Nix is installed. [11]
TiltLive updates deploy code to running containers in seconds, not minutes. [12]Open source. [12] Maintained by Docker, Inc. [12]

What indie hackers need from local dev server managers

Indie hackers often build alone, so one person may run a front end, a back end, a database and a background job on the same machine. The daily jobs are starting that whole set in one step, restarting one piece without stopping the rest, and reading the output of each piece without hunting through terminal windows.

Ports come up next. A second project may want a port that an old process still holds, and the developer needs to know which process it is. Side projects also run on whatever machine is at hand, so the operating system matters, and so does whether Node, Docker or tmux is already installed.

Some setups use containers, and some projects list their processes in a Procfile, a plain file that names each process. Cost matters too, so check each tool's own plans. The sections below say what each source states and nothing more.

DevWebUI for indie hackers

DevWebUI is made by the team that publishes this site. It lets you start, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs. [1] When a port is already taken, it shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask. [1] Errors from your servers are collected into one log that merges repeats and is kept across restarts, and each file and line in that log opens in your editor. [1] One small file in each repo lists the servers to run, and changes made to running processes in the dashboard are written back to that file. [1] If the last shutdown was not clean, the next launch loads your projects but starts nothing on its own. [1] A Docker stack can be started first, with DevWebUI waiting for its ports and setting database connection settings for the app. [1] DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [1] It is open source under the MIT License. [1]

Concurrently for indie hackers

Concurrently's page says it is written in Node.js, but that you can use it to run any commands. [3] Its page says npm can be replaced with yarn, pnpm, or Bun in its examples. [3] The command is also available under the shorthand alias conc. [3] For dashboards, port handling, or status views, check the Concurrently page directly, since those points decide what your project needs from it.

PM2 for indie hackers

PM2's page states a 99.9% uptime SLA, which is a service level agreement that sets an uptime target. [4] Its page says that paying yearly gives a 20% discount on the PM2 Plus subscription, and that this applies only to PM2 Plus. [13] Before you pay for anything, check which part of PM2 you would use, and read the table above for what the tool itself is described as doing.

hotel for indie hackers

Hotel is a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and provides local domains. [2] Hotel is installed with npm and started with hotel start. [2] Hotel's development can be supported on Patreon. [2] For its supported systems and what it needs, check the table above and its own page.

Docker Compose for indie hackers

Docker's page says its catalog of open source images is under Apache 2.0. [14] Docker Personal includes 100 Docker Hub pulls per hour and 1 private Docker Hub repo, among its included usage. [14] Check which plan, if any, your usage needs, and read the table above for what Compose itself does.

Matching the tool to the job

If the job is starting several servers in one step and watching them from one place, DevWebUI does that from a single dashboard. [1] A command-line tool can control the same servers without the dashboard. [1] If the job is letting an AI coding assistant start or stop servers, DevWebUI's connector offers 43 actions those assistants can use on the same servers. [1]

If the job is running a few commands together, Concurrently's page says it can run any commands, though it is written in Node.js. [3] If the job is reading server output in a terminal screen, Process Compose can be used through a terminal user interface or CLI modes. [9]

If the job is a project with a Procfile, Overmind's page says it needs tmux installed first. [6] It supports only Linux, *BSD, and macOS. [6] If the job is opening apps by local names in the browser, hotel's page says it starts apps from the browser and provides local domains. [2] If the job is a container stack that must start before the app servers, DevWebUI starts that stack first, waits for its ports and sets database connection settings for the app. [1] If the job is a port that another process still holds, DevWebUI shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask. [1] If the job is a Windows machine, DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app. [1] Its tray icon runs it in the background with Open, Restart and Quit options. [1]

Questions to ask before you choose

Which systems will you run it on? Overmind's page says it supports only Linux, *BSD, and macOS. [6] DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and on other systems it runs from source with Bun. [1] Check the systems each other tool lists on its own page.

Do you want a dashboard, a terminal screen, or both? Process Compose can be used through a terminal user interface or CLI modes. [9] DevWebUI gives you a dashboard with each server's status, CPU, memory and logs. [1]

Will a container stack need to start before your servers? DevWebUI can start the repo's Docker stack first and wait for its ports. [1] Check how each other tool handles stacks on its own page.

Will you pay for any part? PM2's page says that paying yearly gives a 20% discount on the PM2 Plus subscription, and that this applies only to PM2 Plus. [13] Read the plan details on each tool's page before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Can DevWebUI run on Windows, macOS and Linux?

DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and on other systems you run it from source with Bun. [1] On Windows, a tray icon runs it in the background, with Open, Restart and Quit options. [1] Overmind's page says it supports only Linux, *BSD, and macOS. [6] Check the systems each tool lists on its own page before you install anything.

Does PM2 Plus offer a yearly discount?

PM2's page says that paying yearly gives a 20% discount on the PM2 Plus subscription, and that this applies only to PM2 Plus. [13] The page also states a 99.9% uptime SLA, which is a service level agreement that sets an uptime target. [4] Read the plan details on its page before you decide which parts you need.

What does Overmind need before it runs?

Overmind works with tmux, so tmux must be installed first. [6] Its page says it supports only Linux, *BSD, and macOS. [6] Building it from source requires Go 1.21 or later. [6] If your system is not on that list, check the tool's own page before you start.

Can Concurrently run any commands for a project?

Concurrently's page says it is written in Node.js but can run any commands. [3] Its page says npm can be replaced with yarn, pnpm, or Bun in its examples. [3] The command is also available under the shorthand alias conc. [3] Check the commands you plan to run against its page, and check the page for anything else you need before you choose.

Is DevWebUI free and open source?

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [1] It is open source under the MIT License. [1] An anonymous install ping is sent with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1. [1] Decide whether that setting suits the environment you work in.

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [1]

Try DevWebUI

Sources

  1. DevWebUI's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  2. hotel, github.com/typicode/hotel, read 2026-10-07
  3. Concurrently, github.com/open-cli-tools/concurrently, read 2026-10-09
  4. PM2, pm2.keymetrics.io, read 2026-10-07
  5. Docker Compose, docs.docker.com/compose, read 2026-10-07
  6. Overmind, github.com/DarthSim/overmind, read 2026-10-07
  7. Foreman, ddollar.github.io/foreman, read 2026-10-07
  8. Foreman, github.com/ddollar/foreman, read 2026-10-07
  9. Process Compose, f1bonacc1.github.io/process-compose, read 2026-10-09
  10. Honcho, honcho.readthedocs.io/en/latest, read 2026-10-09
  11. devenv, devenv.sh, read 2026-10-20
  12. Tilt, tilt.dev, read 2026-10-07
  13. PM2, pm2.io/pricing, read 2026-10-07
  14. Docker Compose, docker.com/pricing, read 2026-10-07

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