SayDeploy Plain comparisons of developer tools, AI coding tools included

Best local dev server managers for monorepo teams in 2026

Compare PM2, hotel, Docker Compose, Overmind, DevWebUI and others to run local servers in a monorepo. Questions to ask before picking.

By SayDeploy ·

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

A side‑by‑side look at PM2, Docker Compose, Overmind, hotel and DevWebUI for monorepo development.

OptionWhat its source says it doesWhere it runs or what it needs
PM2Daemon process manager that helps manage applications and keep them online 24/7 [1]Installed globally with npm [1]
Docker ComposeDefines and runs multi‑container applications [2]Works in production, staging, development, testing and CI workflows [2]
OvermindProcess manager for Procfile‑based applications and tmux [3]Supports Linux, *BSD and macOS only [3] and requires tmux [3]
hotelSimple process manager that starts apps from the browser and provides local domains [4]Works on macOS, Linux and Windows [4] and requires Node [4]
DevWebUIStart, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [5]Prebuilt Windows x64 app; on other systems runs from source with Bun [5]

What monorepo teams need from local dev server managers

Monorepo teams often run many related services at the same time, such as front‑end dev servers, API backends, databases and auxiliary workers. They need a way to start all required processes with a single action and to restart a single service without stopping the rest. They also need visibility into which process is using which port so that conflicts can be resolved quickly. The operating system matters because some tools only run on certain platforms, and some require extra software like Node or tmux. Teams also consider whether a tool is open source, free for development, or requires a paid plan. Finally, they look for a way to persist changes to the list of services so that the configuration stays in version control.

DevWebUI for monorepo teams

DevWebUI is made by the team that publishes this site. It lets you start, stop and restart your local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [5]. It stores a small file per repo that lists the servers to run, and writes any changes made in the GUI back to that file [5]. When a port is already taken, it shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask [5]. It can start the repo's Docker stack first, wait for its ports and set environment variables for the app to use [5]. The core product is free and needs no account [5]. It is open source under the MIT License [5]. A prebuilt Windows x64 app is provided; on other systems it runs from source with Bun [5].

PM2 for monorepo teams

It can be installed globally with npm [1]. PM2 Plus does not offer any free plan, but PM2 Runtime remains free as it is open source [6].

Docker Compose for monorepo teams

Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi‑container applications [2]. It lets you manage services, networks and volumes in a single YAML configuration file [2]. With a single command, Compose creates and starts all the services from the configuration file [2]. The page lists 100 Docker Hub pulls per hour and 1 private Docker Hub repo among its included usage [7].

Overmind for monorepo teams

Overmind is a process manager for Procfile‑based applications and tmux [3]. It starts processes in a tmux session so you can connect to any process and gain control over it [3]. Overmind can restart a single process on the fly [3]. It can let a specified process die without interrupting all the other processes [3]. Overmind can automatically restart specified processes when they die [3]. Overmind currently supports only Linux, *BSD and macOS [3]. Overmind requires tmux to be installed first [3].

hotel for monorepo teams

Hotel is a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and provides local domains [4]. It works on macOS, Linux and Windows [4]. Hotel provides HTTPS via a local self‑signed SSL certificate [4]. It supports wildcard subdomains [4] and can map local domains to remote servers via proxy [4]. Hotel does not require messing with port 80, /etc/hosts, sudo or additional software [4]. Hotel servers are only started when accessed [4]. Hotel is installed with npm and started with hotel start [4].

Matching the tool to the job

If a team wants a single graphical view of all processes and resource usage, DevWebUI provides that view and control [5]. If a team needs to keep a persistent list of services in version control, DevWebUI writes changes back to a repo file [5]. When port conflicts are frequent, DevWebUI can detect the holder and free the port on request [5]. For teams that already use Docker in their stack, Docker Compose can define and start the whole container set [2], and with a single command it creates and starts all the services from the configuration file [2]. When a workflow is based on Procfile and tmux, Overmind can manage processes [3], and it can restart a single process on the fly [3]. When developers want to start apps from a browser, Hotel provides local domains and starts apps from the browser [4].

Questions to ask before you choose

What operating systems does the team use and does the tool run on all of them? Does the tool require additional software such as Node, tmux or Docker to be installed first? How does the tool handle port conflicts and does it give visibility into which process holds a port? Can the tool store the list of services in a file that can be version controlled? What licensing model does the tool use and are the core features free for development?

Frequently asked questions

Which local dev server manager runs on Windows, macOS and Linux?

Hotel works on macOS, Linux and Windows [4]. Overmind supports Linux, *BSD and macOS only [3]. DevWebUI provides a prebuilt Windows x64 app and runs from source with Bun on other platforms [5].

Is PM2 free for local development?

PM2 Runtime remains free as it is open source [6]. PM2 Plus does not offer any free plan [6].

What does Docker Compose add for a monorepo stack?

Docker Compose defines and runs multi‑container applications [2]. It lets you manage services, networks and volumes in a single YAML file [2] and starts all services with one command [2].

Can a tool detect and resolve port conflicts?

DevWebUI shows which process holds an occupied port and can free the port if you ask [5].

Does DevWebUI require a paid subscription?

DevWebUI is free and its core features need no account [5]. It is open source under the MIT License [5].

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [5]

Try DevWebUI

Sources

  1. PM2, pm2.keymetrics.io, read 2026-10-07
  2. Docker Compose, docs.docker.com/compose, read 2026-10-07
  3. Overmind, github.com/DarthSim/overmind, read 2026-10-07
  4. hotel, github.com/typicode/hotel, read 2026-10-07
  5. DevWebUI's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  6. PM2, pm2.io/pricing, read 2026-10-07
  7. Docker Compose, docker.com/pricing, read 2026-10-07

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