--- {"title": "DevWebUI vs Honcho in 2026: Pricing, Setup and Features", "description": "DevWebUI and Honcho compared on what each does, what it costs and how it is installed for developers who manage their dev servers.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/devwebui-vs-honcho/", "date": "2026-10-19"} --- DevWebUI and Honcho compared on what each does, what it costs and how it is installed for developers who manage their dev servers. Honcho is a Python port of David Dollar's Foreman for managing and running Procfile-based applications [^1]. DevWebUI starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard, and shows each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [^2]. Honcho is a Python tool installed with pip [^1], while DevWebUI is free, with core features that need no account [^2]. Honcho's price is not published in the facts here, so it is not given on this page. | Option | Free to use | Paid plan | Account | Install | |---|---|---|---|---| | Honcho | Price not published in the facts here | Price not published in the facts here | Not stated in the facts here | pip install honcho [^1] | | DevWebUI | Free, core features need no account [^2] | No paid tier is stated; it is free [^2] | Not needed for core features [^2] | devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, or bun install then bun run dev [^2] | ## The short answer Honcho is a Python port of David Dollar's Foreman for managing and running Procfile-based applications [^1]. DevWebUI starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard, and shows each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [^2]. On needs, Honcho's page says it is a Python port of David Dollar's Foreman [^1], and that it also works as a Python library and API that runs several external processes and shows their output together [^1]. DevWebUI's claims cover a dashboard for starting and watching local servers [^2], a small file per repo that lists the servers to run [^2] and a way for AI assistants to control the servers through 43 tools [^2]. ## What Honcho is built for Honcho's own page calls it a Python port of David Dollar's Foreman [^1]. Its page also says Honcho works as a Python library and API for running multiple external processes and showing their output together [^1]. It supports invocation as a Python module via runpy [^1]. The page describes installation with pip for anyone with a working Python and pip installation [^1]. The facts here do not go beyond this, so this page does not describe other Honcho features, pricing or dashboards. For those, a developer should read Honcho's own page. ## What DevWebUI is built for 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 [^2]. One small file per repo lists the servers to run, and processes changed in the GUI are written back to that file [^2]. When a port is already taken, it shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask [^2]. You can open any server it manages through one DevWebUI address on your own machine, and live page reloading in your browser keeps working through it [^2]. Errors are collected into one log that merges repeats and is kept across restarts, and each file:line link opens in your editor [^2]. A setting in the repo file can start the project's Docker services first, such as a database, wait until they are ready and pass their connection settings to your servers [^2]. You can also set threshold alert rules and see a history of the alerts that fired [^2]. AI assistants can control your dev servers through 43 tools, using the same background service as the dashboard [^2]. ## Pricing and fees Honcho's page given here does not state a price, so its cost is not published here. Where a price is not published, a developer should check Honcho's own page and package listings before relying on a budget. DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account [^2]. It is open source under the MIT License [^2]. No paid tier price is stated in its sources. ## Setting it up and daily use Honcho can be installed with pip, and its page assumes a working Python and pip installation [^1]. It is also a Python library or API that runs several external processes at once and shows their output together [^1], and it can be invoked as a Python module via runpy [^1]. The facts here give no more detail on Honcho's day to day use, so check its own page for examples. On Windows, DevWebUI is installed by downloading devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases [^2]. On any operating system, you run bun install and then bun run dev [^2]. There is a prebuilt Windows x64 app, other systems run it from source with Bun, and the tray app is Windows-only for now [^2]. On Windows, a tray icon keeps DevWebUI running in the background and has Open, Restart and Quit options [^2]. Daily, you control servers from the dashboard [^2] or from a devwebui command-line tool that lets you control servers without the dashboard [^2]. If the last shutdown was not clean, the next launch loads your projects but starts nothing automatically [^2]. ## Things to check before you choose Ask what you need the tool to manage. Honcho's page speaks of a Python port of David Dollar's Foreman [^1], while DevWebUI's claims speak of local dev servers [^2]. Check your operating system. DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and other systems run it from source with Bun [^2]. Honcho needs a working Python and pip installation [^1]. Check cost and accounts. DevWebUI is free with no account for core features [^2], while Honcho's price is not published in the facts here. Check what data leaves your machine. DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 [^2]. Check Honcho's own page for its data handling, since the facts here do not cover it. Check access control if others can reach the tool. DevWebUI can be set to ask for a key before other programs can control it, and a browser gets that key by typing a 6-digit pairing code, with a few listed exceptions [^2]. ## How to choose If you want a Python port of David Dollar's Foreman, Honcho's page describes that [^1]. If you work in Python and want a library that runs several external processes and shows their output together, Honcho's page describes that [^1]. If you want to start, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard with status, CPU, memory and logs, DevWebUI's claims describe that [^2]. If you want a small file in your repo that lists the servers to run [^2], with Docker services started first [^2], DevWebUI's claims describe that. If you want an AI assistant to control the tool, DevWebUI lets AI assistants control your dev servers through 43 tools [^2]. Honcho's facts here do not mention AI assistants, so check its page if that matters. If you want a free tool with no account for core features, DevWebUI's claims say that [^2]. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Honcho free to use? The Honcho facts given here do not state a price, so its cost is not published on this page. Honcho can be installed with pip [^1], but its page does not state pricing or plans. Check Honcho's own page and package listing for the current price before you rely on a budget. ### Is DevWebUI free and open source? DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account [^2]. It is open source under the MIT License [^2]. The sources here do not state any paid tier, so the only price they give is free [^2]. Check the project's own pages if you need detail on future plans. ### How do you install Honcho and DevWebUI? Honcho is installed with pip, and its page assumes a working Python and pip installation [^1]. On Windows, DevWebUI is installed by downloading devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, and on any OS you run bun install and then bun run dev [^2]. Other systems run DevWebUI from source with Bun [^2]. ### Can Honcho or DevWebUI work with AI assistants like Claude? DevWebUI lets AI assistants control your dev servers through 43 tools [^2]. The Honcho facts given here do not mention AI assistants, so this page does not say whether Honcho works with them. Check Honcho's own page if using an AI assistant with the tool matters to you. ### What does Honcho do for a developer? Honcho is a Python port of David Dollar's Foreman [^1]. It also works as a Python library and API that runs several external processes and shows their output together [^1], and it can be invoked as a Python module via runpy [^1]. DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [^2] - [Visit DevWebUI](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: Honcho, honcho.readthedocs.io, read 2026-10-09 (https://honcho.readthedocs.io) [^2]: DevWebUI's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)