SayDeploy Plain comparisons of developer tools, AI coding tools included

DevWebUI vs hotel in 2026

DevWebUI and hotel compared for local dev servers: what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before you pick.

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

Hotel is a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and provides local domains [1]. DevWebUI starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard [2]. DevWebUI is free [2]. Hotel's sources here state no price.

OptionPriceInstallPlatforms
hotelNot published; development can be supported on Patreon [1]npm install -g hotel && hotel start [1]macOS, Linux and Windows [1]
DevWebUIFree, core features need no account [2]devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, or bun install then bun run dev [2]Prebuilt Windows x64 app; other systems run from source with Bun [2]

The short answer

Hotel is a simple process manager for developers [1]. It starts apps from your browser and gives them local domains [1]. DevWebUI lets a developer start, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [2].

On needs, hotel's page says it works on macOS, Linux and Windows [1], gives HTTPS through a local self-signed certificate [1] and supports wildcard subdomains [1]. DevWebUI's sources cover a dashboard for starting and watching local servers [2], a small file in each repo that lists the servers to run [2] and a way for AI assistants to control your dev servers through 43 tools [2].

What hotel is built for

Hotel's own page calls it a simple process manager for developers, where you start apps from your browser and reach them through local domains [1]. Servers are only started when you access them [1].

It works on macOS, Linux and Windows [1]. It provides HTTPS through a local self-signed SSL certificate [1] and supports wildcard subdomains under a project's .localhost domain [1]. Its proxy can map local domains to remote servers [1].

The page says you do not need to mess with port 80, /etc/hosts, sudo or additional software [1]. Hotel also provides access to local servers at localhost:2000. [1] Hotel requires Node to be installed [1].

What DevWebUI is built for

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 [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 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

Hotel's sources here state no price, so its price is not published here. Its page says its development can be supported on Patreon [1]. That line does not say whether hotel itself costs anything.

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

Hotel is installed with npm and started with npm install -g hotel && hotel start [1], and it requires Node to be installed [1]. Day to day, you start apps from your browser through local domains [1], and servers only start when you access them [1]. localhost:2000 reaches your servers [1].

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 runs the background service and has Open, Restart and Quit options [2].

Daily, you control servers from the dashboard [2] or from a devwebui command-line tool [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

Check your operating system. Hotel's page lists macOS, Linux and Windows [1]. DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and other systems run it from source with Bun [2].

Check what you need installed first. Hotel requires Node [1], and DevWebUI's source route uses Bun [2].

Check how you want to reach servers: local domains and HTTPS [1], or one DevWebUI address on your machine [2].

Check what data leaves your machine. DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 [2]. Check hotel's own pages 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 require a credential, and a browser gets a key by typing a 6-digit pairing code [2].

How to choose

If you want apps opened from your browser through local domains, hotel's page describes that [1].

If you want HTTPS on local domains with a self-signed certificate, hotel's page says it provides that [1].

If you want local domains mapped to remote servers, hotel's page describes its proxy [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 listing the servers to run [2], with Docker services started first [2], DevWebUI's claims describe that.

If you want AI assistants to control your dev servers, DevWebUI's claims describe 43 tools [2].

If you want a free tool with no account for core features, DevWebUI's claims say that [2].

Frequently asked questions

Is hotel free to use?

Hotel's sources here state no price, so its price is not published here. Its page says its development can be supported on Patreon [1]. That does not say whether hotel itself costs anything, so check its own pages before you rely on it.

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. Check the project's own pages for future plans.

How do you install hotel and DevWebUI?

Hotel is installed with npm install -g hotel && hotel start, and it requires Node [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].

Does hotel work on Windows, macOS and Linux?

Hotel's page says it works on macOS, Linux and Windows [1]. DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and on other systems you run it from source with Bun [2]. Check which route suits the machine you use.

Does DevWebUI send any data about the machine?

DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 [2]. Its sources here say nothing further about data collection. For hotel, the facts here do not cover data handling, so check its own pages before relying on either tool in a sensitive setting.

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [2]

Try DevWebUI

Sources

  1. hotel, github.com/typicode/hotel, read 2026-10-07
  2. DevWebUI's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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