---
{"title": "Foreman vs Process Compose in 2026", "description": "Foreman and Process Compose compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before you pick one for your dev servers.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/foreman-vs-process-compose/", "date": "2026-10-20"}
---
Foreman and Process Compose compared on what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check before you pick one for your dev servers.

Foreman is a manager for Procfile based applications, Process Compose is a scheduler and orchestrator for non-containerized applications, and DevWebUI is a dashboard for starting, stopping and monitoring local dev servers.

| Option | Free to use | Paid plan | Account | Install |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreman | Foreman is licensed under the MIT license [^1] | Not published | Not needed | gem install foreman [^1] |
| Process Compose | Not published | Not published | Not needed | Single binary file written in Go with no other dependencies [^2] |
| DevWebUI | Free, core features need no account [^3] | No paid tier is stated; it is free [^3] | Not needed for core features [^3] | devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, or bun install then bun run dev [^3] |

## The short answer

Foreman is a manager for Procfile based applications [^4]. Process Compose is a scheduler and orchestrator for managing non-containerized applications [^2]. DevWebUI lets a developer start, stop and restart local dev servers from one dashboard, and see each one's status, CPU, memory and logs [^3].

On needs, Foreman's page says it covers managing Procfile based applications [^4], abstracting away the details of the Procfile format [^4], running applications directly or exporting them to other process management formats [^4], running one-off commands [^4] and supporting various output formats [^4]. Process Compose's page covers scheduling and orchestrating non-containerized applications [^2], running as a single binary file with no other dependencies [^2], offering a REST API with optional token authentication [^2], running scheduled processes [^2], integrating an MCP server for AI assistants [^2], health checks [^2], terminal user interface and CLI modes [^2], process recovery policies [^2], file watching [^2] and dependency graph visualization [^2]. DevWebUI's sources cover a dashboard for starting and watching local servers [^3], a small file in each repo that lists the servers to run [^3] and a way for AI assistants to control your dev servers through 43 tools [^3].

## What Foreman, Process Compose is built for

Foreman's own page calls it a manager for Procfile based applications [^4]. Its aim is to abstract away the details of the Procfile format [^4]. It allows you to either run your application directly or export it to some other process management format [^4]. It supports running one-off commands using the same environment as your defined processes [^4]. It currently supports output formats including bluepill, inittab, launchd, runit, supervisord, systemd, and upstart [^4]. It can be installed with the command gem install foreman [^1]. Version 0.90.0 is dated July 2025 [^4]. It was created and maintained by David Dollar [^1] and copyrighted by David Dollar in 2010 [^4]. Process Compose's own page calls it a simple and flexible scheduler and orchestrator to manage non-containerized applications [^2]. Since it is written in Go, it is a single binary file and has no other dependencies [^2]. It provides a terminal user interface or CLI modes [^2]. It includes a REST API with optional token authentication [^2], scheduled processes for both cron and interval based tasks [^2], an MCP server integration for AI assistants [^2], liveness and readiness health checks [^2], process recovery policies [^2], file watching to restart a process when its files change with optional cascading to dependents [^2] and dependency graph visualization in its CLI, TUI, and API [^2].

## 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 [^3]. One small file per repo lists the servers to run, and processes changed in the GUI are written back to that file [^3]. When a port is already taken, it shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask [^3]. 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 [^3]. Errors are collected into one log that merges repeats and is kept across restarts, and each file:line link opens in your editor [^3]. 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 [^3]. You can also set threshold alert rules and see a history of the alerts that fired [^3]. AI assistants can control your dev servers through 43 tools, using the same background service as the dashboard [^3].

## Pricing and fees

The sources given here do not state any dollar price or subscription fee for Foreman, so its price is not published here [^1]. The sources given here do not state any dollar price or subscription fee for Process Compose, so its price is not published here [^2]. DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account [^3]. It is open source under the MIT License [^3]. No paid tier price is stated in its sources.

## Setting it up and daily use

Foreman can be installed with the command gem install foreman [^1]. Process Compose runs as a single binary file with no other dependencies because it is written in Go [^2], and can be used through a terminal user interface or CLI modes [^2]. On Windows, DevWebUI is installed by downloading devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases [^3]. On any operating system, you run bun install and then bun run dev [^3]. There is a prebuilt Windows x64 app, other systems run it from source with Bun, and the tray app is Windows-only for now [^3]. On Windows, a tray icon keeps DevWebUI running in the background and has Open, Restart and Quit options [^3]. Daily, you control servers from the dashboard [^3] or from a devwebui command-line tool that lets you control servers without the dashboard [^3]. If the last shutdown was not clean, the next launch loads your projects but starts nothing automatically [^3].

## Things to check before you choose

Ask what you need the tool to manage: Procfile based applications, non-containerized applications or local dev servers. Foreman manages Procfile based applications [^4], Process Compose schedules and orchestrates non-containerized applications [^2], and DevWebUI's claims speak of local dev servers [^3]. Check your operating system. DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app, and other systems run it from source with Bun [^3]. Check cost and accounts. Foreman and Process Compose source facts do not state a paid plan, and DevWebUI core features need no account [^3]. Check what data leaves your machine. DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 [^3]. Check Foreman and Process Compose own pages for their 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 [^3].

## How to choose

If you need a manager for Procfile based applications, Foreman's page says that is its purpose [^4]. If you want to run applications directly or export them to other process management formats, Foreman supports that [^4]. If you need a scheduler and orchestrator for managing non-containerized applications, Process Compose describes that [^2]. If you want a single binary file with no other dependencies written in Go [^2], with scheduled processes [^2], health checks [^2] and file watching [^2], Process Compose's page describes those features. 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 [^3]. If you want a small file in your repo that lists the servers to run [^3], with Docker services started first [^3], DevWebUI's claims describe that. If you want an AI assistant to work with the tool, Process Compose has an MCP server integration for AI assistants [^2], and DevWebUI lets AI assistants control your dev servers through 43 tools [^3]. If you want a free tool with no account for core features, DevWebUI's claims say that [^3].

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Foreman free to use?

Foreman is licensed under the MIT license [^1]. It was created and maintained by David Dollar [^1] and copyrighted in 2010 [^4]. Its version 0.90.0 is dated July 2025 [^4]. The sources given here do not state any dollar price or subscription fee for Foreman, so its price is not published here [^1].

### Is Process Compose free to use?

Process Compose is written in Go as a single binary file with no other dependencies [^2]. It offers a terminal user interface or CLI modes [^2], a REST API with optional token authentication [^2] and an MCP server integration for AI assistants [^2]. The sources given here do not state any dollar price or subscription fee for Process Compose, so its price is not published here [^2].

### Is DevWebUI free and open source?

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account [^3]. It is open source under the MIT License [^3]. The sources here do not state any paid tier, so the only price they give is free. Check the project's own pages if you need more detail on future plans.

### How do you install Foreman, Process Compose and DevWebUI?

Foreman can be installed with the command gem install foreman [^1]. Process Compose runs as a single binary file with no other dependencies because it is written in Go [^2]. 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 [^3]. Other systems run DevWebUI from source with Bun [^3].

### Can Process Compose or DevWebUI work with AI assistants?

Process Compose has an MCP server integration for AI assistants [^2]. DevWebUI lets AI assistants control your dev servers through 43 tools [^3], using the same background service as the dashboard. Check each project's pages for details on compatibility and configuration before connecting assistants in your workspace.

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [^3] - [Visit DevWebUI](/go/start)

## Sources

[^1]: Foreman, github.com/ddollar/foreman, read 2026-10-07 (https://github.com/ddollar/foreman)
[^2]: Process Compose, f1bonacc1.github.io/process-compose, read 2026-10-09 (https://f1bonacc1.github.io/process-compose)
[^3]: DevWebUI's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)
[^4]: Foreman, ddollar.github.io/foreman, read 2026-10-07 (https://ddollar.github.io/foreman/)