hotel vs Process Compose in 2026
Comparing hotel and Process Compose for local development: what each does, what each costs, how each is installed and what to check.
SayDeploy is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.
hotel starts apps from the browser and gives them local domains [1]. Process Compose is a scheduler and orchestrator for applications that do not run in containers [2]. DevWebUI starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard [3]. DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account [3].
| Option | What it does | Price | Dependencies | AI assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hotel | Starts apps from the browser and gives them local domains [1] | Not published; development can be supported on Patreon [1] | Requires Node to be installed [1] | Not stated in the facts here |
| Process Compose | Schedules and orchestrates non-containerized applications, with process recovery policies [2] [2] | Not published in the facts here [2] | A single binary written in Go with no other dependencies [2] | An integration for AI assistants [2] |
| DevWebUI | Starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard with status, CPU, memory and logs [3] | Free, and core features need no account [3] | Prebuilt Windows x64 app; other systems run it from source with Bun [3] | 43 tools let AI assistants control your dev servers [3] |
The short answer
hotel is a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and gives them local domains [1]. Process Compose is a scheduler and orchestrator for applications that do not run in containers [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, hotel's sources say it covers starting apps from the browser [1] and works on macOS, Linux and Windows [1]. Process Compose's sources describe it as a scheduler and orchestrator [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 hotel and Process Compose are built for
hotel's own page calls it a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and accesses them using local domains [1]. It works on macOS, Linux and Windows [1]. Hotel also provides access to local servers at localhost:2000. [1]
Process Compose's own page calls it a simple and flexible scheduler and orchestrator to manage non-containerized applications [2]. The sources here do not describe its install steps or routine use beyond what the comparison table covers.
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
hotel's page says its development can be supported on Patreon, a site where people fund the creators of a project [1]. The facts here give no price or paid plan for hotel, so none is published here.
No price or paid plan for Process Compose is published in the facts given here, so none is published in this comparison [2].
DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account [3]. It is open source under the MIT License [3]. No paid tier is stated in its sources.
Setting it up and daily use
hotel is installed with npm, a tool for installing JavaScript programs, and started with hotel start [1]. Hotel also provides access to local servers at localhost:2000. [1]
The sources here say nothing about its install steps or routine use beyond what the comparison table covers.
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, where Bun is a tool for running JavaScript projects [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: local dev servers during development, or applications that do not run in containers and need scheduling and coordination. hotel's page speaks of starting apps from the browser with local domains [1], Process Compose's page speaks of managing non-containerized applications as a scheduler and orchestrator, and DevWebUI's claims speak of local dev servers [3].
Check your operating system. hotel's page says it works on macOS, Linux and Windows [1], and DevWebUI has a prebuilt Windows x64 app while other systems run it from source with Bun [3].
Check cost and accounts. hotel's page mentions Patreon support for development [1]. The facts here give no price or account requirement for Process Compose, and DevWebUI is free with no account needed for core features [3].
Check what data leaves your machine. DevWebUI sends an anonymous install ping with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1 [3]. The facts here do not cover data handling for hotel or Process Compose, so check their own pages before relying on either in a sensitive setting.
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]. For hotel and Process Compose, check their own pages for access rules, since these facts do not cover them.
How to choose
If you need to start apps from the browser and reach them through local domains, hotel's page says that is what it does [1].
If you need to schedule and coordinate applications that do not run in containers, Process Compose's page describes that [2].
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 control your dev servers, DevWebUI lets AI assistants do that 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 hotel free to use?
The facts here give no price for hotel, so none is published here. hotel's page says its development can be supported on Patreon [1]. The page describes hotel as a simple process manager for developers that starts apps from the browser and gives them local domains [1]. For current pricing or any paid option, check the project's own pages before you rely on it for work that matters to you.
Is Process Compose free to use?
No price is published in the facts here for Process Compose. Its page describes it as a simple and flexible scheduler and orchestrator for managing non-containerized applications [2]. Because it is written in Go, it is a single binary file with no other dependencies [2]. Whether an account or a paid plan is involved is not covered by these facts, so check the project's own pages for current terms before you choose.
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 [3]. Check the project's own pages if you need more detail on future plans.
How do you install hotel and Process Compose?
hotel is installed with npm and started with hotel start [1]. Process Compose is a single binary file written in Go with no other dependencies [2]. On Windows, DevWebUI is installed by downloading devwebui-windows-x64.exe from GitHub Releases, and on any operating system you run bun install and then bun run dev [3]. Other systems run DevWebUI from source with Bun [3].
Can AI assistants work with hotel, Process Compose or DevWebUI?
DevWebUI lets AI assistants control your dev servers through 43 tools, using the same background service as the dashboard [3]. The comparison table above covers what the facts here say about AI assistants for each tool. For hotel and Process Compose, check the project's own pages before relying on any assistant feature, since these facts do not describe how one would work.
DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [3]
Try DevWebUISources
Related comparisons
- Best local dev server managers in 2026
- Best local dev server managers for devtools authors in 2026
- Best local dev server managers for full-stack developers in 2026
- Best local dev server managers for monorepo teams in 2026
- Concurrently alternatives in 2026
- Concurrently vs Docker Compose in 2026
- Concurrently vs Foreman in 2026
- Concurrently vs Honcho in 2026: Pricing, Setup and Features
- Concurrently vs hotel in 2026: Pricing, Setup and Features
- Concurrently vs Overmind in 2026