You can install WordPress on Mac by using local development environments. There are different software programs that you can use to create a local development environment. Some of the most popular ones include Local by Flywheel, DevKinsta, MAMP, and XAMPP.
This article offers an overview of the best local development environment for installing WordPress on your Mac.
Local
Local is a top local development tool for WordPress. Its simple, intuitive interface is perfect for beginners.
Local offers many valuable features to make the environment powerful, fast, and efficient, including SSH & WP-CLI, a command-line interface for easily managing your WordPress site from the terminal.
The Mailcatcher feature is handy for testing how your WordPress site handles emails.
Besides, if you need to troubleshoot any issues with your WordPress site, Local by Flywheel can be very helpful. The PHP, NGINX, and MySQL logs are all available in the tool’s interface. This can make it much easier to identify and fix any problems on your site.
Here are some other cool features of Local By Flywheel:
- Cloud Backups: Backup and store your site’s files directly from Local to Google Drive or Dropbox.
- Image Optimizer: This add-on helps you optimize images on your WordPress site to improve load times.
- Quick Links: This feature offers you a swift and persistent URL to check the site’s responsiveness or review the site with colleagues.
- One-click Admin: A feature that allows you to easily access the admin area of your WordPress site with just one click.
Local By Flywheel is a great tool to easily install WordPress on a Mac. It offers features that simplify developing and managing WordPress sites.
DevKinsta
DevKinsta offers a solid local development environment for installing WordPress on Mac. Created by the experts behind Kinsta Hosting, it stands out as one of the top choices for managed WordPress hosting.
DevKinsta, similar to Local by Flywheel, boasts a user-friendly interface. It’s loaded with features that simplify developing WordPress sites.
DevKinsta excels with its one-click WordPress site creation. You can install and create a WordPress site in just a few clicks.
Other features of DevKinsta include:
- Multisite Support: You can easily create and manage multiple WordPress sites from a single DevKinsta account.
- Latest PHP Version: This feature allows you to use the latest version of PHP, which can help improve the performance of your WordPress site.
- Database Manager: The database manager lets you easily view, edit, and delete data from your WordPress database.
- Built-in Email Testing: This feature uses MailHog to test and enable you to see and debug outgoing emails.
DevKinsta is easy to install and use. It’s packed with features to help you develop WordPress sites efficiently on your Mac.
MAMP
MAMP is a popular, free, and open-source local development tool for installing WordPress on Mac.
MAMP isn’t explicitly optimized for WordPress, but you can still use it to develop and manage WordPress sites on your computer.
The MAMP software offers many features to simplify developing WordPress sites. It includes an Apache and Nginx server and a MySQL database, which you can use to install WordPress.
MAMP includes phpMyAdmin, a tool for managing your WordPress database. Key features of MAMP are:
One-click installation: MAMP Pro (the paid version) isn’t specifically for WordPress, but you can still install WordPress on your computer easily with a few clicks.
Other Features for WordPress: MAMP Pro for Mac includes additional features such as WordPress Publisher, WordPress Import, and WordPress server migration.
Virtual Hosts: This feature allows you to manage multiple WordPress sites using one MAMP installation.
SSL Support: Using MAMP, I can easily add SSL certificates to my WordPress site, making it more secure.
- MAMP for local development
- Apache, Nginx servers, MySQL database
- Features: phpMyAdmin, Virtual Hosts, SSL Support
XAMPP
XAMPP is a widely-used cross-platform local development environment. You can use it to install WordPress on Mac. It’s free and open-source software you can download from the internet. Read more.
XAMPP includes a WordPress module you can install to develop and manage WordPress sites on your computer. This module has many features to simplify site development.
- One-click Installation: With XAMPP, you can easily install WordPress on your computer with just a few clicks.
- Cross-Platform: XAMPP is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. This means that you can use it to develop WordPress sites on any platform.
- Extensive feature set: XAMPP is packed with many features like multi-author support, multilingual publishing, and up-to-date frameworks that can make developing WordPress sites easier.
Conclusion
Here are some top local development environments to install WordPress on Mac. Each has unique features and benefits to simplify developing WordPress sites.
Your choice depends on your needs and preferences. For a stronger solution, try Local by Flywheel or DevKinsta. For something lighter and versatile, consider MAMP or XAMPP.
No matter which option you choose, you can be sure you’ll develop WordPress sites easily on your Mac computer.