Download Laragon — Portable Local Dev Stack for Windows PC v8.8.0 for Windows PC

Laragon is a portable local development stack for Windows with Apache or Nginx, PHP, MySQL, Node and automatic .test sites, making WordPress, Laravel and PHP...

Features

• Automatic .test virtual hosts remove manual hosts file and server configuration work, so new projects are reachable in a browser almost immediately after creation.
• Quick App installs make setting up WordPress, Laravel and other common projects much faster than manually creating databases, folders and configuration files.
• Version switching for PHP, databases and web servers helps developers match different client projects without maintaining several separate local stacks.
• The portable single-folder design makes backup, moving to another drive and understanding where projects and data live unusually straightforward.
• Built-in mail catcher and ngrok sharing are practical for testing forms, checkout emails and showing in-progress work to clients remotely.

Considerations

• Since version 7, unlicensed use is limited to non-commercial work and shows a licence popup on start, while commercial use requires a paid licence.
• Convenient local defaults are not production settings, so Laragon sites still need proper security, backup and performance work before public deployment.
• Laragon is Windows-focused, so teams working across macOS and Linux cannot use exactly the same local stack setup on every machine.

Laragon, built by developer Leo Khoa, bundles a complete local web stack into one portable folder for Windows: Apache or Nginx as the web server, MySQL, PHP and Node, plus supporting tools. Nothing is scattered across Windows services and system folders in the way traditional stacks spread themselves out, so the installation can be backed up, moved to another drive or copied to another PC as a single unit - though databases should still be backed up separately before any move.

Its signature convenience is automatic pretty URLs. With auto virtual hosts enabled, a project folder placed in Laragon's www root is immediately reachable at a matching .test domain - a folder called myproject answers at myproject.test - without editing the Windows hosts file or writing Apache or Nginx virtual host configuration by hand. Quick App installs go further, creating WordPress, Laravel and other common projects in a few clicks, including the database and configuration that would otherwise be manual steps.

The third pillar is version switching from the menu. You can add and swap PHP versions, and change web server and database versions, so a legacy site and a modern project can each run on the stack they expect. Built-in extras round it out: a mail catcher for testing contact forms and password resets locally, and sharing tools for showing in-progress work to someone outside your network.

Laragon is built for Windows-based PHP developers, especially freelancers and small teams juggling several WordPress, Laravel or general PHP projects at once. If your week involves starting new sites often, previewing client work, and keeping an older site alive on an older PHP version while a new one targets the current release, Laragon removes exactly that friction: new .test sites in seconds, one-click installs, and version switching without maintaining multiple separate stacks.

It also suits developers who value portability. Agencies that keep each client's stack self-contained, or developers who move between machines, benefit from a stack, projects and data that live together in one folder they can actually understand and back up.

It is not a free-for-everything tool, and not a production server. Since Laragon 7, unlicensed use is free for non-commercial use only, with a licence popup on start in the unlicensed version; commercial use needs a paid licence, per the vendor's own FAQ - so client and company work must budget for it. It is also Windows-focused, so a team spread across macOS and Linux cannot standardise on the identical setup everywhere. Finally, its convenient local defaults are deliberately not hardened production settings: security, backups and performance work still have to be done properly before anything built locally goes public. Treating a Laragon site as deployment-ready would be a mistake.

A freelancer needs a fresh WordPress site to show a client by the afternoon. He starts Laragon 8.8.0, dismisses the licence popup that appears in the unlicensed version - a reminder that this commercial job belongs on a paid licence - and clicks Start All so Apache, PHP and MySQL come up together. Instead of downloading WordPress, creating a database and editing configuration files by hand, he uses Quick App to install WordPress in a few clicks.

Within minutes the site answers on its automatic .test address, with no hosts file editing and no virtual host block to debug. He installs the client's theme, imports sample content, and tests the contact form - the built-in mail catcher captures the test messages locally, so he can confirm the form works without spamming a real inbox. When the site needs an older PHP version for a plugin the client insists on, he switches the PHP version from Laragon's menu, checks the site again, and switches back for his other project.

To get feedback, he shares the local site so the client can open it remotely and comment the same day. The concrete outcome: a working, previewable WordPress install created, tested and shared in a single session - with the honest caveat that this convenience setup still needs proper hardening before it ever becomes the live site.

Download laragon-wamp.exe for Laragon version 8.8.0 from the vendor and save it before running the setup.

Launch laragon-wamp.exe, choose an installation folder you can back up easily, and complete the setup with the default components.

Open Laragon and use Start All so Apache or Nginx, PHP and MySQL start together, then note the licence popup if you are using the unlicensed non-commercial mode.

Use Quick App to install WordPress or Laravel, or place a project in the www folder, then open its automatic .test address in your browser.

Is Laragon — Portable Local Dev Stack for Windows PC free?

No. Laragon — Portable Local Dev Stack for Windows PC is shareware from Laragon (Le Khoa): you can try it free for a limited trial period, but continued use requires buying a licence from the developer.

Why does Laragon show a licence popup when it starts?

Since Laragon 7 the program is no longer fully free. Unlicensed use is allowed for non-commercial work but shows a licence popup on start, and commercial use requires a paid licence. If you use Laragon for client or company work, budget for the licence instead of treating the popup as a bug.

How do Laragon's automatic .test domains work?

When Laragon's auto virtual hosts feature is on, a project folder placed in Laragon's www root becomes available at a matching address such as myproject.test, without you editing the Windows hosts file or writing an Apache or Nginx virtual host by hand. If a .test address stops resolving, check that Laragon is running and that the project folder name has not changed.

Can I run different PHP versions for different Laragon projects?

Yes, version switching is one of Laragon's main features. You can add and switch PHP versions, and also change web server and database versions, so an older WordPress site and a current Laravel project can each run on a stack that matches their requirements.

Can I move my Laragon installation and projects to another drive or PC?

Usually yes, because Laragon keeps the stack, projects and data together in one portable folder. Copy that folder, keep its structure intact, and start Laragon from the new location. Back up databases separately as well before any move, since a database is the one part you cannot recreate from project files.