Does Server by Zaweba work on Mac or Linux?

There is a separate build of Server by Zaweba for macOS and Linux. It gives you the same control panel as the Windows version, but runs Caddy as the web server with PHP-FPM for PHP 8.2 and 8.3, plus MariaDB or MySQL, Mailpit and Adminer. A few Windows features are left out, so it's worth knowing the differences before you switch machines.

The Windows version is built around Apache, four PHP versions and a set of Windows details such as the hosts file and the notification area. Bringing all of that across unchanged wasn't the aim. The Mac and Linux build keeps what matters day to day, a control panel that shows what's running and makes local sites easy, and uses tools that fit those systems.

What runs on a Mac or Linux PC

The web server is Caddy rather than Apache. PHP runs through PHP-FPM, in versions 8.2 and 8.3. The database depends on the machine: MariaDB on Linux x64, and MySQL 8.4 on a Mac and on Linux on Arm. Mailpit catches mail from PHP just as it does on Windows, and Adminer is there for managing databases.

These components are downloaded per user on first use rather than shipped inside the app, and each download is checked by SHA-256 before it's used. That keeps the app itself small and makes sure what arrives is what was expected.

What's left out

PHP 5.6 and 7.4 aren't in the Mac and Linux build. If you keep an old project going on one of those versions, the Windows version is the one to use for it.

.htaccess rewrites aren't supported either. They're an Apache feature, and Caddy handles requests its own way. Sites that rely on .htaccess for pretty addresses or redirects will need a closer look.

The extension tick boxes from the Windows PHP page are also left out, so extensions there come from the PHP that the build provides.

What's the same

The control panel is the heart of both. You see your services, start and stop them and look after your sites from one place. Mailpit means PHP's mail() still goes nowhere real, so contact forms can be tested safely. Adminer still gives you a browser view of your databases.

The approach is the same too: free software under the EULA, offline once the components are downloaded, and no account.

Choosing between them

If you're on Windows 10 or 11, use the Windows version. It has the fullest set of features: Apache with its configuration test before every change, all four PHP versions side by side with a version picker per site, extension tick boxes, local HTTPS with its own certificate authority, port conflict detection that names the program in the way, and a portable one-folder install of about 557 MB.

If you work on a Mac or a Linux PC and your sites run on PHP 8.2 or 8.3 without .htaccess rules, the Mac and Linux build covers the everyday jobs of local development. If you move between the two, keep your projects on 8.2 or 8.3 and avoid relying on .htaccess, and a site has the best chance of working on both without changes.

Either way, Server by Zaweba keeps a local stack simple to look after, whichever computer is on your desk.