DDEV vs devenv

DDEV is a free, open-source local development environment for people who build websites. It launches Docker-based projects for PHP and Node.js on macOS, Windows, and Linux. A project can be started, customized, shared, and extended, with compose workflows, IDE integration, and resource controls. The supported stack includes PHP, Node.js, MySQL, PostgreSQL, nginx, Apache, Redis, and Mailpit. Presets cover Laravel, WordPress, Drupal, TYPO3, Backdrop, Magento, Craft CMS, and other projects. Its router manages custom domain names and HTTPS automatically. Add-ons, lifecycle hooks, and user-supplied Dockerfiles provide extension points. Provider recipes and integrations include Acquia, Git, Lagoon, local files, Pantheon, Upsun, and rsync. DDEV concentrates on local development and does not deploy code. Public hosting is described as experimental, without backing from a security team. Support is available through documentation, GitHub issues, Discord, and contact options.

devenv uses Nix to define development environments for teams and CI. A project configuration can specify packages, languages, services, tasks, secrets, variables, files, and shell scripts. The project lists 58 supported languages and 42 preconfigured services, including PostgreSQL, Redis, MySQL, RabbitMQ, and Elasticsearch. Processes can be supervised with dependencies and restarts, while tasks can run in parallel and integrate with shells or commits. SecretSpec can read declared secrets from sources such as Keychain, 1Password, LastPass, dotenv, and environment variables. devenv can build OCI containers and run integration tests with its processes active; documentation also describes GitHub Actions use for checks, builds, and tests. It requires Nix and works on Linux, macOS, and WSL. As of devenv 2.4, the project no longer builds, tests, or releases it for Intel Macs. Projects must be explicitly trusted before automatic activation. The software is free and MIT licensed, with GitHub and Discord linked for help and community. Cached shell startup is listed as under 100 ms after the first build; devenv Cloud is in private beta.