ServBay vs MAMP/MAMP Pro

Are you looking for an alternative to MAMP/MAMP Pro and considering a switch to ServBay? ServBay stands out with several advantages including support for multiple PHP versions, Node.js, a wide range of software versions, rapid version switching, local DNS, and an independent development package. Let’s delve into a detailed comparison to see why ServBay might be the better choice for your needs.
Download ServBay 1.6.0
ServBay is free and is compatible with macOS 12 or newer
ServBay vs MAMP/MAMP Pro
Features\Products ServBay ServBay Pro MAMP MAMP Pro
Pricing
Pricing free $99 free $99
Free version 5 hosts, Ulimited functions / 1 host, Limited functions /
Free trial / 14 days / 14 days
Functions
macOS support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Native macOS App Swift + SwiftUI Swift + SwiftUI Cocoa + Objective-C Cocoa + Objective-C
Install package size 13 MB 13 MB 428 MB 428 MB
Package upgradeable ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❗️limited
Security updates ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No, outdated version
Oprating System
Non-intrusive ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Launch at login ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Start with system ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
CLI support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
APP GUI
Newbie friendly ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Quick control/Menubar ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Service control panel ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Multilingual ✅ Yes, 12 languages ✅ Yes, 12 languages ❌ No ❌ No
Easy to use APP ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Configurable via GUI ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Easy backup ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Hosts / Websites
Configurable via GUI ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Multiple Hosts ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Max Hosts 5 unlimited 1 unlimited
Custom Domains ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Custom TLDs ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Multiple Domains/Alias ❌ No ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
SSL support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Free private/self-sign SSL ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Local private/self-sign CA ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Selectable PHP Version ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Static Web Support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Reverse Proxy ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Docker/Node.js Proxy ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Redirection(301/302) ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Programing Languages
PHP support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Multiple PHP versions 5.6 - 8.4 5.6 - 8.4 7.4/8.2 5.4/5.6/7.3/7.4/8.1/8.2
PHP 8.4 ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Multiple PHP instances ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Instantly switch PHP versions ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Node.js support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Node.js 22 ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Multiple Node.js versions 12 - 22 12 - 22 / /
Instantly switch Node.js versions ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Web Servers
Apache HTTPd ❌ No ❌ No ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
NGINX ❗️ No, Coming soon ❗️ No, Coming soon ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Caddy ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Databases
MySQL support ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No ✅ Yes
Multiple MySQL versions / / ❌ No ❌ No
Instantly switch MySQL versions ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No
MariaDB support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Multiple MariaDB versions 10.4 - 11.5 10.4 - 11.5 / /
Instantly switch MariaDB versions ✅ Yes ✅ Yes / /
PostgreSQL support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Multiple PostgreSQL versions 10 - 16 10 - 16 / /
Instantly switch PostgreSQL versions ✅ Yes ✅ Yes / /
Redis support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Memcached support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
SQLite 3 ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Tools
phpMyAdmin ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Adminer ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
OpenSSL ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Composer ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
cURL ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
npm ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
pnpm ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
yarn ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Mail Server
Built-in Mail Server ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
DNS
Built-in DNS Server ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Custom domains 5 unlimited ❌ No ❌ No
hosts file manage GUI ❌ No ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
host domain resolution via /etc/hosts ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
host domain resolution via local Built-in DNS Server ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Common PHP Modules
APC/APCu ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
xDebug ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
opcache ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
IMAP ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
gd ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
cURL ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
OpenLDAP ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
mysql ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
pgsql ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
sqlite ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
pdo-* ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
sodium ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
MongoDB ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
redis ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
memcache ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
memcached ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
imagick ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Phalcon ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Swoole ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Tunnels/Reverse Proxy
Cloudflared ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
frpc ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
Development tools
Development Library ✅ Yes, Independent package ✅ Yes, Independent package ❌ No ✅ Yes, built-in
Re-Compile support ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Additional PHP Extensions Compile ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Support
Documents ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Community ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No
E-Mail ❌ No ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Pay support ❌ No ✅ Yes ❌ No ✅ Yes
Discord/Telegram ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No ❌ No

Pricing and Accessibility

ServBay offers a free version with five hosts and unlimited functions, a clear advantage over MAMP/MAMP Pro's single host limitation and function restrictions in its free version. While both offer paid options, ServBay's free offerings are more generous, making it a more cost-effective solution, especially for users requiring multiple hosts.

Hosting Features

ServBay excels with its hosting capabilities, allowing up to 5 hosts for free and supporting custom domains, SSL, and local private CA. In contrast, MAMP/MAMP Pro requires a paid version for similar features. This makes ServBay a more versatile and secure choice for hosting needs.

Support for Programming Languages

One of ServBay's standout features is its support for multiple PHP versions (from 5.6 to 8.4) and Node.js, along with the ability to run multiple PHP instances and instantly switch PHP and Node.js versions. MAMP/MAMP Pro, however, limits these features, offering fewer PHP versions and lacking Node.js support altogether.

Database Management

ServBay supports MariaDB, PostgreSQL , and Redis with the ability to switch between different versions instantly, a feature not available in MAMP/MAMP Pro. This flexibility is crucial for developers working with various database technologies and versions.

Development Tools and Extras

ServBay offers a range of tools and special abilities like built-in mail and DNS servers, support for common PHP modules like MongoDB, and reverse proxy tools like Cloudflared and frpc. These features, particularly the independent development package, give ServBay an edge over MAMP/MAMP Pro, enhancing its utility for developers.

User Experience and Support

Both platforms are user-friendly. However, ServBay's commitment to a multilingual interface, easy backup, and comprehensive support through community, email, and paid support channels provides a more accommodating environment for a diverse user base.

In summary, ServBay stands out with its generous free version, robust hosting features, extensive support for programming languages and databases, a wide array of development tools, and superior user support. These aspects make ServBay a compelling alternative to MAMP/MAMP Pro, especially for those seeking versatility, scalability, and comprehensive development features.
Download ServBay 1.6.0
ServBay is free and is compatible with macOS 12 or newer
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