Local
Local (often called LocalWP) is a free desktop app from WP Engine that creates a working WordPress site on your own computer in a few clicks, with local SSL, one-click admin login and shareable Live Links. It is the easiest way to practise, build client sites and test updates without touching a live server. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Tool
Web Development
WP Engine
Minutes to set up
Beginner
Free
What Local does
Local is a desktop application for building WordPress sites on your own machine. You click to create a site, pick a PHP version, web server and database settings (or accept the defaults), and a few moments later you have a working WordPress install with its own local address. The home page lists features including local SSL, Live Links for sharing a site in progress with a client over a temporary public URL, Blueprints to save a configured site (theme, plugins, settings) and reuse it as a starter, Mailpit to catch outgoing emails so contact forms can be tested, Xdebug support for step debugging PHP, an image optimiser and an add-ons marketplace.
Why develop locally at all
Editing a live site directly is how client sites get broken on a Friday evening. A local copy lets you try a theme, update plugins, write code and break things with no visitors watching. It is also faster than working over FTP and it works offline. Once a change works locally, you move it to a staging copy and then to the live site.
Is it worth your time?
For anyone learning WordPress or building sites for clients, yes. It removes the hardest part for beginners, which is setting up PHP, a database and a web server by hand. Experienced developers often move to Docker-based tools such as wp-env or DDEV for team projects and version-controlled setups, but many keep Local for quick sites and demos.
Free or paid
As of 2026-09 Local is free. Its Pro page says features that used to require a paid subscription became free for everyone in June 2021. WP Engine makes it and connects it to its hosting, and some add-ons integrate with other services, but you do not need a WP Engine account to use it.
Prerequisites and time
None beyond a reasonably modern laptop. Downloads are available for Mac (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows and Linux (Debian-based and RPM-based distributions). Installing and creating a first site takes minutes.
What you can do after
Build and test full client sites before they go live, practise theme and plugin development, reproduce a bug from a live site by importing a copy of it, and send a client a Live Link for feedback before launch.
Common questions
Can I move a Local site to real hosting? Yes. Common routes are a migration plugin, a host's own migration tool, or copying files and exporting the database. Some hosts connect to Local directly.
Is Local the same as WordPress Playground? No. Playground runs WordPress inside your browser and resets easily, which is great for quick tests. Local gives you a persistent site with a real database on your machine.
Does it slow my computer down? Each running site uses some memory; stop sites you are not using.
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