Lerd: Free Open Source Laravel Herd Alternative | Mohamed Said [Skip to content](#main) [ ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01KT78WE565VEMM3PSNQAAB0MH.png) Mohamed SaidLaravel Backend Engineer ](https://msaied.com) - [Home](https://msaied.com) - [Projects](https://msaied.com/projects) - [Articles](https://msaied.com/articles) - [Certificates](https://msaied.com/certificates) - [About](https://msaied.com#about) [ Contact](https://msaied.com#contact) Menu Menu ---- Close - [HomeStart here](https://msaied.com) - [ProjectsCase studies](https://msaied.com/projects) - [ArticlesEngineering notes](https://msaied.com/articles) - [CertificatesCredentials](https://msaied.com/certificates) - [AboutHow I work](https://msaied.com#about) - [ContactGet in touch](https://msaied.com#contact) [Start a conversation](https://msaied.com#contact) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/201094619204) [Email](mailto:hello@msaied.com) 1. [Home](https://msaied.com) 2. / 3. [Articles](https://msaied.com/articles) 4. / 5. [Laravel](https://msaied.com/articles?category=laravel) 6. / 7. Lerd: A Free, Open Source Laravel Herd Alternative for Linux and macOS [Laravel](https://msaied.com/articles?category=laravel) [Open Source](https://msaied.com/articles?category=open-source) Lerd: A Free, Open Source Laravel Herd Alternative for Linux and macOS ======================================================================= Lerd is a free, MIT-licensed local development environment for Linux and macOS that replicates — and extends — the Laravel Herd Pro experience with zero paywalls, rootless containers, and per-branch database isolation. ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp) [Mohamed Said](https://msaied.com#person) Published 17 Aug 2026 · Updated 19 Aug 2026 · 4 min read ShareCopy linkCopied ![Lerd: A Free, Open Source Laravel Herd Alternative for Linux and macOS](https://cdn.msaied.com/566/4308ec7c53a48fe0d187e7c7a5fc1ea2.png) On this page +1. [What Is Lerd?](#what-is-lerd) 2. [How It Works Under the Hood](#how-it-works-under-the-hood) 3. [Debugging Without Installing Anything Extra](#debugging-without-installing-anything-extra) 4. [Git Worktrees With Isolated Databases](#git-worktrees-with-isolated-databases) 5. [Services, Sharing, and the Dashboard](#services-sharing-and-the-dashboard) 6. [MCP Server for AI-Assisted Workflows](#mcp-server-for-ai-assisted-workflows) 7. [macOS Trade-Off Worth Knowing](#macos-trade-off-worth-knowing) 8. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) What Is Lerd? ------------- [Lerd](https://lerd.sh) is a free, MIT-licensed local development environment for Linux and macOS that aims to deliver the full Laravel Herd Pro experience — dump viewer, mail capture, database services, profiler — without a paywall or a telemetry opt-out. Run `lerd link` inside any project and it is immediately available at `project.test` with trusted HTTPS, its own PHP version, and all required services running. ```bash cd ~/code/my-app lerd link # → detecting framework… Laravel # → php 8.4 · node 22 · nginx vhost written # → https://my-app.test ``` How It Works Under the Hood --------------------------- Lerd runs everything as rootless Podman containers wired into systemd user services on Linux and launchd on macOS. There is no daemon running as root. Each project gets: - Its own PHP version, from 8.5 down to a frozen 7.4 legacy tier - Per-project Node via bundled fnm or an existing nvm, plus Bun as a first-class JS runtime - Optional FrankenPHP per site as an alternative to PHP-FPM, with Laravel Octane worker mode Framework detection covers Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, Magento, and over a dozen others, each with the correct nginx rules and env handling pulled from a versioned community store that updates independently of releases. Non-PHP projects — Node, Python, Go — can sit behind their own `.test` domain as a host-proxy site. Debugging Without Installing Anything Extra ------------------------------------------- Lerd intercepts every `dump()` and `dd()` call and streams it to the dashboard alongside: - SQL queries with N+1 and slow-query detection - Outgoing mail captured by a built-in Mailpit instance - Rendered views, events, queued jobs, and outgoing HTTP — all grouped per request The built-in SPX profiler converts any request into a flame graph with one click, no FPM restart required. A per-site timing view fed from the nginx access log surfaces the slowest routes by recent p95, and a Tinker tab provides an in-browser PHP REPL with project-aware autocomplete. Git Worktrees With Isolated Databases ------------------------------------- Each git worktree gets its own subdomain and its own database. Run migrations on a feature branch without touching `main`'s data, then switch back and find everything exactly as you left it. Each worktree can pin its own PHP and Node version, runs its own Vite worker, and serves assets under the site's `.test` hostname rather than `localhost:5173`. The `lerd worktree wait` command lets a script or AI coding agent block until a fresh checkout is fully provisioned. Services, Sharing, and the Dashboard ------------------------------------ MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Mailpit, and other services install with one click from an independently updated store. Databases can be created, dropped, exported, imported, or snapshotted from the dashboard. JetBrains IDEs are wired automatically — a linked project receives a data source pointed at its own Lerd database. Sharing options include LAN share with a QR code, public tunnels via Cloudflare, ngrok, or Pinggy, and stable URLs on a domain you control. The web UI ships in fourteen languages, installs as a PWA, and covers live logs, a global command palette, and in-browser editing of nginx configs, `php.ini`, and `.env` files with validation and timestamped backups. Prefer the terminal? `lerd tui` opens a btop-style dashboard suited to tmux and SSH workflows. MCP Server for AI-Assisted Workflows ------------------------------------ Lerd ships an MCP server so assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot can scaffold projects, run migrations, switch PHP versions, and read logs directly. The `route_timing` and `optimize_route` tools hand the assistant a slow route together with its N+1 queries and CPU hotspots. macOS Trade-Off Worth Knowing ----------------------------- On macOS, Lerd runs its containers inside a lightweight Podman VM, so it will not be as lightweight as Herd's native processes. If you are already paying for Herd Pro and happy with it, there is no urgent reason to switch. If you have been holding off on the Pro subscription, Lerd covers everything behind that paywall at no cost. Key Takeaways ------------- - **Fully free and open source** under MIT — no Pro tier, no telemetry, no account required - **Linux support** is a first-class citizen, not an afterthought - **Per-branch database isolation** for git worktrees is a feature Herd does not offer - **Rootless Podman** means no daemon running as root on either platform - **MCP server** enables AI coding agents to manage the local environment directly - Install with a single command: `curl -fsSL https://lerd.sh/install.sh | bash` Ubuntu and Debian users can install via the PPA with `apt`; NixOS has a dedicated flake; Windows is supported through WSL2 (currently in beta). --- *Source: [Lerd: A Free, Open Source Herd Alternative for Linux and macOS — Laravel News](https://laravel-news.com/lerd)* - [local-development](https://msaied.com/articles?search=local-development) - [open-source](https://msaied.com/articles?search=open-source) - [laravel-herd](https://msaied.com/articles?search=laravel-herd) - [podman](https://msaied.com/articles?search=podman) - [php](https://msaied.com/articles?search=php) - [devtools](https://msaied.com/articles?search=devtools) Frequently asked questions --------------------------- Does Lerd work on Linux, or is it macOS-only like Laravel Herd?Lerd is a first-class citizen on both Linux and macOS. On Linux it wires rootless Podman containers into systemd user services; on macOS it uses launchd. Ubuntu and Debian users can install via a PPA, and NixOS has a dedicated flake. Windows is supported through WSL2, currently in beta. What does Lerd offer that Laravel Herd Pro charges for?Lerd includes the dump and query viewer, local mail capture via Mailpit, database services with admin UIs, the SPX profiler, and log viewing — all free. It also adds features Herd does not have, such as per-branch database isolation for git worktrees, a terminal TUI dashboard, and an MCP server for AI coding assistants. Is there a performance trade-off when using Lerd on macOS compared to Herd?Yes. On macOS, Lerd runs its containers inside a lightweight Podman VM, so it will not be as resource-light as Herd's native processes. On Linux there is no VM layer, so the overhead is minimal. ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp)About the author ---------------- [Mohamed Said](https://msaied.com#person)Senior Backend Engineer specializing in Laravel, scalable SaaS platforms, APIs, and cloud infrastructure. I build secure, high-performance web applications that help businesses grow. [About](https://msaied.com#about) [GitHub ↗](https://github.com/EG-Mohamed) [LinkedIn ↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/msaiedm/) [WhatsApp ↗](https://wa.me/201094619204) [Email Address ↗](mailto:hello@msaied.com) [My CV ↗](https://drive.google.com/file/u/0/d/1MF20IPRJyzfy32mhEutjL5EpSls0w2Q8/view) [Previous articleHow Two Non-Developers Built laracon.us/photos with Claude, Laravel, and Laravel Cloud](https://msaied.com/articles/how-two-non-developers-built-laraconusphotos-with-claude-laravel-and-laravel-cloud) [Next articleLaravel Lock: Distributed Locks for Models and Routes](https://msaied.com/articles/laravel-lock-distributed-locks-for-models-and-routes) On this page ------------- 1. [What Is Lerd?](#what-is-lerd) 2. [How It Works Under the Hood](#how-it-works-under-the-hood) 3. [Debugging Without Installing Anything Extra](#debugging-without-installing-anything-extra) 4. [Git Worktrees With Isolated Databases](#git-worktrees-with-isolated-databases) 5. [Services, Sharing, and the Dashboard](#services-sharing-and-the-dashboard) 6. [MCP Server for AI-Assisted Workflows](#mcp-server-for-ai-assisted-workflows) 7. [macOS Trade-Off Worth Knowing](#macos-trade-off-worth-knowing) 8. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) ### Have a technical challenge? Tell me what you’re building. I reply within two working days. 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