On macOS, Homebrew 6,457 (https://github.com/Homebrew/brew 49,797 ) 7.0.6 (macOS 15 or later) installs current builds: brew install httpd php mysql@9.7 gives Apache 2.4.68 129 , PHP 8.5.10 and MySQL 9.7.2 524 , and brew services start php runs each under launchd, the macOS counterpart of systemd 142,543 . Name mysql@9.7, because plain mysql is the 26.7 Innovation release. MAMP 7.4 75,362 (February 2026) is the one-click alternative with PHP 8.3 to 8.5, but its MySQL is 5.7 or 8.0, both past end of life. Docker Compose 514 runs unchanged on a Mac.
| Option | Runs on | Like the server? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSL2 6 + Ubuntu 26.04 225 | Windows 10, 11 | Yes: same packages | Rehearsing deployments |
| Docker Compose | Linux, WSL2, macOS | Close: pinned images | Teams, CI, many projects |
| WampServer 3.4 861,070 | Windows 10, 11 | No: Windows builds | Quick PHP work |
| Homebrew | macOS 15+ | Partly: upstream builds | Mac developers |
| MAMP 7.4 | macOS 11+ | No: old MySQL | Beginners on a Mac |
| XAMPP 8.2.12 2,521 | Windows, Linux | No: EOL MariaDB 3,681 | Legacy courses only |
This book's examples run on WSL2 with Ubuntu 26.04, and each also runs on a real Ubuntu server.