Apache and nginx. At the same time.
Both run on the standard ports, side by side. Pick the server per site and match production instead of guessing at it.
v0.1.6
Now on Windows & macOS
Heat up your dev stack.
Real Apache or nginx, any PHP version per site, MariaDB, trusted HTTPS and a mail catcher — running on your own machine in minutes. Self-contained from the very first click.
Free for your first site Signed installers Windows · macOS Apple Silicon & Intel
- Apache
- nginx
- PHP 7.0 → 8.5
- MariaDB
- phpMyAdmin
- Mail catcher
- Composer
- WP-CLI
- WordPress
- MODX
- Joomla
- Grav
- Bootstrap
- Tailwind CSS
- Bulma
- UIkit
- Pico CSS
- SFTP · FTP · SSH
2
Web servers at once
Apache and nginx run side by side on the standard ports. Choose per site.
AnyPHP
Version, per site
Keep a legacy client on 7.4 while a new build runs 8.5 — at the same time.
1
Folder holds it all
Runtimes, configs, certificates and logs live in Kiln’s own data folder.
1click
To undo everything
Uninstall from Settings and every system change Kiln made goes with it.
One app. Your whole stack. Running hot.
Kiln downloads, configures and supervises every piece a real PHP site needs — then stays out of your system’s way.
HTTPS your browser trusts
Kiln runs its own local certificate authority, issues a certificate for every site and renews it before it expires. No warnings to click through.
Any PHP. Per site.
Keep a legacy client on 7.4 while a new build runs 8.5 — at the same time. Toggle extensions and edit php.ini without leaving the app.
Every email, caught
A built-in mail catcher grabs everything your sites send, so you can test password resets and receipts without a message escaping to a real inbox.
A terminal that knows the site
Open a shell in any site’s folder where php, composer, wp and mysql are the exact versions that site runs. No PATH surgery.
A design studio for your themePRO
Generate palettes, check contrast, set type and spacing, then build a Bootstrap, Tailwind CSS, Bulma, UIkit or Pico CSS theme with a live preview.
WordPress, MODX, Joomla and Grav in one clickPRO
Pick a version from the official release feed. Kiln creates the database and user, then opens the installer with the details on screen.
Test on your phone
Sites are reachable from phones and tablets on the same Wi-Fi, so real-device testing is a tap away.
Push and pull to your host
SFTP, FTP, FTPS or SSH, with a preview of every change before it runs. Saved profiles, exclude rules and encrypted credentials.
Green lights in one pass
The setup check tests PHP, servers, ports, certificates, MariaDB and mail — and every problem it finds comes with a Fix button.
Move a site in one file
Export a site to a .kiln file — with its files and databases if you like — then import it on another machine to bring it back to life.
From download to https://yoursite.test
No package managers, no config archaeology, no “works on my machine”. Four steps and you’re building.
-
Install Kiln
One signed installer for Windows or macOS. No package managers, no dependencies to hunt down.
-
Get every light green
The setup check looks at PHP, web servers, ports, certificates, MariaDB and mail. Anything amiss gets a Fix button.
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Add a site
Pick a folder, a hostname, a web server and a PHP version. Kiln writes the config, the hosts entry and the certificate for you.
-
Open https://yoursite.test
A real hostname with a trusted padlock — and reachable from your phone on the same Wi-Fi. Time to build.
Built for the work that comes next.
PRO BUILDS
A design studio that ships real themes.
Shape a palette, check every colour pair for contrast, pick your type, then build a production-ready theme for the framework you already use — with a live preview the whole way.
- Palette generator with locks and undo
- Bootstrap, Tailwind CSS, Bulma, UIkit and Pico CSS
- Built-in accessibility contrast checks
- Self-hosted web fonts and a library of add-ons
- Theme scaffolds for WordPress, MODX, Joomla and Grav
Fun fact: the theme under this very website was generated by Kiln’s design studio.
Databases
MariaDB, handled.
Every site gets its own database and user, set up for you. Create, drop and tune from the app, open phpMyAdmin when you want a closer look, and pull a fresh copy down from your live host.
- Per-site databases and users, provisioned automatically
- phpMyAdmin, installed on demand
- Server options editable without hunting for config files
- Database sync with remote hosts PRO
Sync & deploy
Ship it without the FTP shuffle.
Save a profile for each host and push or pull over SFTP, FTP, FTPS or SSH. Kiln shows you the plan — every add, change and delete — before a single byte moves.
- Preview every change before it runs
- Exclude patterns, size and type filters
- Credentials encrypted at rest, SSH host keys pinned
- MODX sites re-configured for your machine after a pull
Your computer stays yours.
Kiln is self-contained by design. It brings its own runtimes, keeps them in one place, and takes everything with it when you say goodbye.
Everything in one folder
Runtimes, configs, certificates and logs live in Kiln’s data folder — not scattered across your system.
Only what you ask for
Pick the PHP versions and services you want. Kiln fetches those, and nothing else.
Signed installers
The Windows installer is code-signed, and the Mac builds are signed and notarized by Apple.
Test mail stays local
The mail catcher only listens on your own machine, so test emails can’t reach real people.
Secrets kept secret
Remote host passwords are encrypted at rest and SSH host keys are pinned on first connect.
A clean goodbye
Uninstall from Settings removes Kiln’s certificate authority, hosts entries and helpers — and the data folder too, if you want.
Same Kiln. Any desk.
Native, signed builds for Windows and for both kinds of Mac — all on the same version.
Start free. Go Pro when you’re ready.
The free version is the real thing — the full stack for one site. Pro takes the limits off.
Free
$0forever
Everything you need to build one site properly.
- One site, on Apache or nginx
- Any PHP version, MariaDB and phpMyAdmin
- Trusted HTTPS and the mail catcher
- Per-site terminal, Composer and WP-CLI
- File sync over SFTP, FTP, FTPS and SSH
Pro
Launch pricing soon
Unlimited sites and the tools that save you hours.
- Everything in Free, for unlimited sites
- One-click WordPress, MODX, Joomla and Grav installs
- Database sync with remote hosts
- Site rules (.htaccess) editor
- Design studio theme builds
Questions, answered.
Yes. The free version runs one site with the full stack: Apache or nginx, any PHP version, MariaDB, trusted HTTPS, the mail catcher, the per-site terminal and file sync. Kiln Pro unlocks unlimited sites, one-click CMS installs, database sync, the site rules editor and design studio theme builds.
Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), and macOS on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Each platform has its own signed installer; the download page lists them all.
Yes — that’s the point. Each site picks its own PHP version and they all run at once. Windows supports PHP 7.0 through 8.5, Apple Silicon Macs 7.4 through 8.5, and Intel Macs 8.1 through 8.5.
Both, at the same time, on the standard ports. Choose the server per site so your local setup matches what runs in production.
Very little. Runtimes, configs, certificates and logs live in Kiln’s own data folder. Kiln adds a block of entries to your hosts file for your site names and installs its local certificate authority so browsers trust your sites. Uninstall Kiln from Settings and it removes those again — plus the data folder, if you choose.
No. The built-in mail catcher receives everything your sites send and only listens on your own machine, so nothing leaves your computer.
Yes. Kiln can make your sites reachable from phones and tablets on the same Wi-Fi network, using your computer’s network address.
Export it to a .kiln file — optionally with its files and databases — and import it in Kiln on the other machine.
Fire it up.
Download Kiln free and have your first site running over HTTPS today.