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DDEV vs XAMPP: catalog facts
DDEV	XAMPP
Free Free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license, funded by sponsorships.	Free Free to download and use. Components are under their own open-source licences.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux
Sets up PHP and Node.js environments quickly Project configuration can be version controlled and shared	One installer produces a working Apache, MariaDB and PHP environment Control panel starts and stops each service without editing config files
Requires a Docker provider to be installed first macOS setup recommends at least 8GB of RAM	Configured for convenience, not security; it is not meant to face the internet Bundled component versions lag upstream releases
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.