Frequently asked questions

What is Rezure?

Rezure is a local development environment manager for Windows. It bundles a web server (Nginx), PHP, and a database (MariaDB) and puts them behind start/stop buttons instead of config files and service consoles. The longer answer is on What is Rezure?.

Is Rezure free?

Yes. Rezure is free and open source, and the source lives on GitHub.

What makes Rezure different?

A few things Rezure does deliberately:

• Runtime versions are discovered, not hard-coded. Installed PHP builds are found by scanning your download cache and a drop-in folder, and the installable list comes live from php.net's own release feed, checksums included.
• Port conflicts are reported before a service fails. Rezure checks the port first, so a stray process on the same port gets named instead of producing a silent failure.
• Only what you ask for gets downloaded. Nginx and PHP 8.3 ship inside the installer; MariaDB and extra PHP versions are pulled on demand.
• A small footprint. A native webview instead of a bundled browser engine keeps both the binary and the memory use modest.

Can I run Rezure alongside another local server stack?

Not at the same time, if the two want the same ports. Nginx and MariaDB listen on port 80 and port 3306, and nothing else can share those while Rezure's services are running. You don't need to uninstall anything — just stop the other stack before starting Rezure's. See Installation for the details.

Does Rezure work on macOS or Linux?

No. Rezure targets Windows 10 (build 1809 or newer) and Windows 11, 64-bit only. There are no macOS or Linux builds.

Does Rezure use Docker?

No. Rezure runs native binaries directly on your machine — there is no Docker mode.

Which PHP versions can I use?

PHP 8.3 ships inside the installer. From the PHP page you can install any other version straight from php.net, or drop a build you already downloaded into C:\rezure\custom\php and Rezure picks it up on the next scan. Switching the active version restarts PHP-FPM only, so your virtual hosts stay up.

Is MariaDB included in the installer?

No, and that's on purpose. MariaDB downloads the first time you start it — a one-time wait of a minute or two, and only if you actually need a database.

Where do my projects live?

Anything in C:\rezure\www is served automatically: a folder named myapp becomes myapp.test. Projects stored elsewhere can be linked in place from the Projects page, with nothing copied or moved. Settings live in %APPDATA%\Rezure, outside the install folder, so reinstalling or rolling back leaves your work alone.

Why does Rezure need administrator rights?

Only for one thing: editing the Windows hosts file when it sets up a virtual host. Windows prompts the first time it happens. Declining leaves the rest of the app working — the project's .test domain just won't resolve until the entry is added.

Windows SmartScreen warns about an unrecognized publisher. Is that a problem?

That warning is about code signing, not a virus report. Verify the installer's SHA-256 hash against the one on the release page — the verification steps take about ten seconds — and if it matches, choose More info → Run anyway.

Can I serve a site to the internet with Rezure?

No. Rezure is meant for local development only, never for serving anything to the public internet.