Frequently asked questions

About Rezure

What is Rezure?

Rezure is a local development environment manager for Windows. It bundles a web server (Nginx), PHP, and databases (MariaDB or MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server LocalDB) 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. If you'd like to support it, the Donate page in the app lists the ways to do so; nothing is paid for inside the app.

What makes Rezure different?

A few things Rezure does deliberately:

• Runtime versions are discovered, not hard-coded. Installed versions are found by scanning Rezure's download folder and a drop-in folder, and the installable lists come live from php.net, MariaDB, and nodejs.org, checksums included.
• Every download is verified against a published checksum before it's used.
• Port conflicts are reported before a service fails. Rezure checks the port first, names the program holding it, and can stop it for you.
• Only what you ask for gets downloaded. Nginx and PHP 8.3 ship inside the installer; databases, Mailpit, Node.js, 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.

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.

Is the app available in other languages?

Not yet. Rezure's interface is in English.

Installing and running

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. If you forget, Rezure names the program holding the port and offers to stop it. See Port Conflicts.

Rezure's PHP deliberately avoids port 9000, so it doesn't collide with the PHP that Laragon and XAMPP run there.

Why does Rezure need administrator rights?

For two things only: editing the Windows hosts file so a project's .test domain resolves (when you click Sync hosts file), and installing Microsoft's ODBC Driver or SQL Server LocalDB if you choose to. Declining the hosts prompt leaves the rest of the app working; the domain just won't resolve until the entry is added.

Should I run Rezure as administrator?

No. Nothing in Rezure needs it, and PostgreSQL refuses to start under an elevated Rezure. Open it normally; Windows asks for approval on its own when the hosts file needs to change.

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.

Do services start when Rezure opens?

No. Nothing starts until you start it: not when Rezure opens, and not with Start Rezure with Windows on either. Start all on the Services page brings everything up at once. See Services.

Does closing the window stop my services?

By default, yes: closing the window quits Rezure and stops everything. Turn on Keep running in tray on close in Settings to keep them running in the background.

How do I update Rezure?

From inside the app. A dot appears on Changelog when an update is out; open it and click Update. Updates are signed and verified. See Updates & Changelog.

How do I uninstall Rezure completely?

Run the uninstaller, then remove C:\rezure and the few things Rezure set up outside it. See Uninstall.

Projects

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, databases, and downloaded runtimes live under C:\rezure too, outside the install folder, so reinstalling or rolling back leaves your work alone. See Files & Folders.

Can I move C:\rezure to another drive?

Rezure uses whatever folder the REZURE_HOME environment variable names, so you can point it at another drive before you start using it. Moving an existing setup isn't automatic: database profiles and linked projects record full paths. The simplest route is to export your databases, set REZURE_HOME, start fresh, and import them again. See Files & Folders.

Can I use a domain other than .test?

Not as the automatic suffix: it's always .test, because browsers force .dev onto HTTPS and .local belongs to mDNS. A linked project can be given any valid domain when you add it.

Does Rezure support HTTPS on local sites?

Not yet. Sites are served over plain http:// on .test domains.

Does Rezure support Apache?

No. Rezure's web server is Nginx. Laravel, WordPress, and most PHP apps run on it without changes; .htaccess files are ignored (and denied to visitors).

Which frameworks does Rezure support?

Laravel, CodeIgniter 3 and 4, WordPress, Bedrock, Drupal, Joomla, Symfony, Yii 2, CakePHP, Slim, and Laminas on the PHP side, and Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, Vue, React, Svelte, Angular, and plain Node on the JavaScript side. Rezure detects the framework from the project's files and serves it from the right folder, such as public/ for Laravel, CodeIgniter 4, and Symfony. If detection gets a project wrong, click its framework badge to change it. A framework Rezure doesn't know can be added in C:\rezure\etc\frameworks.json. See Frameworks.

Why does my CodeIgniter 4 or Symfony site show 404?

On Rezure 3.3 and newer it shouldn't: both are detected and served from public/. If a project still answers 404, it's probably served from the wrong folder. Hover its framework badge to see where it's served from, then click the badge to pick the right framework. If you once linked the project's public/ folder directly as a workaround, remove that link and add the project folder instead. See Frameworks.

Can I open a Vite, Next.js, or Nuxt app on a .test domain?

Yes, since Rezure 3.3. JavaScript and Node projects are served by their own dev server: click Open and Rezure starts npm run dev on a port of its own, waits until it answers, and opens http://myapp.test. Nginx passes the domain to that port, with hot reload working. Rezure also takes care of Vite's allowed-hosts check and Next.js 16's dev-origin check. Every dev server stops when Rezure closes. See Dev Servers.

Can visitors download my project's .env file?

No. PHP sites answer 404 for every dotfile (.env, .git, .htaccess, and so on) except .well-known. This closes a gap in versions before 3.3, where a project served from its own folder, such as WordPress or plain PHP, could expose its .env. JavaScript projects never serve their folder directly: requests go to the dev server. See Frameworks.

Can I serve a site to the internet with Rezure?

For a temporary preview, yes: use Share on the Projects page. Rezure opens a Cloudflare Quick Tunnel and gives you an https://…trycloudflare.com link anyone can open while sharing is on. No Cloudflare account or router setup is required. See Sharing a Project for the full walkthrough.

That is not production hosting. The URL changes each time you share, the tunnel stops when you stop sharing or quit Rezure, and the feature is meant for demos and quick checks, not a permanent public site. For that, deploy to a real host.

Does Rezure work with Claude Code and other AI coding agents?

Yes. Rezure keeps an AGENTS.md in C:\rezure that describes your PHP, databases, and projects, and Claude Code picks it up automatically in projects under www. See AI Coding Agents.

PHP and runtimes

Which PHP versions can I use?

PHP 8.3 ships inside the installer. From the Switch page you can install whatever php.net currently publishes for Windows (the newest release of each branch, non-thread-safe x64 builds) or drop a build you already downloaded into C:\rezure\custom\php and Rezure picks it up on the next scan. Switching the global default restarts the main PHP service only; Nginx keeps running. See PHP Versions.

Can different projects use different PHP versions at the same time?

Yes. On the Projects page, pin each project to Default or to a specific installed version. Pinned versions other than the global default get their own PHP x.y.z service on the Services page. Those aren't started automatically: start each PHP service your projects need, or use Start all. See PHP Per Project.

How do I change a php.ini setting?

Put it in a .ini file in C:\rezure\etc\php\conf.d: Rezure rewrites its own php.ini on every start, so edits there don't stick. Extensions are toggles on the PHP Extensions page. See PHP Configuration.

Is Xdebug supported?

Not yet. It's on the roadmap.

Does Rezure include Composer?

Yes: install versions from the Switch page. Rezure uses Composer itself for new Laravel projects, but doesn't put a composer command on PATH. See Project Terminal.

Does Rezure support Node.js?

Yes. Install versions from the Switch page and pin one per project; the pin applies to the project's terminal and to its dev server. Vite, Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, Angular, and Node apps open at their .test domain through a dev server Rezure starts for you. See Node.js and Dev Servers.

What about Python, Ruby, or Go?

Not available. Python is listed on the Switch page as "not available yet".

Databases

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.

Can I keep using my Laragon or XAMPP databases?

Yes. Add data directory on the Databases page finds Laragon's and XAMPP's MySQL data at their default locations and serves it with that tool's own server binary; nothing is copied or converted. Only one of the two tools can run it at a time. See MariaDB & MySQL, and Coming from Laragon or XAMPP for moving your projects too.

Does Rezure support PostgreSQL?

Yes: versions 16, 17, and 18, installed from inside the app and running beside MariaDB. See PostgreSQL.

Does Rezure support SQL Server?

Yes. Rezure installs Microsoft's pdo_sqlsrv and sqlsrv PHP drivers, the ODBC Driver, and SQL Server 2022 Express LocalDB, and connects to other SQL Server instances. See SQL Server.

Does Rezure include Redis?

The redis PHP extension, yes: install it from PHP Extensions. A Redis server isn't part of Rezure yet.

Can Rezure connect to a remote database?

Yes. From the Databases page you can add a saved connection to a MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server server (staging, a VPS, shared hosting, an office server) and switch the page to that target to list, export, and import databases. Connections are read-only by default so you don't accidentally write to production.

If the database isn't reachable directly (it only listens on 127.0.0.1 on the server, or the port is firewalled), enable Connect through an SSH tunnel when adding the connection. Rezure uses Windows' built-in OpenSSH client; no extra SSH software is required. See Remote Databases for field-by-field setup and examples.

Can I open a remote database over SSH in TablePlus, DBeaver, or HeidiSQL?

Yes. Open on a remote connection hands the client the tunnel's local address, so the client never deals with SSH. When the connection has a saved password, TablePlus, DBeaver, HeidiSQL, and the MariaDB console get it too and connect straight away. MySQL Workbench asks for the password in its own dialog. See Remote Databases.

Where are database passwords stored?

In Windows Credential Manager, under Rezure Database Connections, or only in memory for the session, if you choose. Never in Rezure's own files.

Privacy

Does Rezure collect data?

Yes, a small amount of usage data: a random install ID, which services start and stop and with which versions, the kind (not the text) of errors, and periodic heartbeats that include your Windows version and account name. It never sends paths, project or database names, or anything you type. The full list, and how to turn it off, is on Privacy & Usage Data.

Does Rezure send my code or my databases anywhere?

No. Your projects and data stay on your machine. The only things that leave it are the usage data above, Feedback tickets you choose to send, and what you deliberately share or connect to.