For a long time, LocalWP has been my go-to tool for local WordPress development. It’s fantastic for setting up big projects, managing databases, and doing a lot of things at once. But recently, I started using WordPress Studio for my smaller projects, and it’s been a game changer.
What I Use LocalWP For
LocalWP is like a full-featured workshop. It’s perfect for when I need to work on a big client site. I love how it lets me easily switch between PHP versions, set up an SSL certificate, and get a public link to share my work. The user interface is clean, and the ability to spin up a new site with a single click is a massive time-saver. For any project that needs a lot of different features or has a complex setup, LocalWP is the clear winner.
What I Use WordPress Studio For
On the other hand, WordPress Studio is like a quick, lightweight tool. It’s built on WebAssembly, which means it’s incredibly fast. I use it for two main things:
- Quick tests and experiments: If I want to see if a plugin works with a new version of WordPress or just test a small idea, I can get a site running in a second.
- Creating new add-ons: When I’m building a new plugin or theme, I use Studio because it’s so simple. I don’t need to worry about complex settings; I can just focus on the code.
While it’s not as powerful as LocalWP, its speed and simplicity are what make it great for these tasks.
The Only Tricky Part: The Database
The one difference that took some getting used to is the database. LocalWP uses MySQL, which is what I’ve used for years. Studio, however, uses SQLite. This is an easy problem to solve because there are great tools available.
Personally, I use DBeaver because it’s a powerful tool I’m already familiar with. It connects to the SQLite database file and gives me a clean way to view, edit, and manage everything I need.
I’ve also heard great things about the SQLite Viewer for Studio repo. It was built specifically for this purpose and automatically finds the database file, which is very helpful.
If you want to try the latest Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and client, you can use the repository at https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers-archived/tree/main/src/sqlite. This allows you to alter, access, and delete the database using simple language commands. Just a heads-up, this repository is archived, so it’s a good idea to use it with caution.
Both of these tools solve the database problem, so you can pick the one that fits your workflow.
My Final Verdict
I don’t think one tool is better than the other. Instead, they work perfectly together. LocalWP is my main tool for big, complex projects, while WordPress Studio is my quick-start tool for small tests and new add-ons. Together, they cover everything I need, making my workflow faster and more efficient than ever.