DevWorkspace Pro vs MAMP and MAMP PRO

MAMP puts a native Apache or Nginx, PHP and MySQL bundle on macOS or Windows, and MAMP PRO adds a GUI for hosts, snapshots and one-click WordPress. If that covers your work, it does the job well.

DevWorkspace Pro is for a broader setup. Think Linux machines, container runtimes such as DDEV, or a mix of stacks where you want AI agents, GitHub and security scans in one window.

Comparison table

"Not listed" means the feature does not appear on the official MAMP pages as of the date of this page. MAMP PRO license terms differ between the macOS and Windows editions; see the MAMP purchase FAQ and terms.

MAMP and DevWorkspace Pro in brief

MAMP is a free local server bundle for macOS and Windows: Apache or Nginx, MySQL, and PHP, Python, Perl or Ruby. MAMP PRO goes further, with:

• unlimited hosts, each with its own PHP version
• a built-in editor
• snapshots
• one-click WordPress, Joomla and Drupal
• automatic SSL and Mailhog
• deploys to live servers
• an MCP server for Claude Desktop

DevWorkspace Pro does not ship a server bundle. Projects run in DDEV, Laravel Sail, Docker Compose or with your own tools, and every project gets the terminal, files, Git, GitHub and AI sessions.

Picking one

MAMP or MAMP PRO makes sense if:

• You build PHP sites on macOS or Windows and don't want containers.
• You want a GUI to add hosts, set a PHP version per host and switch between Apache and Nginx.
• You use snapshots, Blueprints and one-click WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.
• You test sites on phones with MAMP Viewer or NAMO.

DevWorkspace Pro makes sense if:

• You work on Linux, or your team mixes operating systems.
• You want each project to carry its runtime in Git, with DDEV, Sail or Docker Compose.
• You have Node, .NET, Go, Rust or a Flutter app next to your PHP sites.
• You run AI agents in many projects and want to resume sessions after a restart.
• You want dependency security scans and uptime monitoring.

What MAMP does better

• A free edition. Basic MAMP costs nothing.
• No containers. The native bundle needs no Docker runtime.
• Site tools. Snapshots that include the database, site duplication, Blueprints and deploys to live servers.
• Mobile testing. NAMO shares local hosts on the LAN, and MAMP Viewer tests them on iOS.
• Cloud sync. MAMP Cloud Connect syncs through Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox.

Keeping MAMP and adding DevWorkspace Pro

1. Let MAMP keep serving the sites it serves now.
2. Import the site folders into DevWorkspace Pro. It detects WordPress, Laravel, Drupal and other stacks.
3. Pick the native run method.
4. Use DevWorkspace Pro for GitHub, AI sessions, Composer and npm security scans, and Focus Pad.

One thing to watch: stop MAMP before you start a DDEV project on the same computer. The DDEV troubleshooting guide lists MAMP as a common cause of port conflicts.

Moving a site from MAMP to DDEV

1. Export the database from phpMyAdmin or with mysqldump.
2. In DevWorkspace Pro, click New Project, choose the stack, pick DDEV as the run method and point Folder at the site folder. Set the PHP version and database type.
3. Import the dump with ddev import-db in the Terminal tab.
4. For WordPress, update the site URL with ddev wp search-replace.

Sources

• MAMP for macOS: https://www.mamp.info/en/mac/
• MAMP PRO: https://www.mamp.info/en/mamp-pro/
• MAMP PRO for macOS features: https://www.mamp.info/en/mamp-pro/mac/
• MAMP release notes (macOS): https://www.mamp.info/en/release-notes/mac/
• MAMP purchase FAQ: https://www.mamp.info/en/mamp-pro/support/purchase-faq/
• MAMP terms of service (prices): https://www.mamp.info/en/terms-of-service/
• DDEV troubleshooting (port conflicts): https://docs.ddev.com/en/stable/users/usage/troubleshooting/
• DevWorkspace Pro docs: https://docs.devworkspacepro.com/getting-started