Oxamp
OXAMP is a paid native PHP development stack for Apple Silicon Macs, distributed as a macOS desktop app with a SwiftUI control panel. It bundles Apache 2.4.65, MariaDB 11.4.9, PHP 8.4.24, and phpMyAdmin, all compiled from source as relocatable arm64 binaries. Unlike Homebrew-based setups, the binaries do not link back to /opt/homebrew, so the stack runs on a Mac that has never installed a package manager and can be moved as an app bundle. The distinguishing feature is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives AI coding agents controlled access to the local stack. Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, and Cline can check whether the stack is running, start it, tail Apache error logs, create utf8mb4 databases, and return connection settings. The agent-facing tools are an allowlist: there is no tool for arbitrary SQL, dropping databases, or changing settings, so a model cannot be talked into destructive actions. OXAMP also automates common scaffolding. One command installs WordPress with generated security salts and a configured database, or Laravel with an app key and .env pointing at a ready database; both downloads are checksum-pinned and extension requirements are checked up front. The control panel supports running two PHP versions side by side, and security defaults are hardened: Apache and MariaDB bind only to localhost, the root password is generated and stored with 0600 permissions, and anonymous MariaDB accounts are removed.
- Category
- Programming
- Pricing
- Paid
Problem solved
OXAMP removes the friction of setting up and securing a local PHP/MySQL environment on Apple Silicon Macs, replacing package-manager or container-based workflows with a native, relocatable app. It also solves the safety problem of letting AI coding agents operate the stack by exposing only non-destructive MCP tools for starting services, reading logs, creating databases, and installing WordPress or Laravel.
Use cases
- Run Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and phpMyAdmin natively on Apple Silicon Macs
- Let Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, or Cline start/stop the stack via MCP
- Create utf8mb4 databases and retrieve connection settings from an AI agent
- Install WordPress with generated salts and a configured database in one step
- Install Laravel with app key and .env database connection in one step
- Switch between PHP 8.4 and 8.3 side by side
- Read Apache error logs to debug 500s without leaving the editor
- Run a local PHP stack on a Mac with no package manager installed
Audience
- Developers
- Hobbyists
- Startups
Pros
- Native arm64 binaries, no Homebrew or containers required
- MCP server lets coding agents start stack, create DBs, and install apps
- Agent tools are allowlisted; no arbitrary SQL or destructive operations
- One-step WordPress and Laravel scaffolding with checksum-pinned downloads
- Secure defaults: localhost-only binding, generated root password, no anonymous account
Cons
- Paid, not free or open source
- Apple Silicon only; no Intel or Windows/Linux support
- Limited to Apache/MariaDB/PHP stack; no Nginx or PostgreSQL
- Requires macOS with SwiftUI environment
- MCP agent support may require per-agent configuration
Official website: https://oxidapps.com/oxamp
Canonical LambdaBase page: https://www.lambdabase.com/tools/oxamp