Local by Flywheel
Local by Flywheel is a free desktop application that provides a local WordPress development environment for individual developers, freelancers, and web agencies, with a paid Local Pro tier and deployment integration into WP Engine hosting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersOmaha, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Local by Flywheel does
Local by Flywheel (now branded 'Local' and operated by WP Engine, Inc.) is a desktop application that provides a local WordPress development environment for individual developers, freelancers, and web design agencies. Founded in 2016 and headquartered within WP Engine's Austin, Texas corporate entity, the product enables users to spin up isolated WordPress sites on Mac, Windows, and Linux with one-click installation, SSL, hot-swappable PHP versions, built-in email testing via Mailpit, and pre-launch quality tools such as Image Optimizer, Link Checker, and Instant Reload. The application is built on an extensible TypeScript-based Add-on SDK, supports a community marketplace of add-ons, and integrates natively with GitHub, MySQL Workbench, Google Drive, Dropbox, and the WP Engine/Flywheel hosting platforms via a Local Connect push/pull workflow.
The product is distributed as a free, self-serve desktop download from localwp.com, with a freemium upgrade path to a paid Local Pro subscription tier for advanced features. Go-to-market is product-led growth, supported by community forums, public documentation, developer relations, and an active Twitter presence; the Local Community Forum and 'Get involved' portal serve as the primary marketing surfaces. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of WP Engine, Local functions both as a standalone developer brand and as the top-of-funnel acquisition channel for WP Engine and Flywheel managed WordPress hosting, with Local Connect providing a one-click deployment path from local development to paid hosting. Compliance posture is inherited from the parent and includes CCPA, GDPR, SOC 2 Type 2 self-attestation, and EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield certifications.
Local by Flywheel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local by Flywheel
- Legal name
- WPEngine, Inc.
- Website
- https://localwp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Local by Flywheel is a free desktop application that provides a local WordPress development environment for individual developers, freelancers, and web agencies, with a paid Local Pro tier and deployment integration into WP Engine hosting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local by Flywheel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- WordPress Development Tools
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud-Native Development (Containers, Kubernetes, Microservices) (BPAEACAD)
Keywords
Where Local by Flywheel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Omaha
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Local by Flywheel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Free Core Product: Free desktop application for local WordPress development. The core product is offered at no cost as a developer tool.
- Local Pro Subscription: Premium subscription offering additional features and capabilities beyond the free version.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free tier - Core local WordPress development features |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Local by Flywheel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local by Flywheel is a free cross-platform desktop application that provides a self-contained local WordPress development environment, enabling developers to install, build, test, and debug WordPress sites offline without a live server. The product offers one-click WordPress installation with SSL, hot-swappable PHP versions, root SSH access, WP-CLI, pre-launch tools (Link Checker, Image Optimizer, Instant Reload), and integration with WP Engine and Flywheel hosting for push/pull deployment workflows.
Product overview
Local by Flywheel is a desktop-based local WordPress development environment. The core product is the Local desktop application, which provides a complete local server stack for developing WordPress sites offline. The product portfolio includes several built-in features and add-on modules: Local Connect for WP Engine/Flywheel integration, Live Links for URL sharing, Cloud Backups for Google Drive/Dropbox, Image Optimizer, Link Checker, Instant Reload, MagicSync differential deployment, One-click admin, Mailpit email testing, Blueprints site templates, and Site Grouping organization. The platform supports extensibility through a TypeScript-based Add-on SDK, a community Add-ons Library marketplace, and integrates with development tools like GitHub, MySQL Workbench, XDebug (PhpStorm/VS Code). Local Hub provides web-based account management, and the Local Community Forum offers user support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Local Desktop Application The primary Local by Flywheel desktop application (branded "Local") provides a cross-platform local server environment (macOS Intel/Apple Silicon, Windows, Linux Debian/RPM) where WordPress developers and agencies can install, build, test, and debug WordPress sites offline. The core product is free and includes one-click automatic WordPress installation with SSL, hot-swappable PHP versions, root SSH access, WP-CLI, Live Links for shareable URLs, Local Connect for WP Engine/Flywheel integration, and Cloud Backups to Google Drive or Dropbox.
- Local Add-on SDK A TypeScript-based developer toolkit (with create-local-addon npm package, Context API, Filters, Actions, and Common Parameters) that allows third-party and community developers to build custom add-ons extending Local's functionality. Documentation and example add-ons are hosted at build.localwp.com.
- Local Hub Web-based account management platform at hub.localwp.com that provides Local users with login, application download access, and account services, supporting Google and GitHub single sign-on for managing Local installations and synchronized features.
Quantifiable outcome
- Automatic WordPress setup eliminates manual installation steps
Companies that use Local by Flywheel
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Local by Flywheel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature12 records
Local by Flywheel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Local by Flywheel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DDEV: Open-source PHP and WordPress local development environment built on Docker. Targets the same developer persona as Local with PHP-version switching, site cloning, and CMS integrations.
- Trellis: WordPress-specific local development and provisioning tool from Roots. Targets the same WordPress developer and agency audience with Vagrant/Ansible-based workflows.
- MAMP: Classic local development stack for Mac/Windows providing Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Competes with Local on local-environment provisioning, though without Local's WordPress-specific depth.
- SpinupWP: Cloud-based server control panel purpose-built for WordPress that includes local-style workflow tooling. Comparable to Local for developers who want server-side WordPress provisioning.
- Laravel Valet: Lightweight PHP local development environment for macOS. Comparable to Local in the local-PHP-dev category though more general-purpose and less WordPress-tailored.
- XAMPP: Free, open-source cross-platform local development stack from Apache Friends. A long-standing free alternative that competes on price (free) and simplicity for local site testing.
- DevKinsta: Kinsta's free local WordPress development tool with one-click site creation, database management, and email testing. Most direct functional peer to Local, owned by a competing managed WordPress hosting provider.
- Lando: Docker-based local development environment with strong WordPress recipes. Competes with Local on the WordPress developer-tool axis and is widely adopted in agency environments.
Broad incumbents
- Docker Desktop: Broad container-based local development platform that underpins Local Classic and many competing tools. A larger incumbent with overlapping developer-tool use cases, though not WordPress-specific.
Emerging players
- InstaWP: Cloud-based WordPress sandbox and staging platform that competes with Local by removing the need for a local stack entirely. An emerging player attacking Local from the cloud-development angle.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Local by Flywheel social profiles
Digital presenceLocal by Flywheel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Local by Flywheel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local by Flywheel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Local by Flywheel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local by Flywheel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Local by Flywheel
What does Local by Flywheel do?
Local by Flywheel is a free cross-platform desktop application that provides a self-contained local WordPress development environment, enabling developers to install, build, test, and debug WordPress sites offline without a live server. The product offers one-click WordPress installation with SSL, hot-swappable PHP versions, root SSH access, WP-CLI, pre-launch tools (Link Checker, Image Optimizer, Instant Reload), and integration with WP Engine and Flywheel hosting for push/pull deployment workflows.
Is Local by Flywheel a public or private company?
Local by Flywheel is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Local by Flywheel founded?
Local by Flywheel was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Local by Flywheel based?
Local by Flywheel is headquartered in Omaha, United States, in the North America region.
How does Local by Flywheel make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Free Core Product is the primary driver. The others are local Pro Subscription.
Who are Local by Flywheel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DDEV, Trellis, MAMP, SpinupWP, Laravel Valet, XAMPP, DevKinsta and Lando. Docker Desktop is listed as a broad incumbent. InstaWP is listed as an emerging player.
Does Local by Flywheel have an API?
Yes. Local offers an API accessible at https://build.localwp.com/ for developer integrations and add-on development. The platform provides TypeScript APIs for building add-ons, including Context API, Filters, Actions, and Common Parameters. Add-ons can be created using the create-local-addon npm package. Developer documentation is at build.localwp.com.
What industry is Local by Flywheel in?
Local by Flywheel's product category is WordPress Development Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEACAD, Cloud-Native Development (Containers, Kubernetes, Microservices). Its NAICS code is 5182.