A lightweight desktop environment built specifically for web developers. Stop juggling browser tabs, losing your local server in a sea of windows, and manually resizing dev tools. Localhost Workspace lets you test, preview, and inspect your local web applications in a dedicated, distraction-free native window.
Enter your running port and launch instantly into a dedicated viewport.
Extremely low idle memory footprint (~20MB RAM for the core app) that dynamically scales based on your local server's needs. Completely bypass the heavy bloat of modern browsers. Installation size is only ~11MB.
Effortlessly scan your system to discover currently active local ports without having to remember port numbers.
Instantly switch between mobile, tablet, and desktop viewports to test your layouts with a single click or keyboard shortcut.
Open the native web inspector with a dedicated inspect button built right into the app. No more right-clicking or searching through context menus.
Pin the workspace directly over your code editor so you can write code and watch live HMR updates side-by-side.
Grab and reposition the floating toolbar anywhere on screen, or hide it entirely with Ctrl + Shift + L for an ultra-clean, distraction-free view.
- Tauri: For the lightweight native desktop shell.
- Rust: For the high-performance backend and system-level window management.
- Svelte: For the lightning-fast, reactive user interface.
I am a full-stack web developer by trade. I originally got the idea to build this because I was working on an older laptop and got tired of modern browsers eating up massive amounts of RAM just to run a simple local testing tab.
I designed this tool to be incredibly lightweight and hyper-focused on the developer experience. This project was also a fantastic way to bridge my web development background with native desktop performance using Tauri, Rust, and Svelte.
Currently, this application is available exclusively for Windows.
📥 Download Latest Release (v1.0.0)
📑 View All Version Releases & Changelogs
⚠️ Security Note for Windows Users: Because this is a free, newly released indie developer tool, I have not purchased an expensive Microsoft code-signing certificate. Windows SmartScreen or some antivirus engines will flag the.exeas an "Unrecognized app." This is a standard false positive for new, unsigned Rust binaries.To run the app, click More info > Run anyway. The source code is 100% open for you to review, or you can build it yourself from source using the instructions below.
If you prefer to compile the app yourself, or want to contribute, you can easily do so using Node and Cargo:
# Clone the repository
git clone [https://github.com/indexdothtml/localhost.git](https://github.com/indexdothtml/localhost.git)
# Navigate into the directory
cd localhost
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Run the development server
npm run tauri dev
# Build the production release
npm run tauri build