Side by side
goenv vs Laravel Herd
Both stand on development environment managers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMac
goenv offers several ways to select Go versions and documents installation and shell setup for Linux and macOS. The project recommends v3 for new installations and continues limited maintenance for v2 until its stated end date.
Visit goenv Free plan MacWindows
Laravel Herd provides a free local Laravel and PHP setup, with Pro and Teams adding services, debugging, and team controls. Its macOS and Windows focus, Forge integration, and shared configuration support local development workflows.
Visit Laravel HerdThe facts
| goenv | Laravel Herd | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac | Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Herd Pro: $99 a year |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | herd.laravel.com |
| On development environment managers | #23 of 50 | #27 of 50 |
goenv: what it does well
- Supports global, per-project, and environment-variable selection
- Shim executables route Go commands to the selected version
- New Go versions are added on a daily schedule
- Free under the MIT license
What to know first
- Supported operating systems are Linux and macOS
- The v2 support period ends on or before December 31, 2028
Laravel Herd: what it does well
- Free plan includes core PHP tooling
- Supports PHP versions 7.4 through 8.5
- Integrates with Laravel Forge
- Offers local database and service management
- Supports configuration through herd.yml
What to know first
- No Linux version planned
- Herd Pro has no trial
- Pro license allows two active devices
Alternatives to goenv Alternatives to Laravel Herd The whole list