SpawnWP — Self-hosted WordPress development labs
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Free, self-hosted WordPress lab
Your WordPress dev lab.<br>Your server.<br>Your rules.
Turn a fresh Debian or Ubuntu server into your own disposable WordPress lab — whether it is a cloud VM, VPS, dedicated server or bare metal. Create isolated environments without sandbox limits, subscriptions or lock-in.
Install SpawnWP<br>Read the docs
$curl -fsSL https://spawnwp.com/install.sh | sudo bash
Manage Run each environment as an isolated stack.
Create Choose a blueprint, PHP runtime and site name.
Stay in control See updates and choose whether to share anonymous usage.
A lab without the sandbox tax
Cloud WordPress sandboxes are useful — until the limits, expirations and recurring costs start getting in the way. SpawnWP gives you the same freedom to experiment, but on infrastructure you control.
No monthly sandbox tax. No artificial limits. No lock-in.
Disposable by design<br>Create an environment for a task. Reset it, snapshot it or destroy it when the work is done.
Self-hosted first<br>Run on your own Debian or Ubuntu server without a hosted control plane or SaaS dependency.
Simple operations<br>Use the web cockpit for routine work and clear logs when you need to inspect the system.
A short path to a clean lab
From a fresh server to WordPress environments.
1Point two hostnames<br>One hostname serves WordPress sites; the other keeps the authenticated cockpit separate.
2Run one guided installer<br>SpawnWP configures Docker, Nginx, TLS and the cockpit on supported Debian and Ubuntu systems.
3Spawn and discard<br>Create isolated sites from the cockpit, work on infrastructure you control, and remove them without keeping fragile shared state.
Built for development work
Everything needed for a focused WordPress lab.
Isolated stacks<br>Each environment gets its own Nginx, PHP-FPM, MariaDB, Mailpit and Adminer containers.
Web cockpit<br>Create, start, stop, restart, snapshot, restore and destroy environments from one focused interface.
Built-in file browser<br>Browse, edit, upload and download each site's files from the cockpit — scoped to that site's container, with a Passkey confirmation before any change.
WordPress QA<br>The development blueprint includes Plugin Check, Theme Check, PHPCS, PHPStan and Query Monitor.
Secure defaults<br>HTTPS, mandatory cockpit authentication, random secrets and loopback-only service ports.
Multiple PHP versions<br>Select a supported PHP runtime when creating an environment and keep project requirements explicit.
No SaaS lock-in<br>The runtime lives on your server and the project is distributed under the MIT License.
Cockpit or terminal<br>Everything is scriptable.<br>The cockpit covers day-to-day work, but nothing hides behind it. The spawnwp CLI handles the platform (updates, rollback, auth reset, telemetry), and every site ships a Makefile with targets for WP-CLI, Composer, npm, snapshots and restore, Xdebug and PHP switching.<br>View the CLI reference →
Optional WordPress plugin<br>Need to move a finished site out of your lab?<br>Use any backup, migration or publishing workflow you prefer. If the destination is a separate, fresh WordPress installation, the optional SpawnWP Deploy plugin can transfer the site once for you. The plugin is not required to use SpawnWP.<br>See the optional WordPress plugin →
Get started
Bring a fresh server. Spawn everything else.
Supported on Ubuntu 22.04/24.04/26.04 and Debian 12/13, on amd64 or arm64. Review requirements and DNS setup before running the installer.
$curl -fsSL https://spawnwp.com/install.sh | sudo bash
Installation guideView source
What SpawnWP provides: a self-hosted lab for development, testing and demos. You keep control of the server and choose how to back up, export or publish every finished WordPress site.
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