Introduction to PortPilot
Learn how PortPilot manages your local Node.js development servers, providing clean .test URLs and resolving port conflicts automatically.
PortPilot is a local development server manager for Node.js projects. Think Laravel Herd/Valet, but for Next.js, Vite, React, and any Node.js project. It acts as a reverse proxy, automatically assigning easy-to-remember domains (like my-app.test) to your running services, so you can stop memorizing localhost port numbers.
Clean URLs
Say goodbye to localhost:3000. Access your apps via custom local domains.
Automatic HTTPS
Local SSL certificates are generated automatically for all your projects via mkcert.
The Problem
Every project defaults to localhost:3000. You end up:
- Manually changing ports in
package.json - Forgetting which port maps to which project
- Accidentally killing the wrong dev server
- Never having a clean URL for local development
The Solution
Register your project with PortPilot, and it becomes instantly accessible at a clean .test domain:
cd ~/projects/my-storeportpilot add my-store# Now accessible at https://my-store.testportpilot start my-storeHow it works
PortPilot handles port assignment, hosts file entries, and routing automatically. Your dev server runs on an auto-assigned port, and PortPilot's proxy routes your custom domain to it.