When to Set to Apache as web server?

Hi, newbie to Flywheel Local, but long-time user of DesktopServer (and looking to possibly ditch it…).
I’m currently installing my first site and wondering about which web server should be used… I’ve always used Apache, but it’s not the default one suggested by Flywheel Local… DesktopServer is still installed and using Apache on my machine thru xammplite. Does this make a difference? Can they share it? ALSO, should the decision of which server technology to use for dev be made according to what the LIVE hosting service uses? Can this be changed down the road without breaking the site?

Go with Apache!

Hey @metrosuperstar,

Ideally you’ll want to use what your host is using.

If you use the Preferred environment you’re locked into nginx and you can only switch away from nginx if you export the site and re-import it using the Custom environment.

Otherwise, if you use the Custom environment then you can hot-swap between nginx and Apache at any time. This is great for testing out plugins and themes on different web servers if you develop them.

Flywheel and most other managed WordPress hosts use nginx over Apache simply because it’s considerably more lightweight and easier to configure. It’s typically quicker too, but not always.

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