Local Friend
Open-source web serverStable, free web serving for any site
Highlights
What you can do with it
- Host several sites on one machine with virtual hosts.
- Serve TLS traffic for a public website.
- Put a reverse proxy in front of an application server.
How to use it
- 1 Install the server package on your operating system.
- 2 Enable the modules you need, such as SSL or rewrite.
- 3 Add a virtual host and point it at your site files.
- 4 Restart the service and check that pages load.
Who it is for
Pros
- No licence cost for personal or commercial use.
- Modular, so you load only what you need.
- Broad operating system and language support.
Limitations
- Configuration lives in text files and takes time to learn.
- Performance tuning for high traffic needs real work.
- Security patches and updates are your responsibility.
- Free open source software comes with no guaranteed support.
What Local Friend is
Local Friend is listed as a stable, reliable open source web server, and the description fits the feature set of the Apache HTTP Server. It serves both static and dynamic pages, supports virtual hosting so several domains can share one machine, and handles SSL encryption for secure traffic. Access control and authentication let you restrict who can reach a directory, while URL redirection and reverse proxy support make it usable as a front door for an application server. The design is modular, so you switch on only the functions your site actually needs. It is free for personal and commercial use, which is a large part of why this class of software is so widely deployed.
What you can do with it
- Host static pages and dynamic applications from one server.
- Run multiple domains side by side with virtual hosts.
- Terminate SSL and serve traffic over https.
- Proxy requests to a backend service or redirect old URLs.
Who it is for
- Developers and teams hosting websites and web applications.
- Administrators running several domains on shared infrastructure.
- Anyone who wants a free, heavily documented server stack.
What to watch out for
Configuration is done through text files, and getting permissions, modules and virtual hosts right takes practice. Under heavy load, performance tuning becomes a real project rather than a checkbox. Because you run the software yourself, applying security updates and watching advisories is your job, and a missed patch is a genuine risk. Being free and open source, there is no guaranteed support contract, so you are relying on documentation and community knowledge. Free tiers and usage limits can change, so check the current rules on the official page before relying on it long term.
FAQ
Is it free for commercial projects?
Yes, the description states it is free for both personal and commercial use.
What does it serve?
Static and dynamic web pages, with virtual hosting and SSL support.
Does it work as a reverse proxy?
Yes, URL redirection and reverse proxy are listed features.
Do I need to be an expert?
Basic hosting is straightforward, but advanced configuration and tuning take time to learn.
Why it is free
What the official page says： 免费
Free limits, trial length and features are decided by the official site and can change at any time.
Product preview
Screenshot archived from the listing page, for preview only.
