WAMP vs XAMPP Comparison

Comparison: WAMP vs XAMPP

Feature	WAMP	XAMPP
OS Support	Windows only	Cross-platform (Win/macOS/Linux)
Components	Apache, MySQL, PHP	Apache, MariaDB, PHP, Perl
Control Panel	System tray icon	Dedicated control panel
Configuration	More Windows-friendly	Slightly more complex
Portability	Less portable	More portable (can run from USB)
Multiple PHP Versions	Supported via add-ons	Limited without manual config
Default Ports	Apache: 80, MySQL: 3306	Same

Detailed Setup Instructions

Option 1: WAMP Setup

1. Download: Get WAMP Server from wampserver.com
2. Install: Run installer as Administrator, accept all defaults
3. Verify Installation:
   • Launch WAMP from Start Menu
   • Wait for icon to turn green in system tray
   • Visit http://localhost to see WAMP homepage
4. WordPress Installation:

   cd C:\wamp\www\
   git clone https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress.git mywebsite
   

5. Create Database:
   • Open http://localhost/phpmyadmin
   • Create new database named mywebsite_db

Option 2: XAMPP Setup

1. Download: Get XAMPP from apachefriends.org
2. Install:
   • Run installer (disable any running Skype/TeamViewer as they use port 80)
   • Select components: Apache, MySQL, PHP, phpMyAdmin
3. Launch Control Panel:
   • Start Apache and MySQL services
   • Verify at http://localhost
4. WordPress Installation:

   cd C:\xampp\htdocs\
   git clone https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress.git site1
   

Hosting Multiple Websites

Method for Both WAMP/XAMPP:

1. Create Virtual Hosts:
   • Edit httpd-vhosts.conf (WAMP: C:\wamp\bin\apache\apacheX.X.X\conf\extra\, XAMPP: similar path) ```apache

   <VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot “C:/wamp/www/site1” ServerName site1.test </VirtualHost> <VirtualHost *:80> DocumentRoot “C:/wamp/www/site2” ServerName site2.test </VirtualHost> ```

2. Edit Hosts File:
   • Add to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts:

     127.0.0.1 site1.test
     127.0.0.1 site2.test
     

3. Restart Services and access sites at http://site1.test and http://site2.test

Critical Configuration Notes

1. Always run installers as Administrator
2. Configure Windows Firewall to allow Apache/MySQL
3. For WordPress: set define('WP_DEBUG', true); in wp-config.php during development
4. Recommended to use different ports if running multiple instances:

   Listen 8080
   <VirtualHost *:8080>
       # config for second site
   </VirtualHost>
   

For Docker enthusiasts, consider using docker-compose with WordPress official images for even better isolation between sites.