WampServer

Perhaps this is unfair to ask on this forum, but I was wondering what people thought of the differences, and the pros and cons of WAMP Server versus the XAMPP package? If you are using WAMP and considered a different alternative, what made WAMP Server the better option in your view? Basically, I am trying to figure out which one would be the best to use for basic development and learning activities and why. (If it matters, I will be running this on Windows XP or Windows 7, 32 bit.)

Thanks,

-Danny.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2015 04:18PM by dweiss.

Well on the surface there is not much difference.

The obvious difference is in the names

WAMPServer install Apache,MySQL,PHP

while with XAMPP you get an extra P

XAMPP install Apache,MySQL,PHP,Perl


The thing that swung it for me is that I develop in PHP and for many different people, so I need to be able to setup an environment that matches that of my Clients server.

With WAMPServer this can be done, with XAMPP it is not part of there ethos, as its developed by the Apache community its versions of Apache/PHP/MySQL are more ridgid i.e. you get a specific version of all those parts with a single version of XAMPP and switching is just not an option (unless you know what you are doing.

With WAMPServer I can have many versions of Apache, many versions of PHP and many versions of MySQL all installed. It is then just a case of switching versions of any of those to match my requirement. The switch is just a click on a menu. Of course the installation of many versions does take space and is not as easy as it once was, as you have to do it manually now for reasons that are not relevant here.

Well anyway if you want Perl, then XAMPP is the simplest solution, although it can be configured in WAMPServer but its all man-draulic.
If Perl is irrelevent but flexibility is useful WAMPServer is the better choice.


Oh just one last thing, the latest versions of Apache etc are compiled with Visual C++ 2012 (VC11) and therefore will not run on Windows XP as the required C/C++ runtime library will not install on XP, but that applies to both WAMPServer and XAMPP.

I hope this is of some help to you in making a decision.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Windows 10 Pro 64bit) (Wampserver 3.3.4 64bit) Aestan Tray Menu 3.2.5.4
<Apache versions MULTIPE> <PHP versions MULTIPLE> <MySQL Versions MULTIPLE>
<MariaDB versions MULTIPLE> <phpMyAdmin versions MULTIPLE> <MySQL Workbench 8.0.23>
Read The Manuals Apache -- MySQL -- PHP -- phpMyAdmin
Get your Apache/MySQL/mariaDB/PHP ADDONs here from the WAMPServer alternate Repo
-X-X-X- Backup your databases regularly Here is How dont regret it later! Yes even when developing -X-X-X-

RiggsFolly Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well on the surface there is not much difference. .....

>
> Oh just one last thing, the latest versions of Apache etc are compiled with Visual C++ 2012 (VC11)
> and therefore will not run on Windows XP as the required C/C++ runtime library will not install
> on XP, but that applies to both WAMPServer and XAMPP.
>
>

Thanks, that is very helpful. As for the Apache / XP issue, I was already aware of that, and for the moment at least I can live with the version of Apache (and other components) that still run on XP.

The OS transition is an entirely different topic, of course, but I realize I need to move to Windows 7, or later, soon but at this point I figure I might as well wait and look at Windows 10 before deciding and then probably go to a new OS and move to 64 bit at the same time. I just keep avoiding all the work involved in that transition, not to mention the cost of whatever hardware and other software upgrades I will need to do in the process (at the least, a significant upgrade to the PC's memory).

Thanks again,

-Danny.

If you want a WAMPServer that runs on XP use WAMPServer 2.4. Thats the last one that will, and its not that old really.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Windows 10 Pro 64bit) (Wampserver 3.3.4 64bit) Aestan Tray Menu 3.2.5.4
<Apache versions MULTIPE> <PHP versions MULTIPLE> <MySQL Versions MULTIPLE>
<MariaDB versions MULTIPLE> <phpMyAdmin versions MULTIPLE> <MySQL Workbench 8.0.23>
Read The Manuals Apache -- MySQL -- PHP -- phpMyAdmin
Get your Apache/MySQL/mariaDB/PHP ADDONs here from the WAMPServer alternate Repo
-X-X-X- Backup your databases regularly Here is How dont regret it later! Yes even when developing -X-X-X-

Also, XAMPP does not support 64-bit on Windows right?

Fell inlove with WAMP though.

Not sure about XAMPP and 64 bit, but if you check the PHP(64bit) site php is still considered Experimental.

I suggest even if your OS is 64bit, you should use the WAMPServer or XAMPP 32bit, mainly because when you get round to experimenting with some of the non standard extentions they are more likely to be available in 32 bit form as many extension developers have not moved their code to 64bit php yet, and probably wont until 64bit php is a complete port to 64 bit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Windows 10 Pro 64bit) (Wampserver 3.3.4 64bit) Aestan Tray Menu 3.2.5.4
<Apache versions MULTIPE> <PHP versions MULTIPLE> <MySQL Versions MULTIPLE>
<MariaDB versions MULTIPLE> <phpMyAdmin versions MULTIPLE> <MySQL Workbench 8.0.23>
Read The Manuals Apache -- MySQL -- PHP -- phpMyAdmin
Get your Apache/MySQL/mariaDB/PHP ADDONs here from the WAMPServer alternate Repo
-X-X-X- Backup your databases regularly Here is How dont regret it later! Yes even when developing -X-X-X-

remzaki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also, XAMPP does not support 64-bit on Windows
> right?
>

My understanding is that XAMPP does not support 64 bit yet because not all of the component elements, such as PHP, are available in 64 bit.

-Danny.,